Miraphone 186 BBb w/Martin Bell
Forum rules
This is for posting links to off site deals that you are not personally selling,but wanting to pass along good deals
This is for posting links to off site deals that you are not personally selling,but wanting to pass along good deals
-
- 5 valves
- Posts: 1713
- Joined: Fri Jul 20, 2012 10:42 pm
- Location: Baltimore, MD, USA
Miraphone 186 BBb w/Martin Bell
Principal tuba, Bel Air Community Band
Old (early 1900s?) Alexander BBb proto-163
1976 Sonora (B&S 101) 4-rotor BBb
1964 Conn 20J/21J BBb (one body, both bells)
1970s Marzan Slant-rotor BBb
~1904 York 3P BBb Helicon
Old Alex Comp.F, in shop
Old (early 1900s?) Alexander BBb proto-163
1976 Sonora (B&S 101) 4-rotor BBb
1964 Conn 20J/21J BBb (one body, both bells)
1970s Marzan Slant-rotor BBb
~1904 York 3P BBb Helicon
Old Alex Comp.F, in shop
- iiipopes
- Utility Infielder
- Posts: 8558
- Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2005 1:10 am
Re: Miraphone 186 BBb w/Martin Bell
Oh my! I now have a section mate for my Bessophone: a Martiphone!
Jupiter JTU1110
"Real" Conn 36K
"Real" Conn 36K
- groth
- 3 valves
- Posts: 394
- Joined: Sat Jun 17, 2017 11:37 am
Re: Miraphone 186 BBb w/Martin Bell
Talk about playing flat...and not fitting in most standard sized gig bags lol.
- iiipopes
- Utility Infielder
- Posts: 8558
- Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2005 1:10 am
Re: Miraphone 186 BBb w/Martin Bell
Why would you think it would play flat? It looks like a great instrument to me.groth wrote:Talk about playing flat...and not fitting in most standard sized gig bags lol.
Jupiter JTU1110
"Real" Conn 36K
"Real" Conn 36K
- groth
- 3 valves
- Posts: 394
- Joined: Sat Jun 17, 2017 11:37 am
Re: Miraphone 186 BBb w/Martin Bell
When you add length to a horn beyond how it came with from the factory your pitch gets lower. This bell is taller than where the factory Miraphone bell was.iiipopes wrote:Why would you think it would play flat? It looks like a great instrument to me.groth wrote:Talk about playing flat...and not fitting in most standard sized gig bags lol.
- Donn
- 6 valves
- Posts: 5977
- Joined: Fri Aug 19, 2005 3:58 pm
- Location: Seattle, ☯
- iiipopes
- Utility Infielder
- Posts: 8558
- Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2005 1:10 am
Re: Miraphone 186 BBb w/Martin Bell
Of course it does! As we were all taught when we all first picked up a horn and taught how to use tuning slides (mumble) decades ago. And by contrast, if the bell stack is shorter, you need to lengthen the main tuning slide as I did on my Bessophone. The bell stack on this Martiphone does not look taller than a stock 16 1/2 inch bell. It appears to be an optical illusion from the larger throat and flare. Now, that said, the terminal node will also be affected by the larger flare and that may alter the overall pitch as well. But without playing it, none of us can know for sure.groth wrote:When you add length to a horn beyond how it came with from the factory your pitch gets lower. This bell is taller than where the factory Miraphone bell was.iiipopes wrote:Why would you think it would play flat? It looks like a great instrument to me.groth wrote:Talk about playing flat...and not fitting in most standard sized gig bags lol.
Jupiter JTU1110
"Real" Conn 36K
"Real" Conn 36K
- groth
- 3 valves
- Posts: 394
- Joined: Sat Jun 17, 2017 11:37 am
Re: Miraphone 186 BBb w/Martin Bell
When you add length to a horn beyond how it came with from the factory your pitch gets lower. This bell is taller than where the factory Miraphone bell was.[/quote]iiipopes wrote:Why would you think it would play flat? It looks like a great instrument to me.groth wrote:Talk about playing flat...and not fitting in most standard sized gig bags lol.
Of course it does! As we were all taught when we all first picked up a horn and taught how to use tuning slides (mumble) decades ago. And by contrast, if the bell stack is shorter, you need to lengthen the main tuning slide as I did on my Bessophone. The bell stack on this Martiphone does not look taller than a stock 16 1/2 inch bell. It appears to be an optical illusion from the larger throat and flare. Now, that said, the terminal node will also be affected by the larger flare and that may alter the overall pitch as well. But without playing it, none of us can know for sure.[/quote]
I guess not, however it's an 80% or better chance it'll be a tuning nightmare and for that starting price I'd pass. (Unless someone had another Mira bell laying around or could build one to spec to replace it). The rest of the horn is not all that clean either, albeit an interesting project I think it was strange to put this particular bell on it.
- iiipopes
- Utility Infielder
- Posts: 8558
- Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2005 1:10 am
Re: Miraphone 186 BBb w/Martin Bell
We don't know the seller's situation. And I will not render speculation or judgment. And, with all due respect, I am miffed by your comments in general being rather negative to the Seller. It appears to be a fine tuba to me. And it is no more strange than my Bessophone, or any other "Frankentuba" that has graced the threads of this forum. BTW - it did sell. Congrats to both the seller and buyer, whomever they may be.groth wrote:I guess not, however it's an 80% or better chance it'll be a tuning nightmare and for that starting price I'd pass. (Unless someone had another Mira bell laying around or could build one to spec to replace it). The rest of the horn is not all that clean either, albeit an interesting project. I think it was strange to put this particular bell on it.
Jupiter JTU1110
"Real" Conn 36K
"Real" Conn 36K
- groth
- 3 valves
- Posts: 394
- Joined: Sat Jun 17, 2017 11:37 am
Re: Miraphone 186 BBb w/Martin Bell
I don't recall ever saying anything negative, just the horn will (more than likely) play very flat. Been there, done that. Never said it wasn't cool, just not sure why that particular combination of bell and body. In most situations it wouldn't fit in a standard gig bag either. I guess there's a buyer for anything if you wait long enough.iiipopes wrote:We don't know the seller's situation. And I will not render speculation or judgment. And, with all due respect, I am miffed by your comments in general being rather negative to the Seller. It appears to be a fine tuba to me. And it is no more strange than my Bessophone, or any other "Frankentuba" that has graced the threads of this forum. BTW - it did sell. Congrats to both the seller and buyer, whomever they may be.groth wrote:I guess not, however it's an 80% or better chance it'll be a tuning nightmare and for that starting price I'd pass. (Unless someone had another Mira bell laying around or could build one to spec to replace it). The rest of the horn is not all that clean either, albeit an interesting project. I think it was strange to put this particular bell on it.
-
- 5 valves
- Posts: 1995
- Joined: Sun Mar 21, 2004 11:59 pm
- Location: One toke over the line...
Re: Miraphone 186 BBb w/Martin Bell
.
Last edited by tofu on Wed Dec 29, 2021 11:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
- 4 valves
- Posts: 565
- Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2015 8:11 am
Re: Miraphone 186 BBb w/Martin Bell
If the the bell is an inch taller, that affects the intonations way less than an inch of tuning slide. Doubt that needs to be shortened, even if so not a big deal.
20" bell, 40" or 41" tall...it's basically proportional. it's well done, it's a miraphone so you know the rotors turn like butter...glad it sold.
20" bell, 40" or 41" tall...it's basically proportional. it's well done, it's a miraphone so you know the rotors turn like butter...glad it sold.