Has anyone ever tried a leadpipe swap on a miraphone 186 Bb?

I recently purchased a used Miraphone 186 with 5 valves. The fifth valve is added later and the leadpipe doesn't seem to be the original. It's in excellent condition and has that typical German sound with great projection. But...

The only problem I'm having now is that some low notes aren't really working. It's like there isn't enough space in the instrument for the amount of air I want to use. Low Bb down to Gb, concert pitch, feels restricted in air flow. At louder dynamics the sound breaks.

I also own a Yamaha fiberglass sousaphone and a Musica Steyr Bb kaiser tuba. On these tubas the low register from Bb down works just fine.

Would a larger bore leadpipe fix this?

Has anyone here swapped a leadpipe for a bigger bore leadpipe? Why did you do it and what were the effects?

Senior high school student. I’ve been playing the tuba for about 4 years and have loved every bit of it. I realised that i’d love to continue playing as a career whether it be teaching or as some sort of orchestral musician. However my other subjects are making me feel sluggish and not motivated to do anything, sometimes including practicing. It feels like i’ve hit a plateau and i could be doing a lot better.

Once school finishes i’m definitely going to go to university and continue studying music, but until then how do i keep myself going? I love playing so much and music is the only thing i want to do. Maybe this is more of a rant, but i’d love to hear some advice or stories of you guys’ high school life as tuba players.

I, f14, just started marching band camp yesterday and now my shoulder hurts like hell. I’ve been playing tuba for about 6 months, but this was my first time with the sousaphone. My school doesn’t have any shoulder pads or anything so I just iced my shoulder, but is there anything else I could do to help when I’m playing it so I’m not in pain?

btw, I’m 5’4” 120 lbs if that makes any difference

our low brass section is sousas and baritones while the guy who does sectionals with us has a contrabass. i know i dont hold the sousa correctly, this is from friday, and my playing is not good, i started middle school on concert tuba, but i am not as good as i want

Does anyone have any recommendations for a book that has a couple of popular solos. I’m looking for a book such as the Stepping Stones vol 1 or Stepping Stones vol 2 by Scott Watson.

Adding on to that are the Stepping Stones books any good?

Or does anyone just have any recommendations for solos or just tuba repertoire that I should learn?

I’m a decent tubist that just graduated high school and I’m looking to expand my “vocabulary” as a tubist.

So I got my Tuba back from the repair shop ~a week ago. I brought it in for just general repair maintenance, I had explicitly asked for them to not do a Chem clean on the horn so that way the patina wouldn't get stripped off. But on my bill I was charged for a chem clean. I'm beyond pissed and there are streaks all over the horn, and the fin on it is also starting to come apart. What would you all recommend I do? Any advice is greatly appreciated

Hello all!

I'm currently attempting to get a head start on my marching band shenanigans, and I recall that my band director along with my personal teacher suggested I toss a towel into my bell, and play as loud as I can— and over time, I would develop the required muscles in order to play at a much louder volume. That being said, I'd like to hear from you all if you had any experiences with this technique, or if you used another way to build up your muscles. That, and also I'd like to know if there were any good excerpts I could use while doing this.

Thanks!

Hello everyone I currently march on a yamaha ybb 202ms, and I am wondering what kind of extra visuals and tricks I can do with it. I already know how to flip it and I know the basic carry and set but is there more? Ive noticed looking back at Carolina crowns 2011 rach star show the tubas flipped down at the end, but how would one even go about that?

just wrapped up a new version of the rig in time for performing at Big Dub Fest in a few days: https://www.sousastep.quest/2026/07/15/SousaFX-v0116/

this fiberglass sousa with all the gear strapped to it weighs about as much as my Conn 40K did.

Hi everyone, I’m going to be starting my final year of high school this August. I’m going to be auditioning at a few colleges for a music ed degree in the fall/winter.

I’ve been practicing on my school owned tuba at home this summer, been making decent progress. However, I was told by my director that I likely won’t be able to keep it during the school year because it would need to go to another student to use during the school year. So I would only be able to practice at school during study hall so likely like, an hour and a half, probably shorter, every other day. That’s if I don’t have other things to do during study hall.

I’m really considering just buying a tuba as a result of that. I was thinking of waiting until I get accepted to a college and stuff to buy one but now I’m thinking of buying it now, or at least a little sooner than college.

I’m just looking for advice on this. I hear a lot that you should ask your tuba professor at college on what tuba they want you to have, but I’m obviously not in college yet. I don’t have a private lesson teacher either. I would most likely buy a tuba similar to my school model (Yamaha YBB-641 or similar).

There's an online listing in my area of a guy who is selling their Jupiter tuba. I'm a college Senior who is looking for a reliable BBb horn and am wondering if it's a good fit for me. I haven't really playef on jupiter horns, mostly just eastmans. Obviously I'll try the horn myself before anything but just wanted to through it out to the internet to make a more informes choice.

Edit link for reference Jupiter tuba ( model JCB 582L) https://classifieds.ksl.com/listing/81663054

I'm struggling to cleanly articulate, and especially cleanly tongue on notes below a concert ​D. It feels like my tongue is slipping below my front teeth, instead of staying behind them. It also feels like I have to cut off notes by making a seal between my tongue and upper lip. If I don't, it feels like my tongue isn't big enough to cut off the note cleanly.

