Posted by Rick Denney on August 25, 2003 at 12:36:14:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Mirafone tubas (cc) posted by Tracy B. on August 24, 2003 at 23:12:29:
It seems to me that a reputation of durability is is subject to several factors: Design, quality control, materials, and expectations. All of these should be quantifiable and to some extent verifiable. I was trying to figure out which of these were guiding your opinion, and, at the same time, trying to establish what (in part) had formed my own experience.
In terms of design, there doesn't seem to be a problem here. The Miraphone is adequately braced with braces that don't tend to break. The linkage materials are much better than at times in their history, and I have to say that I haven't seen many posts about them breaking, except for those white plastic monstrosities that they stopped using a long time ago.
In terms of quality control, I think we will agree that Miraphone is among the very best, especially considering their price point.
In the materials, there may be a difference over the years. Brass is brass (for the most part), but its strength can be adjusted by work hardening, which makes it stronger, and annealing, which makes it weaker. Also, the brass may be thinner, but I wonder if that's the case. Do they weigh less now than they used to? If it is the same thickness and weight but dents more easily, then it's because the material comes to us in a more annealed state than it used to. I think that's the case with Cervenys, and it certainly is with St. Petersburgs, which is why they dent so readily. I wasn't aware that new Miraphones were any different, and your report of that is the first I've heard of it. That's why I asked.
But expectations play a big role here, too. Miraphone has a reputation for being pretty bullet-proof, while Cerveny and other budget lines don't. Of course, all tubas will attract dents if not given a great deal of care, but those expectations may make us notice the dents in the Miraphone more than we would in a Cerveny. Miraphones are frequently used in situations where more expensive tubas are not (i.e. schools), and so get a sterner test than most high-end instruments. This also feeds the expectations around them.
Please don't be offended. I'm not a die-hard Miraphone fan, and my Miraphone is not my primary instrument. Nor was I interested in making it a contest. On the other hand, opinions are subject to challenge, and mine have certainly been challenged on many occasions. I was trying to identify the "experience" and not the "opinion".
Rick "no offense intended" Denney