Miraphone 180 still in production?

[bort]

This is just my own curiosity...

I was on the Miraphone Web site, and I see that they still have the model 180 F tuba listed on the site. Is this model still in production? I don't think I've heard of anyone getting a *new* one of these (or have any clue what that would cost).

[cjk]

My understanding from my visit to the factory is this.

Miraphone builds instruments to order.
If they still have the tooling for an instrument, they can build it.
If no one orders one, they won't make one.
So saying that a model is "in production" really isn't accurate. There isn't an assembly line building just Miraphone 180s.
They can make the 180.
There was a new 180 demo instrument at the factory a little over a year and half ago.
I didn't think much of it.

There are soooooooooo many F tubas these days that are significantly nicer than the 180. The only way I could see somebody choosing to buy one is if they wanted an F tuba and a used 180 was all that they could find that was affordable.

[bort]

Thanks for the info -- that is more or less what I thought.

I guess I became curious based on the resurrection of the 190 -- being manufactured new again I've heard that the new ones are improved over the old ones. I haven't tried a 180 yet, and I know the general consensus on the horns. No, I wouldn't personally want to throw down the money for a brand new 180, but it seemed interesting to me that the option exists. And yes -- there are a ton of options for F tubas out there.

Really just more curious than anything on a snowy morning here.