Barney wrote:However, it appears that some brands might receive more attention than others before reaching the buyer....
Whether that attention improves the product enough to warrant the significant price difference would be a difficult question to answer.
I suspect it does. The Dalyan Prague I purchased a few years ago came in the factory wrapping (not looked over by the retailer) and did have some issues that needed some attention. That cost me time and money. Still a fine little tuba for the price, but having a little more quality control either at the factory or the retailer would in my opinion be worth the extra $$$.
Your soul speaks through your music.
Say what you mean.
Say it with a Mike Finn Mouthpiece. www.MikeFinnMouthpieces.com
jeopardymaster wrote:I prefer my women like my coffee - ground up and stuffed in the freezer.
I've heard that it's not good to freeze coffee.
Dan Schultz
"The Village Tinker" http://www.thevillagetinker.com" target="_blank
Current 'stable'... Rudolf Meinl 5/4, Marzan (by Willson) euph, King 2341, Alphorn, and other strange stuff.
WOW!! That's scary Ground up women and no smiley face after it...<s> Is that the dommer affect?BUT I have to agree on the german beer Becks is the best(at least to my taste)..Is Miraphone german too??I would love to have the money to buy Marks 186 what a beautiful horn!!Gee I wonder if he would take payments haha......That certainly is my dream horn!!(at least for now<S>)..............bigbob www,rgisculptures.com
Wow!! a left handed tuba!! I didn't know they made one of coarse I really don;t know that much anyway <S>But it does look like a beautiful horn ... What's it a copy of??bob http://www.rgisculptures.com" target="_blank
bigbob wrote:Hi when I asked matt about the horn I was going to trade he said it was from one of 16 factorys and he didn't know which one it was from... Thank you for answering my questions...............................................bigbob http://www.rgisculptures.com" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank"
I wonder what that means?.... Maybe he's saying there are sixteen factories that turn out brass instruments, and he doesn't know which one of them makes 186 copies.
That must be the case, as I can't believe there is such demand for 186 copies that sixteen different factories are churning them out, even on a part time basis.
But, again, it just highlights the confusion about these instruments.
Correction..Matt now says there are over a 100 plants in china working on horns...bigbob
Some of the anti-Chinese horn sentiment seems to come from the fact they are made in China, and not the horns themselves. I posted this under another thread last night, but figured it was appropriate here:
MartyNeilan wrote:
Many years ago, I sat in a church / community band next to a middle aged fellow who played one (referencing Besson 3v compensating BBb). (Never had any intonation problems with him, BTW) He was of English descent. Most weeks, I showed up with a German made Mirafphfone 190. He never had anything negative to say. One week, I brought my Yamaha 621 F instead (190 was in the shop, I just wanted to work up F chops, don't remember.)
The man totally goes off on me for buying a Japanese horn, and then about everything the Japanese had done during WWII. (He was a gentleman and did apologize the next week.) I don't think he ever caught the irony of the situation.
My cheap Chinese tuba.
I bought it on German ebay last year. No brand name.
At the time it worked out at around GB£890 which is ridiculously cheap. It was a bit of a risk but I'm fairly satisfied with it. Plays fairly easily (although I'm mostly a trombonist). Came with a case with wheels. Slides are fine.
Arguably I might have picked up a very old besson for a similar price on ebay but I like the idea of a 4 valve Bb which is more compact than Bessons/Yamahas.
I improvise easier in Bb than Eb.
Linkages seem a bit noisy - I'm not sure if thats me or the horn?
Other issues most likely me as only a casual tubist: easy upper register above bass clef stave but a little flat. Notes crack a little in the middle register if I play loud and am not properly warmed up. Low notes take a while to warm up. Compare to a Besson, it also seems awkward to hold standing up with a strap. I'm not familiar with other rotary valve tubas.
So far i have used it in connection with my teaching ie to demonstrate exam music on to a tuba pupil, school concert band and jazz band outdoors. I've also used it as a novelty item in a ska band.
Anyone know what it is a copy of?
I suspect Cerveny or Miraphone?
Would it be described as 4/4 or 3/4 sized?
I'm not sure what sort of mouthpiece size or shank to order?
788_22_02_08_3_57_19.jpg
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Last edited by colinbugby on Sat Oct 10, 2009 9:35 am, edited 1 time in total.
Anyone know what it is a copy of?
I suspect Cerveny or Miraphone?
Would it be described as 4/4 or 3/4 sized?
I'm not sure what sort of mouthpiece size or shank to order?
Looks like a copy of the veneralbe miraphone 186 layout. If so, and you got one that is well put together, not surprizing that it's work'n pretty well for you. The real issue, from this thread seems to be quality control and quality variation.
colinbugby wrote:..... Anyone know what it is a copy of? ......
It's an Amati/Cerveny copy. The bottom bow and bell stack appears to not have enough girth for a Mirafone 186 and the thumbring backing plate exhibits Cerveny characteristic.
Dan Schultz
"The Village Tinker" http://www.thevillagetinker.com" target="_blank
Current 'stable'... Rudolf Meinl 5/4, Marzan (by Willson) euph, King 2341, Alphorn, and other strange stuff.
I continue to enjoy my Schiller CC tuba, and am very happy with the $1780 price. The regular price has gone up considerably since I bought mine a few months ago, but here's one pretty much at the former price.
colinbugby wrote:..... Anyone know what it is a copy of? ......
It's an Amati/Cerveny copy. The bottom bow and bell stack appears to not have enough girth for a Mirafone 186 and the thumbring backing plate exhibits Cerveny characteristic.
Thanks.
I'm only familiar with 'British' style tubas (Yamaha, Besson, and imitations).
Could you tell me if that be described as 3/4 of 4/4?
I think we are talking about 2 different horns hre. The colinbugsby tuba is almost definitely a Cerveny copy, as The Tinker surmised. The Ace CC, which continues to sell on ebay, appears to be a newer Miraphone 186-5U copy (larger bell, flatstep 5th valve.) This is the "gold standard" for a full sized, 4/4 horn.
