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Whatever you want to call it, I am now the proud owner of a genuine Mirafone 184 CC, once owned by Dana Hofer. It has the old style 5th valve (bonus). I am one happy camper. It is tons of fun to play. I've had it for a few days now. My chops are horribly out of shape but I am really enjoying playing it. I haven't decided on a mouthpiece yet. I like both the Blokepiece Imperial and Solo #1. Both give me slightly different results and I haven't settled on one or the other yet. I need to get back in shape before I make a mouthpiece decision. I also have to give a special thanks to Mr. Hofer for taking the time to give me some history on the horn. I have practiced more in the last 5 days than I have in the last 5 months. Life is good.

I had one of those, with the 2+3 5th valve, vented valves. It was really a nice tuba. Perfect for quintet.

I love my 184, built in 1970
When I need to tone down it's amazing singing voice I use a Kelly Helleberg for easy blend.

Joe H

How's the high range?

Mary Ann wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 7:43 pm I had one of those, with the 2+3 5th valve, vented valves. It was really a nice tuba. Perfect for quintet.

Unless you are Roger Bobo. Then it's perfect for a major US orchestra.

My only horn for 30 or so years was a 184. Still have it, still love it. It will likely be the last horn I ever get rid of.

LargeTuba wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 11:17 am How's the high range?

Once I start practicing more, the high range will be great.

bort2.0 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 11:18 am

Mary Ann wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 7:43 pm I had one of those, with the 2+3 5th valve, vented valves. It was really a nice tuba. Perfect for quintet.

Unless you are Roger Bobo. Then it's perfect for a major US orchestra.

After hearing Uncle Beer play Pictures on a French C tuba, I don't think the size of a horn matters for orchestral playing. I can get plenty of sound out of this thing.

I played "The Planets" with a 184, back around 1980.
The low D# was tremendous !

I played the Verdi Requiem with that instrument the same year...GREAT "G's".

The year before, I played the entire "Love Of Three Oranges" opera...(low D's, etc...)

bloke wrote: ↑Fri Apr 16, 2021 8:11 am I played "The Planets" with a 184, back around 1980.
The low D# was tremendous !

I played the Verdi Requiem with that instrument the same year...GREAT "G's".

The year before, I played the entire "Love Of Three Oranges" opera...(low D's, etc...)

This horn has a great bottom end. Honestly, it puts out a lot more power than I thought it could for such a small horn. I have been a big Marafone/phone fan for years. I have owned a 188, 186, and 185 over the years. I have test played 184's in the past but I am happy to own one now. This is definitely a do it all horn. I believe this will be the last horn I ever buy.

If you want to play a 184, go ahead and play it but it's not the sound I like to hear from an orchestral tuba. Is that the sound you want?

A friend of mine asked me to listen to him play his 184 in a professional orchestra in a major city. He was a fine player but the 184 is simply not a great orchestral instrument. My friend was playing Bruckner 8th with other professional players around him, he was all but sonically invisible. Is upper register sound fit right in with the trombones. His low register did not fit with anything.

I think the advisability of playing a 184 in an orchestra is reflected in the number of major orchestras which have a tubist playing that instrument. In about 50 years as a performing musician I think Bobo is the only tubist to have regularly played it in an orchestra. The 184 is rare even in European orchestras, so when you recommend it to a student be sure and cite instances of tubists playing with that equipment so they can judge the resulting sound for themselves.

If you want to play a 184, go ahead and play it but it's not the sound I like to hear from an orchestral tuba. ...

Somehow, as a player unlikely to ever be in a serious orchestra, this just makes me want a 184 even more.

Alex C wrote: ↑Sat Apr 17, 2021 10:44 am If you want to play a 184, go ahead and play it but it's not the sound I like to hear from an orchestral tuba. Is that the sound you want?

A friend of mine asked me to listen to him play his 184 in a professional orchestra in a major city. He was a fine player but the 184 is simply not a great orchestral instrument. My friend was playing Bruckner 8th with other professional players around him, he was all but sonically invisible. Is upper register sound fit right in with the trombones. His low register did not fit with anything.

I think the advisability of playing a 184 in an orchestra is reflected in the number of major orchestras which have a tubist playing that instrument. In about 50 years as a performing musician I think Bobo is the only tubist to have regularly played it in an orchestra. The 184 is rare even in European orchestras, so when you recommend it to a student be sure and cite instances of tubists playing with that equipment so they can judge the resulting sound for themselves.

I spent several years of my life making a living as a "fessional" player. A gig with pay and benefits, etc. That part of my life ended almost two decades ago. I was actually fairly young when I packed it in. I have no desire to play in an orchestra or take on students. If someone wants to play a 184 in orchestra, more power to them. There are quite a few players across the pond that use an Eb as their main orchestral horn and they sound fantastic. If the conductor and the rest of the musicians are good with it, I don't really care if they play 6/4, 5/4, 4/4, 3/4, 3.1415926535 sized BBb, CC, Eb, or F as their main horn. To my ears, I have enjoyed hearing players on a Miraphone 186 or 188 more than the sound produced on a 6/4 lap sousaphone in an orchestral setting. The Mirafones are usually much easier to play in tune, blend well with both the trombone and bass sections, and I love the sound they make. One of my former teachers, who is a member of a major US orchestra, plays on one of those popular 6/4 model foghorns. Don't get me wrong, he sounds fantastic on it, but it's exhausting watching the slide gymanastics he has to pull off when I watch some of his YouTube videos.

Casca "who is more than content being a practice room virtuoso, making very clean and articulate fart noises with a smaller, tuba shaped object, that is less likely to give him back issues as he rapidly approach the half century mark, and requires little to no slide pulling" Grossa

bort2.0 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 11:18 am

Mary Ann wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 7:43 pm I had one of those, with the 2+3 5th valve, vented valves. It was really a nice tuba. Perfect for quintet.

Unless you are Roger Bobo. Then it's perfect for a major US orchestra.

I actually was told, and have NO idea if it was true, that my tuba was once owned and played by Torchinsky (if I spelled his name right.)