Who made miraphone sousaphones?
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Who made miraphone sousaphones?
Did Miraphone make their own sousaphones or were they made by someone else. I think I read a rumor/belief that they may have been made by B&M.
Any thoughts?
Any thoughts?
Some old Yorks, Martins, and perhaps a King rotary valved CC
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Re: Who made miraphone sousaphones?
I've played one. One time - when I was camping with Boy Scouts up on Crowley's Ridge in Arkansas - I got a cell phone call asking/hiring me to drive an hour back over to downtown Memphis and play with the Tennessee Tech pep band (none of their own tuba students had signed up for that away game) against University of Memphis at a basketball game in the old arena (which is pyramid shaped... since converted to a bait shop) and right by the River. I used my glove box mouthpiece and I used their Miraphone sousaphone. I didn't particularly like playing it, but/and it looked very B&M-ish to me. (Of course, Winston was responsible for them buying those things.)
I tend to wonder if the California people used their "MiraFone" trademark, and just bought those straight from B&M - acting completely independently from MiraPHone...(??)
OK...My glove box mouthpiece - at that time - was one of those nickel-plated Walter Sear hellebergs (which I did not like it all, and since sold), so that may have colored my opinion of that sousaphone, just to be fair.
I tend to wonder if the California people used their "MiraFone" trademark, and just bought those straight from B&M - acting completely independently from MiraPHone...(??)
OK...My glove box mouthpiece - at that time - was one of those nickel-plated Walter Sear hellebergs (which I did not like it all, and since sold), so that may have colored my opinion of that sousaphone, just to be fair.
Last edited by bloke on Tue Nov 05, 2024 6:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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- York-aholic (Tue Nov 05, 2024 11:33 pm)
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Re: Who made miraphone sousaphones?
I'm in the DC National guard band. We have miraphfone 4 valve sousaphones. Engraved "made in west Germany". Don't know the answer to your question though.
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Re: Who made miraphone sousaphones?
If you think of it, lay one of those down and snap a picture of the whole thing and then zoom in on the circle and snap a good picture of the front of the plumbing. I'd like to see whether those are just four valve versions of those marketed decades ago, or whether they are something totally different. Are they engraved m i r a p h o n e? Emphasis on ph
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Re: Who made miraphone sousaphones?
@bloke
Here's a Pic I found on my phone. It didn't fit in this unitec case. Bell was too tall. Notice the crazy 4th valve tuning slide.
Edit higher resolution photo
Here's a Pic I found on my phone. It didn't fit in this unitec case. Bell was too tall. Notice the crazy 4th valve tuning slide.
Edit higher resolution photo
Last edited by tubaing on Wed Nov 06, 2024 6:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Who made miraphone sousaphones?
The top valve caps threaded to the casings sort of look like Miraphone 1291/2/3 but I'm not familiar enough with those - and the picture is not high resolution enough, so inconclusive. I guess I could ask Christian. He would tell me the truth.
Thank you for taking the picture.
Thank you for taking the picture.
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- York-aholic (Wed Nov 06, 2024 9:23 pm)
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Re: Who made miraphone sousaphones?
I reuploaded the pic for higher resolutionbloke wrote: ↑Wed Nov 06, 2024 6:13 pm The top valve caps threaded to the casings sort of look like Miraphone 1291/2/3 but I'm not familiar enough with those - and the picture is not high resolution enough, so inconclusive. I guess I could ask Christian. He would tell me the truth.
Thank you for taking the picture.
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Re: Who made miraphone sousaphones?
OK... thank you.
The brace feet look like the old BM/Symphonic brace feet - which were first designed for the old-old York Master (made in Germany) and which they have continued to make forever (as far as I know), so my best guess would be to agree with (??) the Boehm & Meinl manufacturing of those.
The brace feet look like the old BM/Symphonic brace feet - which were first designed for the old-old York Master (made in Germany) and which they have continued to make forever (as far as I know), so my best guess would be to agree with (??) the Boehm & Meinl manufacturing of those.
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- York-aholic (Wed Nov 06, 2024 9:23 pm)
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Re: Who made miraphone sousaphones?
