Do any of you have experience with the 130 series of Miraphone sousaphones?
http://www.miraphone.de/de/instrument/d ... 13000.html" target="_blank
Or anyone that can recommend non-american sousaphones?
Miraphone Sousaphone
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ral1988
- bugler
- Posts: 30
- Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2007 2:38 pm
- Location: Fort Bragg, NC
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DouglasJB
- 4 valves
- Posts: 585
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Re: Miraphone Sousaphone
I believe I played on one of these in High School, I loved that horn, much smaller then any Yamaha or Jupiter I have ever played. It played extremely well from what I can remember
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iiipopes
- Utility Infielder
- Posts: 8594
- Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2005 1:10 am
Re: Miraphone Sousaphone
The new model is a complete redesign and has nothing in common with the old Miraphone souzys. On the Miraphone facebook page from about a year ago there are some entries about it as it was coming out.
Jupiter JTU1110
"Real" Conn 36K
"Real" Conn 36K
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chhite
Re: Miraphone Sousaphone
According to info I have received, those old "Miraphone" sousaphones were not Miraphones, but Boehm & Meinl models stenciled with the Miraphone label.
For field use, stick to Yamaha. They are more durable than the stuff coming from Conn-Selmer and parts are readily available when things break. That's not to say CS doesn't have parts available, but I've been more impressed with the overall design and quality of the YSH-411. And their bells are more substantial which is where the bulk of the damage occurs on sousas. And I've never had to reject delivery of any Yamaha horns because of faulty plating or poor packaging/shipping.
Whatever model you get, make sure you have durable cases in addition to the plastic ones that are available with purchase. Do your homework and invest in a case that can be tossed/mishandled by a load crew and the horn remain in its place inside the case, as well as the accessories. The majority of the damage I saw while in the Army was the from the body bouncing around in a poorly fitted case, damaging the bell, and mouthpieces, necks, and bits floating freely and causing all sorts of havoc.
Treated properly, these horns will last ten years easy, and with DOD money being tightened each year, go the extra mile to get the right horn, case, and a good shop to service them when needed.
Off of my soapbox.
For field use, stick to Yamaha. They are more durable than the stuff coming from Conn-Selmer and parts are readily available when things break. That's not to say CS doesn't have parts available, but I've been more impressed with the overall design and quality of the YSH-411. And their bells are more substantial which is where the bulk of the damage occurs on sousas. And I've never had to reject delivery of any Yamaha horns because of faulty plating or poor packaging/shipping.
Whatever model you get, make sure you have durable cases in addition to the plastic ones that are available with purchase. Do your homework and invest in a case that can be tossed/mishandled by a load crew and the horn remain in its place inside the case, as well as the accessories. The majority of the damage I saw while in the Army was the from the body bouncing around in a poorly fitted case, damaging the bell, and mouthpieces, necks, and bits floating freely and causing all sorts of havoc.
Treated properly, these horns will last ten years easy, and with DOD money being tightened each year, go the extra mile to get the right horn, case, and a good shop to service them when needed.
Off of my soapbox.
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ral1988
- bugler
- Posts: 30
- Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2007 2:38 pm
- Location: Fort Bragg, NC
Re: Miraphone Sousaphone
Thanks, chhite for the advice. I fully agree.
Where I am at, we are dealing with what we can buy versus what we should be buying. Gotta love the government....
Where I am at, we are dealing with what we can buy versus what we should be buying. Gotta love the government....
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chhite
Re: Miraphone Sousaphone
Purchasing and budget management is an art form all to itself. And getting the CO and FORSCOM/Division budget on board with priorities and five-year spending allows for those bigger ticket items to be planned for. But those folks change position too often for good plans to take hold.
Good luck on your research and purchasing.
Good luck on your research and purchasing.