Allora AA186 vs. Cerveny 686 vs. Miraphone 186

[jonesbrass]

Okay, so all three of these BBb horns appear to be near carbon copies of each other. The Allora is the least expensive and made in China, the Cerveny is a little more expensive than the the Allora and is made in the Czech Republic, and the Miraphone is the all-time German classic.

Has anyone played and/or inspected each of these that can offer a comparison: tone, response, construction quality, etc.?

Many apologies if this has been discussed ad nauseum, but I couldn't find this comparison with the advanced search option.

[Bob Kolada]

I've never played the Cerveny and only played the Allora once. I still like the VMI 2103 better than all of them.

[Chadtuba]

I owned the Allora for a couple of years and had the chance to do a side by side with the Miraphone. The Allora was a heavier gauge metal and didn't have the ring around the bell; outside of that they were almost identical in every physical way. Playing wise, the Allora had a couple of flat notes compared to the Miraphone but nothing that I wasn't able to work around with some slide pulling and alternate fingerings. If you are looking for a budget horn I would have no problem suggesting the Allora, nor would I hesitate to purchase one again if the price was right.

[SplatterTone]

I have one along with a Miraphone 191. The Allora has more back pressure (or rather, the 191 has almost no back pressure) making it a little easier to play. The bigger bore of the 191 along with the thin brass of the bell gives it a more harmonically expansive sound (and I don't mean a more bassy sound). The Allora has good intonation, very easy to play on pitch. I do not do slide pulling.

Based on the recordings I have made, I'd have to say the Allora has a little more punch-through even if the solo sound doesn't seem as "big." I might have gotten lucky and ended up with an especially good one, but mine runs in tune with the main tuning slide about 1/2 inch out and all other slides in. Based on mine, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the horn.

Here are some sound samples from my church playing. No solo playing, but you can hear the horn in the context of a group which I suspect is probably how you are likely to use it.

Choir, organ and band. Not much to the tuba part. Pretty crummy, actually. Nothing but B flats for tuba for a while, but later there is enough to give you some idea of how it sounds in a group. Mouthpiece is a Kellyberg.
http://t-recs.net/mpegs/FBC/2009/11_15_ ... _cross.mp3

Here are a couple hymns where I put some muscle into it. The organ is a fifty-something rank Aeolian-Skinner. Audience is about 600 people. Choir about 70 people with microphones across the front of the group. Mouthpiece is probably a DEG Astro Nylon.
Bodacious opening hymn
http://t-recs.net/mpegs/FBC/2009/10_25_09/hymn1.mp3
Mellower hymn with some attempt at sweet and pretty tuba playing.
http://t-recs.net/mpegs/FBC/2009/10_25_09/hymn2.mp3

For comparison to the 191 and Astro Nylon.
The bodacious hymn
http://t-recs.net/mpegs/FBC/2009/11_22_09/hymn1.mp3
The choir and band (the shaky tempo at the beginning was not me)
http://t-recs.net/mpegs/FBC/2009/11_22_09/river.mp3

[Bignick1357]

I own a 5 valve CC Miraphone 186 and I play in my concert band at my school of 60, a youth orchestra of 80, another youth concert band of 120, all of which I am one on my part and I hold up all of those quite well. But I also do all of my Allstate and district auditons on which I got first chair in so it works for everything. I do live in maine so it wasn't terribly hard but still it shows you the virsatility of the Miraphone 186

[tubaman1019]

I've played on a miraphone 186 and I currently own a Cerveny 686. The Cerveny is a great horn. I used it in everything from playing solos to full orchestra. As far a playability, I find the Cerveny and the miraphone to be very alike. I would say the miraphone can pack just a bit more punch. I've heard myself in recordings with orchestras, and the cerveny does just fine. Only thing a don't like about the cerveny is that the brass is a bit thin and dents easily.

P.S.
I will be selling my Cerveny 686 pretty soon after I get my Miraphone 1292 likely around Mid Feb-March. Send me a message if interested.

[jonesbrass]

. . . As far a playability, I find the Cerveny and the miraphone to be very alike. . .

This is what I suspected. The three horns I listed are clearly copies of one another, although the Cerveny and Miraphone have a common Bohemian origin, I'm not sure which one came first.

[Norm in Bellevue]

Choir, organ and band. Not much to the tuba part. Pretty crummy, actually. Nothing but B flats for tuba for a while, but later there is enough to give you some idea of how it sounds in a group. Mouthpiece is a Kellyberg.
http://t-recs.net/mpegs/FBC/2009/11_15_ ... _cross.mp3

Here are a couple hymns where I put some muscle into it. The organ is a fifty-something rank Aeolian-Skinner. Audience is about 600 people. Choir about 70 people with microphones across the front of the group. Mouthpiece is probably a DEG Astro Nylon.
Bodacious opening hymn
http://t-recs.net/mpegs/FBC/2009/10_25_09/hymn1.mp3
Mellower hymn with some attempt at sweet and pretty tuba playing.
http://t-recs.net/mpegs/FBC/2009/10_25_09/hymn2.mp3

For comparison to the 191 and Astro Nylon.
The bodacious hymn
http://t-recs.net/mpegs/FBC/2009/11_22_09/hymn1.mp3
The choir and band (the shaky tempo at the beginning was not me)
http://t-recs.net/mpegs/FBC/2009/11_22_09/river.mp3

Splatter Tone,

Thanks so much for these sound clips. As a Roman Catholic church musician, it's been so many years since I've heard these Protestant standards. And played on an Aeolian-Skinner no less! What a treat. And you and your 191 are keeping up with the 16' reed, too!