Not sure how old that sousaphone is but Miraphone's website shows that the model 1300 is still the same design.
https://www.miraphone.de/instruments/sousaphone.html
If Miraphone's site is accurate on which instruments can still be ordered brand new, then the souzie on this forum gives an accurate representation of how they play/sound.
How does it play and sound though? Obscure horns are always kinda cool. Almost like a holy grail if they happen to be really good.
But I'm guessing the general consensus still stands? (Assuming they are in very good shape)
American Sousaphones from 60's are the best.
The American Sousaphones after that and the Packer are good but below the horns from the 60's (and maybe earlier).
And then there's other various ones, although that doesn't mean they are bad. They might be more divisive, or attract certain people.
https://www.miraphone.de/instruments/sousaphone.html
If Miraphone's site is accurate on which instruments can still be ordered brand new, then the souzie on this forum gives an accurate representation of how they play/sound.
How does it play and sound though? Obscure horns are always kinda cool. Almost like a holy grail if they happen to be really good.
But I'm guessing the general consensus still stands? (Assuming they are in very good shape)
American Sousaphones from 60's are the best.
The American Sousaphones after that and the Packer are good but below the horns from the 60's (and maybe earlier).
And then there's other various ones, although that doesn't mean they are bad. They might be more divisive, or attract certain people.
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Re: Who made miraphone sousaphones?
The wrap on that one looks quite a bit different than the one posted above.PlayTheTuba wrote: ↑Thu Nov 07, 2024 9:45 am Not sure how old that sousaphone is but Miraphone's website shows that the model 1300 is still the same design.
https://www.miraphone.de/instruments/sousaphone.html
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- PlayTheTuba (Thu Nov 07, 2024 11:19 am)
Blake
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Re: Who made miraphone sousaphones?
REALLY!! Now that is interesting! I need to pay more attention!arpthark wrote: ↑Thu Nov 07, 2024 9:55 amThe wrap on that one looks quite a bit different than the one posted above.PlayTheTuba wrote: ↑Thu Nov 07, 2024 9:45 am Not sure how old that sousaphone is but Miraphone's website shows that the model 1300 is still the same design.
https://www.miraphone.de/instruments/sousaphone.html
Nothing to see here, it's just a flower... (Orchid Mantis)
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Re: Who made miraphone sousaphones?
I'd be willing to ask if anyone could explain how it makes any sort of difference to them.
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Re: Who made miraphone sousaphones?
I was looking at possibly swapping the top valve caps from a miraphone sousaphone onto a B&M YorkMaster valve set but didn’t want to purchase 4 unless they were semi-likely to fit the B&M YM casings. I don’t have a thread pitch gauge and don’t know if the seller does either.
However, it’s probably easier (and more definitive) for me to buy one top cap and then if it fits, order 3 more. Thank you for the offer though @bloke.
Some old Yorks, Martins, and perhaps a King rotary valved CC
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Re: Who made miraphone sousaphones?
The Texas-Horn-Trader guy is a nice guy...York-aholic wrote: ↑Fri Nov 08, 2024 6:31 amI was looking at possibly swapping the top valve caps from a miraphone sousaphone onto a B&M YorkMaster valve set but didn’t want to purchase 4 unless they were semi-likely to fit the B&M YM casings. I don’t have a thread pitch gauge and don’t know if the seller does either.
However, it’s probably easier (and more definitive) for me to buy one top cap and then if it fits, order 3 more. Thank you for the offer though @bloke.
You could just buy one (or the batch), and ask if you could return it, I suppose...
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Re: Who made miraphone sousaphones?
Yes, he certainly is.
Some old Yorks, Martins, and perhaps a King rotary valved CC
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Re: Who made miraphone sousaphones?
Getting ready for our veterans day parade... the bell is marked "MIRAFONE" and a model number "2356". Also I want to point out the plain ferrules.
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Re: Who made miraphone sousaphones?
In my experience, those numbers on Mirafone's were serial numbers not model numbers.
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Re: Who made miraphone sousaphones?
I don't recall anyone mentioning having Miraphone sousaphones which were built in the early 60s and only recall talk of them first being available back in the 70s, so I would tend to think that's a number that another manufacturer put on those instruments.
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