Posted by Rick Denney on November 23, 2003 at 15:02:34:
In Reply to: "Mira 1291 Bb" Vs. "Any Top Rated Tuba" posted by Ignorant guy on November 22, 2003 at 21:12:51:
I think it's a winner in all the categories you mentioned, and competitive with most anything available (certainly in BBb), depending on your objectives and preferences.
The one category you didn't mention was playability. I find the Miraphone requires a lot of air that I don't have. The air I have goes a lot further on my Holton (though, of course, those aren't often available), and on a good King 2341. The Miraphone feels bigger than it is, to me.
In CC tubas, I've played several that seem to me to have much greater playability, including a Getzen G-50 (expected--like the King, it's smaller), a similarly sized Meinl-Weston 2000, a Walters-converted Beuscher/Nirschl/etc., and a big Rusk-converted York. The latter two cost a bunch more, of course. I'm sure there are others, too, but I haven't played them.
Rick "who had trouble with nimbleness on the Miraphone" Denney