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special sousaphone and special BB-186 Miraphone - will list with pics/prices IF interest is expressed

Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2021 9:28 am
by bloke
Sousaphone is 4-valve, fiberglass, and features an expensive trick paint job.
The valveset (under some wild lacquer) has a PERFECT satin silver finish, is dent-free, and is "blueprinted" out to professional stands (pistons, casings, valve alignment, upper #1 slide added) It's a 36K body/bell with a 40K valveset. I might (??) sell the valveset (including 4th branch) alone, but not for a ton less dough. It could be installed/soldered to most any Elkhart production Conn sousaphone body (6/4 or 5/4 BB-flat).

Tuba is a Miraphone 186 special edition (from 2000 - "Millennial Model") with a gold brass bell.

Listing them and doing pictures takes TIME, so I'd prefer to not list them, if there is no interest.

From experience, most know that my prices are NOT cheap, but ARE fair, and my stuff IS GOOD.

Re: special sousaphone and special BB-186 Miraphone - will list with pics/prices IF interest is expressed

Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2021 5:28 pm
by Three Valves
1. Who doesn’t want to see pictures of your stuff?? :clap:

2. When was the last time you listed something here and didn’t sell it?? :huh:

Re: special sousaphone and special BB-186 Miraphone - will list with pics/prices IF interest is expressed

Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2021 7:08 pm
by tubadude
On my last visit to Bloke's place I had an opportunity to play the sousie mentioned above. I was blown away with how easy ALL notes were focused and how punchy the lower partial notes were. I was using my Blokepiece Imperial cup with a Sell #2 33.2 mm rim on a Sell Imperia$ shank.

The sparkly black metal flake paint job was true top shelf. Good luck on the sale old friend.

Re: special sousaphone and special BB-186 Miraphone - will list with pics/prices IF interest is expressed

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2021 9:22 am
by bloke
I hope I can sandwich in your project fairly soon, or - at least - sort-of soon, and – as the objective is fairly close to being unique, I hope it’s successful.
tubadude wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 7:08 pm On my last visit to Bloke's place I had an opportunity to play the sousie mentioned above. I was blown away with how easy ALL notes were focused and how punchy the lower partial notes were. I was using my Blokepiece Imperial cup with a Sell #2 33.2 mm rim on a Sell Imperia$ shank.

The sparkly black metal flake paint job was true top shelf. Good luck on the sale old friend.

Re: special sousaphone and special BB-186 Miraphone - will list with pics/prices IF interest is expressed

Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 1:22 pm
by tubadude
Hey Joe;

When you do the mod on the York, don't forget to unpinch the lead pipe which looked to be severely pinched.

Thank you,
Mike

Re: special sousaphone and special BB-186 Miraphone - will list with pics/prices IF interest is expressed

Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2021 5:08 pm
by bloke
I'm pretty sure the "Millennial Model" (gold brass bell) Miraphone 186 is sold locally to a school.

In a month or so, I may put some pictures up of the sousaphone.

Thanks for the notes asking about these.

If anyone wants details on the sousaphone, feel free to call.

If anyone is looking for a perfect "blueprint" condition satin-silver 1920's 40K (4-piston) valveset (with a moveable/aligned upper #1 slide) to go on a 38K or 20K satin silver body (to convert it to a 4-valve 40K) here's your chance.

The (would be leftover) 36K fiberglass body/bell (with the expensive paint job)...well...you can just find a good condition 3-valve valveset for it, and sell it or keep it for yourself as a 3-valve.

Otherwise, someone might really enjoy having it just as it is as a lightweight custom-paint-job 4-valve large-bore Conn sousaphone that packs a punch.