St. Pete or Miraphone
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miketank09
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Norm in Bellevue
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Re: St. Pete or Miraphone
Miraphone. Call Roger Lewis at WWBW to order a 188.
Miraphone 188
Parke Ofenloch
Continental Divide Tuba Society
Parke Ofenloch
Continental Divide Tuba Society
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Bignick1357
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Re: St. Pete or Miraphone
Miraphone its just a better sounding horn in my opinion
Nick Allen
USM Music Ed Student Class of 2014
USM Music Ed Student Class of 2014
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scottw
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Re: St. Pete or Miraphone
First: welcome to a great place to discuss all matters tuba/euph related.
Second: Please become familiar with the search function found at the top of the screen. When you raise a topic that has been discussed quite a bit in the past, you can simply search and find out what was said previously. Then, if you still have a question, ask it from the perspective that you already have from reading.Much more efficient!
Third: the StPete and the Mira are quite different and seldom compared as apples and apples.
Again, welcome!
Second: Please become familiar with the search function found at the top of the screen. When you raise a topic that has been discussed quite a bit in the past, you can simply search and find out what was said previously. Then, if you still have a question, ask it from the perspective that you already have from reading.Much more efficient!
Third: the StPete and the Mira are quite different and seldom compared as apples and apples.
Again, welcome!
Bearin' up!
- Davy
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Re: St. Pete or Miraphone
Miraphone. I don't think you can go too far wrong with any of them
Gnagey-Phone CC
Edwards B-454 Bass Trombone
Shires Q-30 Tenor trombone
King 3B Trombone
Fender P Bass
Ibanez SRH-505 Bass
Army Musician
"Don't play what's there; play what's not there".
-Miles Davis
Edwards B-454 Bass Trombone
Shires Q-30 Tenor trombone
King 3B Trombone
Fender P Bass
Ibanez SRH-505 Bass
Army Musician
"Don't play what's there; play what's not there".
-Miles Davis
- jamsav
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Re: St. Pete or Miraphone
You are comparing apples to , well, crab apples. While you might be able to generate a decent sound from a St Pete , there is generally no comparing the overall quality between the two manufacturers. I enjoy my St Pete and turn some heads with overall sound production,but there are many reasons why I aspire to upgrade . There were also many reasons that went into the decision to buy the St Pete in the first place. At the time, it was the right horn for me.
But it isnt reasonable to compare it to a quality German horn that likely costs at least twice as much .
But it isnt reasonable to compare it to a quality German horn that likely costs at least twice as much .
http://www.westchestersymphonicwinds.org" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank"
King 2341-MAW valves, GW Taku, Sellmansberger Symphony
Conn USN 20k, PT-44
King 2341-MAW valves, GW Taku, Sellmansberger Symphony
Conn USN 20k, PT-44
- J.c. Sherman
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Re: St. Pete or Miraphone
Miraphone. You get what you pay for.
And you're not required to use the "search" function. Some of us are willing to answer any question whenever asked, as often as asked.
Welcome!
J.c.S.
And you're not required to use the "search" function. Some of us are willing to answer any question whenever asked, as often as asked.
Welcome!
J.c.S.
Instructor of Tuba & Euphonium, Cleveland State University
Principal Tuba, Firelands Symphony Orchestra
President, Variations in Brass
http://www.jcsherman.net
Principal Tuba, Firelands Symphony Orchestra
President, Variations in Brass
http://www.jcsherman.net
- The Big Ben
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Re: St. Pete or Miraphone
So true. But... Searching and reading previous responses can lead to better questions....J.c. Sherman wrote:Miraphone. You get what you pay for.
And you're not required to use the "search" function. Some of us are willing to answer any question whenever asked, as often as asked.
- iiipopes
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Re: St. Pete or Miraphone
When I got my used 186, I got it from Vince, and of course he tried to sell me a St. Pete. There is nothing better for the action, reliability, and durability of Miraphone rotors.
I personally think the St. Pete bore is too large for the horn, and that there is still a ways to go for the valves and linkage to be top notch.
Now, that said, if you want a really dark tone, the wide throat/small rim 16 1/2 inch bell does that in spades.
I personally think the St. Pete bore is too large for the horn, and that there is still a ways to go for the valves and linkage to be top notch.
Now, that said, if you want a really dark tone, the wide throat/small rim 16 1/2 inch bell does that in spades.
Jupiter JTU1110
"Real" Conn 36K
"Real" Conn 36K
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scottw
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Re: St. Pete or Miraphone
Thank you ,brother--I couldn't have said it any better myself!The Big Ben wrote:So true. But... Searching and reading previous responses can lead to better questions....J.c. Sherman wrote:Miraphone. You get what you pay for.
