Mirafone

[bloke]

BASS TROMBONE !!!

Back in the 1970's Miraphone made a nearly complete replica of a Conn model 72H bass trombone.
They even COMPLETELY copied the black case, as well as its interior.
I would wonder if they made them for the European market (which was discovering the amazing Conn bass trombones), YET "Mirafone USA" imported a few into the USA.

A friend picked one up (rough/cheap). It sounds amazing (well...like an Elkhart Conn).
The slide was trashed. I did some heroic stuff to the slide tubes, so he could play it.
Those trashed tubes are now straight, but - as much as a tried (via various techniques) I could not get the badly-damaged places perfectly round (I finally even tried one of those g-d horrid expanders), so they would subtly drag (about five minutes after lubrication...ie. "the typical thing").
I did some measuring/research, and discovered that the current King-factory Conn bass trombones are still just about exactly the same dimensions as the old ones - and the Miraphone tubes were really close as well...

...so (today) I'm replacing the two outside slide tubes with King-Conn tubes - hoping that will be enough to do the trick.

Since I was texted about the person traveling here again today, I went ahead and put both tubes on the lathe.

New trombone tubes should never be installed without first being checked.
Both of these tubes sported a subtle wobble in the same area (which I marked with a Sharpie - while rotating, and then eliminated).
I tend to wonder if all of these tubes might feature the same (not devastating, but enough to notice) wobble, due to something about the drawing rod, the pressure from the draw ring at that point, or something else.

Anyway (who cares?), they're both ready to install, and I'm hoping that these tubes (the Mirafone inside tubes weren't so bad) will do the trick.




When I hear that superior-to-all-others vintage Conn bass trombone (type of) sonority (just like flavors/aromas/etc.), it always reminds me of some long ago good times with some remarkable players...including this Eastman alum/Remington protégé: https://www.facebook.com/fineartsdean

[bloke]

NOT INCLUDING:

- them having to wait for Mrs. bloke and me to finish writing quotes on a load of horns that had to come out of the van (before she headed off to the store)
- "hello's" (etc.)
- (per the first post) straightening the new tubes

It was about a thirty minute gig swapping out those outside slide tubes...because everything went "just right".
(Let's just keep it our little tubaforum secret that - sometimes - crap works out just like it's supposed to, OK?)

I didn't put a new finish or lacquer on the outside (only polished the solder joints), because I would like them to live with it (until the next time we meet) for a bit first (in case I need to make some adjustments. Being in a hurry (they were on a schedule) end-to-end, there's roughly a .003" drift but (making no excuses for myself) most professional and boutique trombone playing slides sport a good bit more drift than that...and it feels really good (without goop on it).

LOOKING at this MiraFone knock-off of a Conn 72H, I see just what needs to be done with my (now: completely dent-free, but not soldered together - a former basket case) Yamaha YBL-322 knock-off of a Conn 72H (to get the F attachment tubing lined up properly with the gooseneck and bell)...this is my own "basstrombasso" project (which has been put on ice, due to the summer repairs deluge).

My trombone friend wanted to hear FatBastard, so I played some open pitches, some excerpts, and a couple of Bordogni things. They brought their three small children (LOL...Mrs. bloke left for the store, so she wouldn't be assigned any baby-sitting duties...ie. "NOT MY YOB !", so "hanging out" (while simultaneously having to keep an eye on three little kids) wouldn't have worked out very well. The little ones got to see Covid and Cuddles (Cuddles actually was one of their cats' kittens) again - along with Mrs. bloke's pasture animals and work dogs, and they are on their way home.

Oh yeah...This same friend ended up with a smash-up (deer) several months ago (heading to blokeplace as an intermediary sleep-place - on the way home after one of our freeway-philharmonic orchestra concerts). I outlined a strategy for them to spend a ton less money getting it fixed (which they followed, as that car only has liability insurance on it). I am quite proud of them: They drove that car here today... It looks like a million bucks: new hood, perfectly-matched paint, nicely-repaired fender, new headlight unit, new reservoir, etc., new grill piece, etc...total repair outlay (using the bloke "bide your time" method) was only $1200. (When you're driving a c. $6500 car, it just doesn't make sense to let someone soak you with a $3500 collision repair bill, yes?)

[bort2.0]

Was this the trombone from eBay a while ago? I think I remember seeing one there a while ago, and it looked nice. Not expensive but more than I wanted to pay.

[bloke]

yeah...I believe so...It went really low, but - then again - I had to "resurrect" it.

During the same era, Miraphone also made a perfect knock-off (also including of the case) of a Bach 16 "Stradivarius" trombone.

I've bought-and-resold a couple of those, over the years.

I KNEW OF the bass trombone, but this is the first one I've actually seen.

======================================

' need yet another non sequitur...??

Y'all's 9-year-old grandsons might be handsome, but I bet they ain't "movie-star handsome, like mine.

[Three Valves]

That’s a shame.

Good looks is a curse.

Yet, we manage.

[bloke]

I finally pulled out a NO-F-attachment Bach 36, slicked out the bell section,took the slide apart, put all four tubes individually on the lathe, straightened them, put that slide back together, shined it up, shot some lacquer on it. and sold it to a friend. He had done me several very nice favors, so I sold it to him for a grand - instead of what it was worth, which is about $1500 to $1700 bucks.

That 36 now has an exceptionally wonderful slide.

[Mary Ann]

YBL 322 --- huh. I have one, from many years ago, got it because Doug Yeo, before the brats chased him off the internet with today's typical rudeness, told me that would be the best bass for me to get. I love it and can't hold it up. Sold it to a local tuba player and bought it back a few years later, found out the slide was no longer perfect. Ah well. It still slides just way better than my Pbone, which has a sandpaper slide as original equipment but which weighs almost nothing.

[bloke]

YBL 322 --- huh. I have one, from many years ago, got it because Doug Yeo, before the brats chased him off the internet with today's typical rudeness, told me that would be the best bass for me to get. I love it and can't hold it up. Sold it to a local tuba player and bought it back a few years later, found out the slide was no longer perfect. Ah well. It still slides just way better than my Pbone, which has a sandpaper slide as original equipment but which weighs almost nothing.

People are really clumsy with trombone slides, usually have no idea how easy they are to damage, and this includes some working trombonists.

If you have a friend who will pack it for you according to my instructions, you can mail me the slide next winter, and I’ll slick it out for you. “Slide boxes” - btw - are humbug. You do not need a slide box to mail a slide.