This one has been listed for a while, $2995 OBO.
This seems like a good to fair price for sousaphones these days.
Why do you suppose they can’t find a buyer?
https://ebay.us/m/Pypogb
eBay (IL) Miraphone 4v sousaphone
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arpthark
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Re: eBay (IL) Miraphone 4v sousaphone
What I see:
Local pickup only an hour outside of St. Louis
Four valves = heavier
Relatively obscure sousaphone brand (vs. Kings and Conns and the like)
Kind of on the pricey side for people looking for used sousaphones, not even factoring in applicable sales tax.
Carefully searching eBay and Facebook Marketplace, you can find serviceable Kings and Conns well under $2k.
Local pickup only an hour outside of St. Louis
Four valves = heavier
Relatively obscure sousaphone brand (vs. Kings and Conns and the like)
Kind of on the pricey side for people looking for used sousaphones, not even factoring in applicable sales tax.
Carefully searching eBay and Facebook Marketplace, you can find serviceable Kings and Conns well under $2k.
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tofu
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Re: eBay (IL) Miraphone 4v sousaphone
Seeing that anvil case makes me think this thing has seen a lot of serious travel and playing. If the valves are shot that would be an expensive fix on a 4 valve horn. The guy has a lot of musical instruments for sale and doesn’t seem to be a naive underpriced seller - so I doubt that is a give away price and local buyers who have tried it must have taken a pass if it has been up for sale for awhile.
I haven’t seen many of these and never one in silver. Weren’t the Miraphone Sousaphones made by somebody else like B&S? I wonder if you can still get parts for it via Miraphone for a horn they sold but didn’t make. Certainly harder state side to get parts then the much more common King & Conn horns.
I haven’t seen many of these and never one in silver. Weren’t the Miraphone Sousaphones made by somebody else like B&S? I wonder if you can still get parts for it via Miraphone for a horn they sold but didn’t make. Certainly harder state side to get parts then the much more common King & Conn horns.
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arpthark
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Re: eBay (IL) Miraphone 4v sousaphone
I seem to recall that Miraphone sousas were made, either in whole or in part (valves), by Bohm & Meinl.tofu wrote: Mon Jun 09, 2025 12:55 pm Seeing that anvil case makes me think this thing has seen a lot of serious travel and playing. If the valves are shot that would be an expensive fix on a 4 valve horn. The guy has a lot of musical instruments for sale and doesn’t seem to be a naive underpriced seller - so I doubt that is a give away price and local buyers who have tried it must have taken a pass if it has been up for sale for awhile.
I haven’t seen many of these and never one in silver. Weren’t the Miraphone Sousaphones made by somebody else like B&S? I wonder if you can still get parts for it via Miraphone for a horn they sold but didn’t make. Certainly harder state side to get parts then the much more common King & Conn horns.
Good point on the valve plating, that's always a crapshoot.
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bloke
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Re: eBay (IL) Miraphone 4v sousaphone
no sour grapes (I promise...remember, I've HAD 4-valve sousaphones/5-valve helicons/etc. before...
The "Miraphone" (B&M/German/etc.) thing and the "4-valve thing" (plus "pretty darn good condition, apparently) are strong attracts, but brass sousaphones are heavy, Anvil cases are ridiculous, and a 4th valve is the single heaviest feature added to any tuba, by far (without solving very many intonation problems nor adding many usable low range pitches)...and (if any type of tuba offers "great false tones") what other than a BB-flat sousaphone?
The "Miraphone" (B&M/German/etc.) thing and the "4-valve thing" (plus "pretty darn good condition, apparently) are strong attracts, but brass sousaphones are heavy, Anvil cases are ridiculous, and a 4th valve is the single heaviest feature added to any tuba, by far (without solving very many intonation problems nor adding many usable low range pitches)...and (if any type of tuba offers "great false tones") what other than a BB-flat sousaphone?