1) Is creating a seal with my upper lip bad technique?

2) Any tips on clean, fast articulation in the lower register?

Still somewhat new to the horn so thank you very much for your thoughts!

Greetings everyone! I'm quite sad to say that I have at last practised for the last time on this beautiful YFB-621 tuba, as I am transferring colleges for a better one and this tuba was lent to me by my old college, so I had to give it back. I truly opened my sound playing this tuba, it's been with me through 6 operas (Otello (my first opera!), il Trovatore, Rigoletto, Prince Igor, Tsar's Bride, Dame of Spades) and 6 ballets (Sleeping Beauty, la Bayadère, le Corsaire, Karenina, Giselle, Cinderella), I played my first tuba concerto (Gregson) on this tuba, learned to play loud and gained a better tone. I will never forget this little tuba with which I've grown significantly.

Is there anyone who has a pre-compiled set of tuba excerpts? I have been trying to find some but cant.

I am starting the search for what will likely be my forever BAT rotary, and I have narrowed it down to three horns:

• Miraphone Hagen 497
• Miraphone Siegfried 98
• Meinl Weston (Melton) 196 Fasolt

For context, I currently play a Wessex Grand 6/4 BBb. It is actually the first piston tuba I have ever owned, and while it has served me well, I have come to realize that I simply prefer the feel, response, and sound concept of German rotary tubas.

Part of that preference goes all the way back to the early 1990s when playing with the 98th Army Band. I had the privilege of playing one of the old 6/4 Cerveny BBb tubas, and I have never forgotten that sound. It had what I can only describe as a cathedral sound...dark, broad, effortless, and absolutely room-filling. You did not just hear the low register; you felt it. Every BAT I have considered since has been measured against the memory of that Cerveny, although the intonation was something to be desired. :)

If I make the jump, my plan is to gift my Wessex to an 18-year-old tuba player in my community band who absolutely loves it. Buying even a used tuba is simply out of reach for him, so this feels like another opportunity to pay forward the kindness that so many people have shown me throughout my musical journey. Over the past two years, I have also gifted every young tuba player in our band a mouthpiece of their choice from my extensive 45 years of collecting. Interestingly, every one of them chose either a PT-88+ or a PT-50+, and it has been a joy watching them grow as players. I play on a gold PT-88 MAXX or a gold satin Mercer-Barker MB7 Lake Monster.

The difficult part is that I am the full-time care partner for my wife, so traveling to play-test instruments simply is not a realistic option. Because of that, I have to rely much more heavily on the experiences of people who have actually lived with these horns.

Interestingly, every professional player I have talked with has been incredibly enthusiastic about the Hagen 497. They consistently mention its core, center, intonation, and how well it projects without losing warmth. That has definitely pushed it toward the top of my list.

For those of you who have spent significant time on any of these three instruments, I would love to hear your experiences.

• Which one has the biggest, most effortless low register?
• Which one gives you that same "cathedral" or "wall of sound" feeling without becoming unfocused?
• How do the Hagen and Siegfried really differ in playing characteristics, not just on paper?
• How does the Fasolt compare in terms of projection, color, and intonation?
• If you had to choose one as a lifetime BBb BAT, which would you buy and why?

I know there is no substitute for playing them myself, but in my situation I have to make the most informed decision I can. I appreciate any firsthand experience you are willing to share.

i, 14m, have chosen sousa for my instrument in marching band. i JUST completed my first day at band camp, and the thing is super heavy for me, most likely because i am short. the sousa strainer my shoulder, and back, how would i supposedly make the pain hurt less for when i do a fucking football game?

EDIT:i no longer feel pain in my shoulder but my lower back, i think it is posture and i dont hold the tuba-dammit correctly.

Hello fellow Tuba players!

I'm looking to get a clip-on mic for my Melton 182 F Tuba. I'm expecting to do lots of walking around etc. so wondering if someone can recommend a wireless mic that will clip on the bell. I'd like some versatility but would need to plug in to a larger system to play over the top of some tracks etc.

Any help would be appreciated ✌🏻

It's not every day you get a new tuba! Today is one of those days. Very keen to get back into playing after a long hiatus. Welcome back to the family: Tubby the Tuba.

Melton F 182 3/4 size

I have a 1970 horn that has wear in the lower bushings (bearings). That's the round plate on the bottom of the valves. Looking at the valve stem (the journal), it doesn't look worn. I've measured the stems for wear, and they seem OK.

One thing you can do with worn bushings is to swage them: squish them in a press so the hole gets smaller, then machine the proper size hole. But I know from my industrial maintenance experience that the swage process can go badly and ruin the bushing. So I'd like to be able to replace them if I can. Or maybe just replace them is the price and specs are good (they'll fit my horn).

Anybody know where to buy replacement valves/bushings for Mirafone horns? I'm in the USA, but overseas purchases might be the only solution.

Update: This may be too much for the local shops (I asked them already). The shop in Seattle, Washington is 250 miles away. I am more than familiar with precision machining, so I might be able to get a precision machine shop to do the machine work. What I'm looking for is an email or website for a supplier

Does anyone have any experience with the willson tuba mouthpieces?