https://www.ebay.com/itm/265229326153
Mirafone
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the elephant
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Re: Mirafone
184-4U BBb
The guards look to be pretty good, but the photos do not show them clearly. If they are okay then the dents in the bottom bow are very simple to get out. It has an interesting homemade clamp on the main slide to prevent the slide from being pushed in too far. I would guess that this guy played really sharp and had his arm or something pushing in the slide while he played, so he (or some local tech) made this sleeve to clamp onto the inner slide leg so that you could not push in beyond it. Very clever.
The guards look to be pretty good, but the photos do not show them clearly. If they are okay then the dents in the bottom bow are very simple to get out. It has an interesting homemade clamp on the main slide to prevent the slide from being pushed in too far. I would guess that this guy played really sharp and had his arm or something pushing in the slide while he played, so he (or some local tech) made this sleeve to clamp onto the inner slide leg so that you could not push in beyond it. Very clever.
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bloke
- Mid South Music
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Re: Mirafone
A friend - very recently - snagged one of those from eBay...for around $1100 less than that one's listed price.
It's more beat-up (but never refinished), and is here to be repaired.
I saw it...but am much MORE interested in getting the attic emptied, rather than "even more stuffed with things awaiting restorations".
I've ordered two or three things from Christian, to make repairing it a little bit easier. My friend asked about a "5th valve", but - as a professional trombonist - who makes a few thousand dollars each year playing BASS trombone, his bass is a SINGLE rotor bass. Reminding them of that, I then asked...so do you REALLY want a 5th valve on an instrument on which you DOUBLE...!?!? (to which the sheepish reply was, "no").
I'll be doing another "twin-spin", once the Holton 345's are done, because we - also - have a model 84B, here, that needs to be slicked out and sold.
I won't be putting a new finish on either 84, but our own 84 will get new lacquer on it's bell and on a few other surfaces.
(Years ago - when I bought our now: attic-stored 84 - the bell was trashed...but I have two nice 84 bells - from which to choose - to install on this instrument, and not interested in selling the other bell, because - as soon as it would be sold - I'd end up needing it here. Once stuff is sold, y'ain't got it, no more.
)
...My friend's 84 features those very old-school large-gauge (were they nickel silver...??) springs. BOY...are those things stiff !!!
I might (??) open up a discussion with him re: replacing them with the newer-style (as of several decades ago) smaller-gauge stainless steel springs....but "how hard he will have to mash" really doesn't make any difference to me.
I won't be tearing off the S-arm linkage (from either instrument). Miraphone S-arm linkage is very well-made, very easy to make silent/like-new again, and very handsome. Being environmentally-conscious, I don't wish to waste unnatural resources...particularly not perfectly-good ones.
It's more beat-up (but never refinished), and is here to be repaired.
I saw it...but am much MORE interested in getting the attic emptied, rather than "even more stuffed with things awaiting restorations".
I've ordered two or three things from Christian, to make repairing it a little bit easier. My friend asked about a "5th valve", but - as a professional trombonist - who makes a few thousand dollars each year playing BASS trombone, his bass is a SINGLE rotor bass. Reminding them of that, I then asked...so do you REALLY want a 5th valve on an instrument on which you DOUBLE...!?!? (to which the sheepish reply was, "no").
I'll be doing another "twin-spin", once the Holton 345's are done, because we - also - have a model 84B, here, that needs to be slicked out and sold.
I won't be putting a new finish on either 84, but our own 84 will get new lacquer on it's bell and on a few other surfaces.
(Years ago - when I bought our now: attic-stored 84 - the bell was trashed...but I have two nice 84 bells - from which to choose - to install on this instrument, and not interested in selling the other bell, because - as soon as it would be sold - I'd end up needing it here. Once stuff is sold, y'ain't got it, no more.
)...My friend's 84 features those very old-school large-gauge (were they nickel silver...??) springs. BOY...are those things stiff !!!
I might (??) open up a discussion with him re: replacing them with the newer-style (as of several decades ago) smaller-gauge stainless steel springs....but "how hard he will have to mash" really doesn't make any difference to me.
I won't be tearing off the S-arm linkage (from either instrument). Miraphone S-arm linkage is very well-made, very easy to make silent/like-new again, and very handsome. Being environmentally-conscious, I don't wish to waste unnatural resources...particularly not perfectly-good ones.