String Action Rotary Valve Mirafone

[TUBAD83]

When I was in college (late 70s-early 80's) the music school issued me a string action mirafone 186. The action was very smooth and fast (kinda noisy but tolerable) but I was warned NEVER to take it apart. Does anyone remember them and does anyone own one? For those who had played one let me know what did you think of it.

JJ

[Dan Schultz]

When I was in college (late 70s-early 80's) the music school issued me a string action mirafone 186. ...

I've only seen a few string-action tubas... Conn and King both built one. Walter Sear imported one. I own a Bohm & Meinl built Marzan. But I've never see a Mirafone one.

Of course, that doesn't mean they don't (didn't) exist. I'd just like to know more.

[Dan Schultz]

On last years Frankfurt music fair a certain english exhibitor sold a string action 4 valve Cerveny Kaiser BBb to a student from Hannover university.....

Hey, Kurt! Does Cerveny currently make a string-action tuba? ... or was the horn in question an older one?

Were the Walter Sear tubas made in Belgium?

[Mikelynch]

I've seen a lot of old Mirafones, including some very early ones (late 40's), and have not seen any with string linkage. There were a limited number of early M-W Bell models with string linkages.

Mike

[Wyvern]

Does Cerveny currently make a string-action tuba? ... or was the horn in question an older one?

If Kurt is referring to the Cerveny I think he is, it is an old one. I tried it, and it played very well. I don't believe Cerveny now make string action valves.

[Kevin Hendrick]

Were the Walter Sear tubas made in Belgium?

Some were (by Mahillon), others were made in Czechoslovakia (by Cerveny). I have a Cerveny-built Sear CC (with string linkage) that I bought new from Mr. Sear in 1974, and it still plays just fine. I re-string and make new bump-stops for the valves about once a year (after 35 years, I can pretty much do the whole thing in my sleep ), and it just "keeps on keepin' on"!

[davidgilbreath]

Rex Conner decided that I needed to learn how to play a CC during my days at UK. We had a brand new, string-action Cerveny and I played it for an entire year. Only time I ever earned an "A" from Rex. Nothing to do with the OP, but hey this is TubeNet.

[imperialbari]

The noise from string action rotors come from the string not only rotating the rotor but also moving along the axis. If there is any play between the rotor and the end bearings the rotor will bang forth and back between the bearings. Some Yamaha string action horns have a hinge on the lever arm to which the string is connected. That diminishes the problem, but introduces a new link to oil.

I have very few new rotor instruments and only one with mini-ball links. Maybe old fashioned I tend to like ball&socket joints.

Klaus

[Dan Schultz]

The noise from string action rotors come from the string not only rotating the rotor but also moving along the axis. If there is any play between the rotor and the end bearings the rotor will bang forth and back between the bearings......

That's quite true but this can happen with any rotary valve without regard to the type of action.

I removed the string-action from my Bohm & Meinl Marzan a while back because it was difficult to keep the string tight enough to keep the string arm from 'whacking' the stop arm. Even though the string arms on the horn were aligned perpendicular to the stop arm with a tube hinge, they were about four times as heavy as what is normally found on an F horn. The string linkage did not tend to pull the rotor up and down on their axis. I don't think the additional rotary inertia of tuba over F horn rotors lends itself very well to string action. An earlier poster alluded to having to replace the strings often. My Marzan and I get along just fine since the upgrade. I figure there is a reason why European tubas rely mostly on mechanical metal linkages.