Who made miraphone sousaphones?

[York-aholic]

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?

[bloke]

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.

[tubaing]

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.

[bloke]

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.

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

[tubaing]

@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

[bloke]

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.

[tubaing]

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.

I reuploaded the pic for higher resolution

[bloke]

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.

[PlayTheTuba]

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.

[arpthark]

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

The wrap on that one looks quite a bit different than the one posted above.

[PlayTheTuba]

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

The wrap on that one looks quite a bit different than the one posted above.

REALLY!! Now that is interesting! I need to pay more attention!



Nothing to see here, it's just a flower... (Orchid Mantis)

[MiBrassFS]

Anyone ask the Mira folks? They seem to be good at answering questions of all sorts…

Sousaphones, in general, aren’t my bag. Although, there is one here.

[bloke]

I'd be willing to ask if anyone could explain how it makes any sort of difference to them.

[York-aholic]

I'd be willing to ask if anyone could explain how it makes any sort of difference to them.

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.

[bloke]

I'd be willing to ask if anyone could explain how it makes any sort of difference to them.

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.

The Texas-Horn-Trader guy is a nice guy...
You could just buy one (or the batch), and ask if you could return it, I suppose...

[York-aholic]

Yes, he certainly is.

[tubaing]

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.

[Craig F]

the bell is marked "MIRAFONE" and a model number "2356"

In my experience, those numbers on Mirafone's were serial numbers not model numbers.

[bloke]

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.

Guess what? I've been wrong before.
Guess another thing? I've been right before and everyone else shouted me down, at which point I shrugged my shoulders.