Miraphone Elektra 481 F tuba

[kprinz]

Does anyone know when these instruments will emter the U.S. market? I saw an announcement on the horn guys that it would be june, but I havent seen them listed anywhere. Any ideas?

[EMC]

I would give em a call, I wouldn't be suprised if they already had some and have simply neglected to update the website. Either that or all the ones they've received are spoken for.

[Ferguson]

Thanks for the plug. We ordered four Elektra tubas to try them out, and at the moment they are flying somewhere over the Atlantic, to be delivered next week. Two are spoken for already, so they may be a hot commodity for a while. Our creaky website is getting a superior replacement in a week or so.

F

[J.Harris]

I ordered one through Dillon Music and have had it for about 2 months now. So they are available.

[bort]

I ordered one through Dillon Music and have had it for about 2 months now. So they are available.

...and how is it?

[J.Harris]

The horn's fine. I may not be the best person to ask. The Elektra is the only F I've played in years so I don't really have a basis for comparison. I bought the horn sight unseen and untested (gasp...I know...). I work ridiculous hours and haven't been able to get to a conference in years to try horns. And I'm a newbie F tuba owner/player. I owned a Norwegian Star years ago and really enjoyed it and from reading other peoples' glowing reviews and Roger Lewis' thumbs up, thought I'd give the Elektra a shot. And I knew with Miraphone, I'd get a quality instrument. So far it's really great, though like I said I work a lot and don't get to play as much as I'd like. I did get a chance to play in a quintet setting last week and the horn worked very well in that setting. Intonation is really good and response is nearly instantaneous. There are still the typical rotary F low register quirks around low C, but very manageable. And I don't think I've found the right mouthpiece yet. That may make a big difference. The high register is really solid and accessible with very good intonation.

I would also like to plug both Horn Guys and Dillons. I've bought instruments from both and have had great experiences with both of them. I purchased a Bruckner (also sight unseen and having never played one ) from Horn Guys last year and I love that horn. Would have probably bought the Elektra from them as well but there was some pricing confusion between Steve and Miraphone at the time and Matt Walters was able to get me a firm price. Don't feel bad Steve, I still love you man! Matt's a gem too, as most of you all know.

[joh_tuba]

If they've 'solved' the wonky intonation of the firebird they will finally have a winner.

If not, what makes this appreciably different or better than any other F tuba from Miraphone? <-- sincere question

[EMC]

If not, what makes this appreciably different or better than any other F tuba from Miraphone? <-- sincere question

This is exactly how I feel. I feel like miraphone has a ton of models yet they all play nearly the same, "Stale" is the word I have for them at the moment.

[Mikelynch]

joh_tuba wrote:
If not, what makes this appreciably different or better than any other F tuba from Miraphone? <-- sincere question

Just my 2 cents--For me, the answer is that the Elektra has freakishly good intonation. I got mine with a pull ring on the 1st slide (since the slide is narrow), but I have not used is since adjusting the slide at the outset.

For the doubters, the Firebird was quite an advance at the time it was introduced--a rotary F with a solid low C (etc.) and only a few intonation quirks, all of them easily manageable (definitely not the standard for 2005, in my experience). I was delighted with mine for the past 10 years; and I think it is still a great instrument.

But the Elektra raises the bar substantially, with a big sound and amazing intonation (and a still solid low C, etc.). I only personally know of two other specific instruments with comparable intonation to my Elektra (a particular YamaYork and a Matt Walters York CC). It is also an amazingly playable instrument, as easy to play as a Firebird. I would think it would have to be on the short list for anyone looking for a new rotary F.

As they say, your mileage may vary (but in this case, I doubt by much). FWIW--I am particularly partial to the gold brass Miraphones).

[bisontuba]

joh_tuba wrote:
If not, what makes this appreciably different or better than any other F tuba from Miraphone? <-- sincere question

Just my 2 cents--For me, the answer is that the Elektra has freakishly good intonation. I got mine with a pull ring on the 1st slide (since the slide is narrow), but I have not used is since adjusting the slide at the outset.

For the doubters, the Firebird was quite an advance at the time it was introduced--a rotary F with a solid low C (etc.) and only a few intonation quirks, all of them easily manageable (definitely not the standard for 2005, in my experience). I was delighted with mine for the past 10 years; and I think it is still a great instrument.

But the Elektra raises the bar substantially, with a big sound and amazing intonation (and a still solid low C, etc.). I only personally know of two other specific instruments with comparable intonation to my Elektra (a particular YamaYork and a Matt Walters York CC).

Hi Mike-
I will add one more tuba with pristine intonation --the Matt Walters York CC clone that he designed for a certain company with the same name as a Conservatory in Rochester ......
Mark

PS. I did play a yellow brass Elektra at NERTEC this Spring...I agree with Mike's comments....terrific F tuba!!!

[joh_tuba]

Sounds like they have something worthy of a lot of fanfare! I bet they sell extremely well.

