Posted by Daniel C. Oberloh on September 26, 2001 at 21:19:45:
In Reply to: Re: miraphone clones posted by Lew on September 25, 2001 at 09:05:34:
Speaking as a Technician and a player, I would recommend the King 2341 first and the 186S-4U second. The Kings are as durable as it gets and able to withstand rebuilding multiple times, making them a good long term investment. Mirafones are easy to get parts for and are rebuildable several times over as long as it is done with care. These two models have been around a long time and will not be discontinued any time soon, like so many other models. I do not recommend tubas with bell wreaths due to the obvious problems related. We find the majority of repair shops are unwilling to do what it takes to repair this type of bell or the school is not interested in spending the money to get the job done correctly. This eventually ends up with the tuba looking a mess in a short period of time. So, what ever you get, DONT get a horn with a bell wreath and that will keep the horn looking its best longer and when it does need to be repaired it will get done faster and at less expence.
Daniel C. Oberloh
Oberloh Woodwind and Brass Works
www.oberloh.com