Miraphone 58 oval euphoniums

[bloke]

I’ve never been drawn to these. They sort of sound like Conn bell-front baritones to me…which is not bad (people pay thousands of dollars for double-belled versions of these, that are a hundred years old), but (regular) Conn bell-front baritones usually cost a whole lot less, were that something I really wanted.
These 58’s tend to be priced pretty high in the used market.
I’ve heard remarks about intonation, but I’ve never spent enough time with one to be familiar with any possible issues.
I am entertaining comments from qualified players who’ve spent time with these, and who could offer complete critiques, including anything positive, negative, and neutral.
My friend (a trombonist) loves “anything Miraphone“, and has found one of these at a lower (not “giveaway”) price. I think he’s depending on me for information, which I cannot yet furnish, thus this post.
———-
Some here know that I own a straight-bell (very large) Meinl-Weston kaiser baritone. That instrument asks me to play two or three of the fifth partial pitches with alternate fingerings, but nothing else. I consider that to be quite manageable, just for what it’s worth...

[LeMark]

I had one. Didn't love the sound, but only when comparing it to a Besson style euphonium. The low range was terrible, so much so that I removed the 4th valve from it. For a different project, and then sold it as a 3 valve instrument. (and I sold it for about what I paid for it)

I do love a good short/quick rotary Euph. I just wish there were more out there that actually sound nice.

[Ace]

Mark, I owned and liked the Cerveny four rotary-valve euphonium in C/Bb. Intonation was acceptable in C but got a bit funny in Bb. The octaves didn't line up with the 11C mouthpiece provided by Cerveny. A 3G mouthpiece corrected that problem and added lots of low range resonance. The instrument really sang in the mid and high range. One of the prettiest euph sounds I have heard.

Ace

[Norm in Helena]

A colleague of mine in the Continental Divide Tuba Society of Helena, MT plays a five valve version of the oval German baritone. Yes, it does sound lighter than a Euphonium. She's a fine player, and has no troubles with intonation.

[Snake Charmer]

Good instruments! ... But...
Some years ago I got a new student. She came from two year school class teaching program with a rotary 3v oval tenor horn and wanted to stay with the type of instrument. Class teaching with the Yamaha program means a bit more than one octave range and no idea of sound... She had to return the school horn so I gave her the 4v oval Miraphone from our village band, made in 1984 and in good order.
Six months later her parents decided to buy her a horn, but (her father is a musician, too) if possible not cheapo far east made. Looking around I found a nice 4v Besson (non-comp) for a good price. I gave it to her without further informations, curious about her opinion. When we met the next time two weeks later she said: (14 years old! And meanwhile with proper range and sound) "the new horn is amazing! After two weeks I played this band thing (=the Miraphone) again yesterday, it is really a piece of crap!"
After this I told her the age of her "new" horn... it is a Class A "Prototype" made in 1919!

[hubert]

Just my 2 cents: a cornet is not a trumpet, a fluegelhorn is not a cornet. And so, a German baryton is not a euphonium.
But, both can sound very beautifully, depending on musical style and played in the appropiate way.

Anyway, I hope you may enjoy this for a few seconds:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60M9nsH4DEg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVHVq-UGuo0

Hubert

[bloke]

http://tiddlywinks.org/bibliography/tid ... n-fincher/