[Ferguson]

I got to play 3 new Elektra tubas and a Bel Canto model today to compare them. All are very nice instruments, and they are very similar with only nuanced differences. As with all the Miraphones I see, the build work is first class and the finish work is outstanding. These are shipped dry and unplayed so they don't tarnish during their trip to the dealer, and as always, everything moved perfectly and silently out of the box.

Bel Canto
This is the third generation of the model 181, the big orchestral F, a bazooka if you will. It's available in yellow or gold brass, or in lightweight gold brass as the model 381 Bel Canto Solo. The rotors from top to bottom are: 6, 5, 1, 2, 3, 4. If you order the 4+2 setup, the 6th valve (long half step) paddle is usually operated by the first finger of the left hand, though they will build any setup to order. The pitch is very good. I didn't feel the need to adjust any slides while playing.

Elektra
This new 481 has a few minor changes compared to the Bel Canto. The bottom bow width is slightly narrower, which also makes the tuba a little taller. The tuning slide is smaller as is the main bugle beyond it, and the rotor locations have been rearranged. The rotors top to bottom are: 6, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. If you order the 4+2 setup, the 5th valve (long whole step) paddle is operated by the first finger of the left hand. This is how a B&S tuba is usually set up. The paddles can also be arranged like a 181 by special order.

More detailed measurements confirm that the Elektra is not just recycled parts. The tuning slide is several hundredths of an inch smaller on each side, and the dog leg and top and bottom bows are a bit smaller at each junction as well. It's not much. I would not have guessed it without measuring. The bell to bottom bow joint is the same size, so the two models may share a bell. I cannot confirm.

Both these models have a graduated bore through the valve section. The beginning and ending bore dimensions of the valve section are the same (.772"-.835"), but by rearranging the rotors, different notes now get slightly different bores of tubing through which the air flows. The last rotor on the Bel Canto is the fourth loop, so it feels the largest. The last rotor on the Elektra is the fifth loop, so that one feels particularly good. Thus, the 481's fourth loop, being higher up the stack, is a bit smaller.

I played around a little and then opened a page to Rochut #4 (you know, Dah Daaaaaaa, dee-dee-dee da dahh). It starts on low C, so it's an unfriendly warm up on the F tuba.

181 Bel Canto 6V 5+1 yellow brass
Nice tuba, very stable down low, I can breathe into it. It's big and mellow and does not get boisterous too fast when you crank the volume. This has more projection and weight to the tone than the 381 Bel Canto Solo. The open C is very close, maybe a bit high but not much.

481 Elektra 6V 4+2 yellow brass
Also a nice tuba, very nearly the same, but the high frequencies are more evident, like it's a smaller instrument (surprise). The low C is good, better than any B&S tuba (YMMV), but it and other notes have just a tiny bit more resistance, like you can light the tuba up a little faster. The low C feels a bit tighter, like that of a B&S tuba, but it still centers fairly well. It's particularly stable on this one, but isn't quite the easy breathing feel of the 181. The Elektra's open C felt comfortably lower than the C on the Bel Canto.

481 Elektra 6V 4+2 gold brass
The gold brass body, having more copper in the metal, is a bit softer in nature, and tends to reflect the air wave in a more nuanced manner. The standard traits of a tuba built like this apply here: slightly warmer, broader tone, a bit more malleable, perhaps less stable, captivating and lively, might have less power and raw projection. The difference is very subtle. One player said all Miraphone tubas should be made of gold brass, and he may have a point. The low C feels a bit less stable on this than the yellow brass model, but it still centers well.

What captivated me about the Elektra is how some alternative fingerings feel. For the beginning of that Rochut, low C up to A, you'd play 4 to 1-2. That works fine, but on the Elektra, try 1-2-5 to 1-2. Rotary instruments can be a bit easier to manage when you add or subtract valves rather than changing valves, and for me that riff was more stable and satisfying with that fingering. There's something about that fifth rotor being the largest one. Also on a 6 valve F you can play low A as 2-3-4 or 4-5-6. On the Elektra, the 4-5-6 combination feels very good. Your mileage may vary, and as you learn to blow the particular instrument, the differences will fade.

Because the fifth rotor paddle is at the top of the horn and the fifth rotor itself is down at the bottom, someone broke into a bass clarinet factory to procure some unusual linkage rods. The action seems to be about the same as the fifth rotor on other tubas, but a few times I felt like I had to think ahead to get the fifth rotor to move on time and not add a bubble to a slur. I can also chalk this up to not playing much F tuba, especially 4+2 models. I'd be interested to hear what others think. There's hardly any more mass to the linkage, it's just longer.

I didn't have a 281 Firebird tuba to compare to these, but it's considerably smaller through the open bugle, though the valve set is the same as the Bel Canto. It's a versatile instrument too, but is marketed more as a solo instrument like the 383 Star Light Eb. For most of us, the one to get is the one with the sound that inspires us to practice more.

Disclaimer: I play very little F tuba and I also sell Miraphone tubas.

Best,
Steve Ferguson

[Ferguson]

The test subjects: 3 Elektra, 1 Bel Canto

-F