And you're not required to use the "search" function. Some of us are willing to answer any question whenever asked, as often as asked.
Bearin' up!
- J.c. Sherman
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Re: St. Pete or Miraphone
Meh... it's a pet peeve of mine. Frankly, I find the search function next to useless, so when I'm harangued to look it makes me cranky. A fresh question always should get a fresh answer; the world’s not flat, but at one time, that's what some believed. Better to get the current answer : )scottw wrote:Thank you ,brother--I couldn't have said it any better myself!The Big Ben wrote:So true. But... Searching and reading previous responses can lead to better questions....J.c. Sherman wrote:Miraphone. You get what you pay for.
And you're not required to use the "search" function. Some of us are willing to answer any question whenever asked, as often as asked.
J.c.S.
Instructor of Tuba & Euphonium, Cleveland State University
Principal Tuba, Firelands Symphony Orchestra
President, Variations in Brass
http://www.jcsherman.net
Principal Tuba, Firelands Symphony Orchestra
President, Variations in Brass
http://www.jcsherman.net
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scottw
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Re: St. Pete or Miraphone
Life's way too short for cranky!J.c. Sherman wrote: Meh... it's a pet peeve of mine. Frankly, I find the search function next to useless, so when I'm harangued to look it makes me cranky. A fresh question always should get a fresh answer; the world’s not flat, but at one time, that's what some believed. Better to get the current answer : )
J.c.S.
Bearin' up!
- bort
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Re: St. Pete or Miraphone
The search feature is pretty limited. Words like "St. Pete" and "Miraphone" are SO common on here, it's more hassle than it's worth to dig through all those posts!
- Wyvern
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Re: St. Pete or Miraphone
Entirely agree!J.c. Sherman wrote:A fresh question always should get a fresh answer; the world’s not flat, but at one time, that's what some believed. Better to get the current answer
Views do change over time. I (like many UK tubists) at one time thought an Eb entirely adequate for everything (yes even Wagner Ring!) before I was won over to the dark side
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miketank09
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Re: St. Pete or Miraphone
Thanks everyone. I really appreciate all the input. Still learning about this site, sorry if I made anyone mad with my question
Mike T
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Re: St. Pete or Miraphone
You didn't made anybody mad here, but sometimes we have an attitude...miketank09 wrote:Thanks everyone. I really appreciate all the input. Still learning about this site, sorry if I made anyone mad with my question

Back to St. Pete and Miraphone...
Sounds like Germans made a perfect horn for me! The question is what do you like or need?iiipopes wrote:Now, that said, if you want a really dark tone, the wide throat/small rim 16 1/2 inch bell does that in spades.
- k001k47
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Re: St. Pete or Miraphone
The St. Pete is a great budget horn. I'd prefer a 1291 CC or BBb if money wasn't an issue (is it ever not an issue?
). You can't go wrong with a good used 186
- iiipopes
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Re: St. Pete or Miraphone
Um, you mean the Russians?! As in St. Pete = St. Petersburg, Russia, and the factory is the successor to the original Zimmerman factory that was set up in St. Petersburg after convincing some of the Graslitz folk to go to the hinterlands to make tubas?sugawi wrote:Sounds like Germans made a perfect horn for me! The question is what do you like or need?
And the bore? At least for me, a too large a bore means that the overtone development of the horn can be truncated, and the upper partials can be harder to center. OTOH, a large bore can help the fundamental if you have a bugle and bell contour to match and you stay in the Marianas trench region of the range.
Jupiter JTU1110
"Real" Conn 36K
"Real" Conn 36K
- sugawi
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Re: St. Pete or Miraphone
iiipopes wrote:Now, that said, if you want a really dark tone, the wide throat/small rim 16 1/2 inch bell does that in spades.
I guess I misunderstood. I thought that wide throat/small rim 16 1/2 inch bell refers to early 186 Mirafone. Personally I would go with used German or Czech horn before I would get Russian one.iiipopes wrote:Um, you mean the Russians?!sugawi wrote:Sounds like Germans made a perfect horn for me! The question is what do you like or need?
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scottw
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Re: St. Pete or Miraphone
No, quite nicely and politely said, but your thoughts are duly noted. When a wide open question such as"Miraphone or St Pete" is posed, the search function should be the first place someone goes, digests what is there, and then brings up any and all questions that were not covered sufficiently before. A whole lot better discussion can then take place without someone being "put off".JMHOLANShark wrote:
Semi-nicely said, but I think this kind of response - ESPECIALLY when it's the only the 4th response down the line - puts off newbies and would be posters. Good thing everyone doesn't have that attitude (Thank you, J.C. Sherman!) If you don't want to post an answer to a question that's already been answered, just DON'T!
Bearin' up!