Mirafone 184 Bbb
-
- Posts: 1045
- Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 8:41 am
- Has thanked: 41 times
- Been thanked: 80 times
Re: Mirafone 184 Bbb
That's an odd serial number engraving, looks like a "period" in there when there shouldn't be.
06' Miraphone 187-4U
- bort2.0
- Posts: 5303
- Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 9:13 am
- Location: Minneapolis
- Has thanked: 342 times
- Been thanked: 1028 times
Re: Mirafone 184 Bbb
I think that's just a coincidental bit of lacquer spotting.KingTuba1241X wrote: Tue Feb 02, 2021 10:55 am That's an odd serial number engraving, looks like a "period" in there when there shouldn't be.
Nice looking tuba. Has the cool old hand-engraved Mirafone logo.

- bort2.0
- Posts: 5303
- Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 9:13 am
- Location: Minneapolis
- Has thanked: 342 times
- Been thanked: 1028 times
-
- Posts: 1045
- Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 8:41 am
- Has thanked: 41 times
- Been thanked: 80 times
Re: Mirafone 184 Bbb
Don't forget the coincidental red rotbort2.0 wrote: Tue Feb 02, 2021 11:40 amI think that's just a coincidental bit of lacquer spotting.KingTuba1241X wrote: Tue Feb 02, 2021 10:55 am That's an odd serial number engraving, looks like a "period" in there when there shouldn't be.
Nice looking tuba. Has the cool old hand-engraved Mirafone logo.![]()

06' Miraphone 187-4U
Re: Mirafone 184 Bbb
How does the 184 Bb compare to a 186 Bb? Smaller?
This 184 is pretty close to me ...
Also, the photo showing “red rot” doesn’t particularly concern me - should it? If it was inside the leadpipe, perhaps.
This 184 is pretty close to me ...
Also, the photo showing “red rot” doesn’t particularly concern me - should it? If it was inside the leadpipe, perhaps.
-
- Posts: 1045
- Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 8:41 am
- Has thanked: 41 times
- Been thanked: 80 times
Re: Mirafone 184 Bbb
I played one in State Honor Orchestra in 7th and 8th grade, it can belt out the notes and pretty easy to play. Just not a "Big" tubby sound, but acceptable.ProAm wrote: Tue Feb 02, 2021 2:41 pm How does the 184 Bb compare to a 186 Bb? Smaller?
This 184 is pretty close to me ...
Also, the photo showing “red rot” doesn’t particularly concern me - should it? If it was inside the leadpipe, perhaps.
06' Miraphone 187-4U
- Three Valves
- Posts: 4784
- Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 4:07 pm
- Location: The Land of Pleasant Living
- Has thanked: 878 times
- Been thanked: 532 times
Re: Mirafone 184 Bbb
Good old man horns. 

Thought Criminal
Mack Brass Artiste
TU422L with TU25
1964 Conn 36k with CB Arnold Jacobs
Accent (By B&S) 952R with Bach12
The Fourth Estate is the Fifth Column
Mack Brass Artiste
TU422L with TU25
1964 Conn 36k with CB Arnold Jacobs
Accent (By B&S) 952R with Bach12
The Fourth Estate is the Fifth Column
- bloke
- Mid South Music
- Posts: 21158
- Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 8:55 am
- Location: western Tennessee - near Memphis
- Has thanked: 4406 times
- Been thanked: 4709 times
Re: Mirafone 184 Bbb
I have a solid-but-ugly-finish one of those (paired with a 184 C bell) that is one of my down-the-road projects to pretty-up and sell.
This one (eBay) looks to be very nice.
This one (eBay) looks to be very nice.
- bloke
- Mid South Music
- Posts: 21158
- Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 8:55 am
- Location: western Tennessee - near Memphis
- Has thanked: 4406 times
- Been thanked: 4709 times
Re: Mirafone 184 Bbb
The largest single grouping of new 185 C tubas (and there's a statistics name for this, but my brain doesn't have enough caffeine in it) was probably bought by Winston Morris students at Tennessee Tech.tofu wrote: Wed Feb 03, 2021 2:55 am Mid '70's with a 15" bell - could that actually be a 185?
I thought it was much later that the 184 went to a 15 inch bell & the 185 got a 16' bell.
Otherwise, more 184 C tubas seemed to have been sold than 185 C tubas.
I've only personally encountered two 184 B-flat tubas...one owned by an Interlochen student, and one that is here - awaiting restoration.
I've actually personally encountered a few more 185 B-flats than 184 B-flats. I sold a VERY early 1960's (original dingy lacquer - almost no denting at all) 185 B-flat a few years ago. The hard case was with it, and pre-dated the GWW-style wood cases which were offered (by Mirafone USA) later.
Re: Mirafone 184 Bbb
I am interested in this one to some extent because it is within easy driving distance. But it might go too high for me. I still think about jtm’s 186 with both upright and recording bells...
Last edited by ProAm on Wed Feb 03, 2021 10:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Mirafone 184 Bbb
The # of new 185 C tubas by "Winston Morris students at Tennessee Tech" would be the mode of the distribution of the number of new 185 C tubas purchased by different defined groups of buyers (probably excluding random individual buyers as a group...)
- bloke
- Mid South Music
- Posts: 21158
- Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 8:55 am
- Location: western Tennessee - near Memphis
- Has thanked: 4406 times
- Been thanked: 4709 times
Re: Mirafone 184 Bbb
dobiefeld wrote: Wed Feb 03, 2021 11:55 pm The # of new 185 C tubas by "Winston Morris students at Tennessee Tech" would be the mode...
Yes. Thank-you, sir.

- greenbean
- Damn good stuff
- Posts: 473
- Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 11:19 pm
- Has thanked: 5 times
- Been thanked: 115 times
Re: Mirafone 184 Bbb
In addition, I think the # of new 185 C tubas could be modeled with a random-effects negative binomial model. Be sure to account for overdispersion.dobiefeld wrote: Wed Feb 03, 2021 11:55 pm The # of new 185 C tubas by "Winston Morris students at Tennessee Tech" would be the mode of the distribution of the number of new 185 C tubas purchased by different defined groups of buyers (probably excluding random individual buyers as a group...)
Yippie for statistics!

Tom Rice
www.superfinecases.com
Currently playing...
B&S 103 BBb
Yamaha and Paxman French horns