Posted by Matt G on August 26, 2001 at 10:56:54:
So I was looking around on the Mirafone site out of curiosity of the subject below (Mirafone, PREMIUM). When I finally got to the picture of the Mirafone 189 I was quite intrigued. This horn is the closest thing to the "Marzan" style of setup in the valve section that anyone has produced outside os Bohm & Meinl. However little is said about this horn. It can be ordered with five valves like all other Mirafones can anymore, but the popular models are the 186 and the 191. Is the 189 any good? I don't want to buy one, but I am just curious as to why no one really talks about it. This horn has a short leadpipe, all slides, even 2nd can be made accesable, and a few other features you don't get on the standard vertical alignment of the rotary valve section. It would be good to hear from guys like Charlie Krause who may know the horn well and who have played on a few examples or someone who owns one and plays it on a regular basis. Like I said it is just curiousity snd to inform any one else out there looking for a BBb tuba with available 4/5 valves.