Miraphone 1293 Piston CC Tuba

Item Details

This description covers a set of three newly designed CC tubas made by Miraphone in Waldkreiberg Germany. The 1291 was the first design, and it's significantly different from the classic Miraphone tubas like the 186 and 188. The idea at the time was to build a new tuba that had a classic American sounds, like the fabled York models from Michigan. The bell taper is faster for a very conical shape, the mouthpipe is larger, and they have piston valves, which are otherwise a rare occurrence in the traditional German tuba scene. The 1291 and its brethren here are three loop tubas. Notice how large the body of the tuba appears compared to a 186 or 188, which are four loop tubas. The three loop design is historically American, and should offer less resistance. However, it makes for a very big tuba. Medium to petite players may find these tubas feel overly large, and a smaller player may feel a bit like they are inside a roll cage. The long stroke of the piston valves with smaller hands may add to the feeling that these are big tubas. For that reason, these are often called 5/4 tubas, though if you think a Meinl Weston Thor or a B&S PT-6 is a 5/4 tuba, then you may indeed refer to these Miraphones as large 4/4 tubas. In fact, a Hirsbrunner HB-290, considered a 4/4 tuba, is not much smaller than these at all.

Recently a third option has appeared as the model 1293. This tuba has a new XL style fifth rotary valve which has more rounded ferrules into the rotor, and a more correctly dimensioned airway through the rotor as well. You can also see this new rotor on the Miraphone 98B Siegfried BBb. In addition, the bell flare of the 1293 was widened from 18.5" to 19.7". This reflects more of the highs of your sound back into the instrument, creating a broader, warmer tone in the room. Just this modification helps the 1293 sound like a larger instrument. Lastly, the 1293 includes two removable leapdipes. One is the large pipe from the 1291 with a standard receiver, and the other is the medium pipe from the 1292 with the large Euro receiver. Several wing nuts hold everything together, and no tools are needed to make the change. The leadpipes on the 1293 are not fastened as securely as a soldered on pipe, so the player should use care in lifting the instrument by holding onto a well braced tube.

Included: Miraphone stainless steel TU26 mouthpiece made by Ivan Giddings, polishing cloth, tools and lubricants.