Posted by Ed What the Heckman on March 16, 1999 at 12:22:35:
In Reply to: Disappointed Miraphone player posted by Santos on March 09, 1999 at 20:50:32:
I have a 186-4U that I'm very, very happy with. One thing I've learned about it is that it has a larger leadpipe than most 186's ship with. (This larger leadpipe is frequently referred to as a 188 leadpipe since it's apparently the one used for the 188 series.) When I was trying out different instruments, the difference between a "stock" 186 and the one I bought was like night and day.
Apparently, this makes such a difference that The Tuba Exchange has Miraphone make a special model for them which uses the larger leadpipe. Dillon Music also told me that put the larger leadpipe on 186's on a fairly regular basis.
You might want to try having Dillon Music or a qualified local repair shop replace the leadpipe before spending the massive bucks to replace the horn outright. I believe the cost is only about $250 or so. And if you decide to replace it afterwards, the larger leadpipe should help you get more money out of the Miraphone when you sell it.
Ed "What the" Heckman