Miraphone tuba

[Highams]

Our tuba player in my low brass quartet has just purchased the new 4v compensating Miraphone E flat tuba #12614.

It's a stunning instrument, quite heavy, very thick gauge metal and very large bore, his Bach mouthpiece almost drops down the receiver!

I played it briefly and it blows beautifully, could not fault it, and now there's a new euphonium on the way over here.

www.euph9.freeserve.co.uk/Equale.htm

 

[nickjones]

I spoke with Rosehill a couple of weeks ago , would like to try the Miraphone Eb..heard good things about the instrument , a lot more solid than a sov or maestro

 

[Highams]

Absolutely! they have been made with a thickness of metal that's like the old Imperials and will outlast any Yamaha, yet it's so light and easy to blow !

Cb

 

[carlwoodman]

I tried one in January and, although I didn't have long to explore the instrument, I don't share your enthusiasm for the new Mirafone.
I found that there were too many notes that just didn't work for me.
Low concert Bb (brass band G below the stave) was a particularly poor note on the model I tried.

 

[Tuba Miriam]

Our tuba player in my low brass quartet has just purchased the new 4v compensating Miraphone E flat tuba #12614.

It's a stunning instrument ...

Hi Charley, yes I'm still having lots of fun with it! For me, it beats the Sovereign I was playing in every department. Certainly, it takes a little getting used to, as any change of instrument does, but the reward is fantastic. The larger bore means there's more to fill, but the adjustment is easy and I've not found myself breathing more, and therefore wrecking the phrasing, any more than usual. The larger bore is rewarding with a larger, fuller sound, and also sweeter in the quiet dynamics.

An excellent achievement of this instrument is that the larger bore has not made it unresponsive or woolly: I find the focus much improved on the Sovereign, especially in the top register.

Low concert Bb (brass band G below the stave) was a particularly poor note on the model I tried.

Interesting to read that was your experience, as I find the Miraphone to be far more responsive, with an instantaneous sound production. For me, the note you mention was a particular problem on the Sovereign in terms of production, but I've found it to be far more secure on the Miraphone.

The one area that takes a little longer to adjust to is in the valves: the lead time is slightly longer on the Miraphone, which can result in mis-coordinated valves and tongue in faster passages at first. Again, it's only a case of getting used to the difference and, in the three weeks I've had the instrument, I haven't found it debilitating.

I would certainly recommend that anyone in the market for a new tuba seriously considers Miraphone. In short, it's just so easy to blow. Lots of fun, indeed!