Miraphone 188 Rotary CC Tuba - LA Model
$11,375.00
Item Details
The Miraphone 188 CC tuba has a wide bell and bows with a compactly wrapped body. Its unique tone is broad but very clear, making the 188 useful for solos as well as large and small ensembles. Many band and orchestra players locally and worldwide have used the classic 188 for several generations, Tommy Johnson among them.
Miraphone has updated the 188 design several times - often to make it stronger and more corrosion resistant, sometimes for ergonomics or tuning.
Tubist Norm Pearson recently ordered a new 188 for himself, but he asked for it to be made the old way. And so it was...and we ordered two: one for Norm, one for you.
Custom 188 LA Specs
- CC tuba, 5 rotary valves .772" bore, 17.75" bell, 38" tall
- body of yellow brass with nickel trim
- nickel bell garland
- seamless bows
- all valves right hand
- mini-ball linkages
- long fifth loop - 2 whole steps - with wide crook
- loose first and fifth slides with slide stops
- long pull fourth slide
- no slide rings
- gold brass leadpipe
- clear lacquer finish
- A443
- Miraphone TU23 mouthpiece and care kit
- Optional: Miraphone gig bag
Standard Model 188 Specs
Same as LA specs except:
- fifth rotor tuned to flat whole step, medium width crook
- normal fit slides
- first slide pull ring
- nickel leadpipe
- A440
Why 2-step fifth valve? You can get the same job done with fewer valves engaged, and the slide pulling for best tuning is fairly simple. If I remember right...
2-Step Fifth Rotor Low fingerings
| Low Note | Fingering | Alt | 1st Slide | 5th Slide |
| C# | 1-2-5 | 2-4 | in | in |
| F# | 1-2-5 | 2-4 | in | in |
| F | 2-3-5 | - | out | |
| E | 4-5 | 2-3-4 | - | out |
| Eb | 1-4-5 | 1-3-4 | in | in |
| D | 3-4-5 | 1-2-4-5 | - | out |
| Db | 1-3-4-5 | in | in | |
| CC | 0 | 1-2-3-4-5 | in | in |
The 188 has a unique long-pull 4th slide - long enough to play low D 1-2-3-4+. You can also play low F 1-4+ that way if you like slide pulling or find yourself with a 4-valve 188.
