Miraphone Kaiser Tuba linkage upgrade
Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2025 11:55 am
I recently upgraded the valve linkage of a early 1980s Miraphone 190 BBb Kaiser Tuba and thought some folks would like to see the process: See the photo description.
TubaForum.net
Tuba & euphonium forum, message board, and community.
https://www.tubaforum.net/
Miraphone Kaiser Tuba linkage upgrade
Page 1 of 1
Re: Miraphone Kaiser Tuba linkage upgrade
Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2025 11:57 am
Part 2
Re: Miraphone Kaiser Tuba linkage upgrade
Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2025 1:14 pm
I have two Mirafones from the mid 80's. One with the original white nylon linkage and one with modern linkage. I still like the feel of the original better. Nice work though. Thanks for posting.
Re: Miraphone Kaiser Tuba linkage upgrade
Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2025 1:36 pm
It pleases me that you retained the original action arms. 
(For a couple of years - who knows how far back) Miraphone used the DVS-style action arms with BLACK PLASTIC versions of the metal Minibal (small size that Miraphone uses) links. That black plastic was very brittle, and (at least, with school use, but I'd wager private use as well) broke apart within a year or two.
Thankfully, those action arms were already threaded to the smaller threads - as you've redone those, and I could just replace them with metal Minibal links...
(At that time, I didn't stock as many Minibal links as I do now...I'd temporarily stick something adapted from one of the smaller sizes of "hobby" links - so the school could use their tuba, and order in a couple of Minibal links. That having been said, when the metal Minibal links arrived - and I notified the school - they made excuses to not turn loose of those instruments, probably because the "temporary" hobby-shop plastic links - filed down for their shape to function - were "good enough" for them, and they really didn't care about repairing something that was functioning.)
also...
The rest of that tuba (from what can be seen, and considering its age) looks to be in great condition.
(For a couple of years - who knows how far back) Miraphone used the DVS-style action arms with BLACK PLASTIC versions of the metal Minibal (small size that Miraphone uses) links. That black plastic was very brittle, and (at least, with school use, but I'd wager private use as well) broke apart within a year or two.
Thankfully, those action arms were already threaded to the smaller threads - as you've redone those, and I could just replace them with metal Minibal links...
(At that time, I didn't stock as many Minibal links as I do now...I'd temporarily stick something adapted from one of the smaller sizes of "hobby" links - so the school could use their tuba, and order in a couple of Minibal links. That having been said, when the metal Minibal links arrived - and I notified the school - they made excuses to not turn loose of those instruments, probably because the "temporary" hobby-shop plastic links - filed down for their shape to function - were "good enough" for them, and they really didn't care about repairing something that was functioning.)
also...
The rest of that tuba (from what can be seen, and considering its age) looks to be in great condition.
Re: Miraphone Kaiser Tuba linkage upgrade
Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2025 6:03 pm
@TheBerlinerTuba Beer earned.
Re: Miraphone Kaiser Tuba linkage upgrade
Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2025 8:00 pm
Very nice work. Love how you documented each step. I bet they work really well. I like the "S" style links because they look classy. As for how they work compared to the modern ones, I dont have experience there. Thank you for your post.
Re: Miraphone Kaiser Tuba linkage upgrade
Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2025 8:27 pm
Nice, Jake!
Re: Miraphone Kaiser Tuba linkage upgrade
Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2025 6:19 am
Those black hard plastic linkages were absolutely crap. I epoxied mine up to keep them working in undergrad, but they just felt so d@mn brittle smashing down the valves.bloke wrote: Tue Nov 25, 2025 1:36 pm It pleases me that you retained the original action arms.
(For a couple of years - who knows how far back) Miraphone used the DVS-style action arms with BLACK PLASTIC versions of the metal Minibal (small size that Miraphone uses) links. That black plastic was very brittle, and (at least, with school use, but I'd wager private use as well) broke apart within a year or two.
Thankfully, those action arms were already threaded to the smaller threads - as you've redone those, and I could just replace them with metal Minibal links...
(At that time, I didn't stock as many Minibal links as I do now...I'd temporarily stick something adapted from one of the smaller sizes of "hobby" links - so the school could use their tuba, and order in a couple of Minibal links. That having been said, when the metal Minibal links arrived - and I notified the school - they made excuses to not turn loose of those instruments, probably because the "temporary" hobby-shop plastic links - filed down for their shape to function - were "good enough" for them, and they really didn't care about repairing something that was functioning.)
also...
The rest of that tuba (from what can be seen, and considering its age) looks to be in great condition.
Re: Miraphone Kaiser Tuba linkage upgrade
Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2025 6:24 am
My 1960 186CC has the S links. They work MUCH better than the aforementioned crappy hard plastic ones on my previous 1998 186CC, and look great in the process!Grumpikins wrote: Tue Nov 25, 2025 8:00 pm Very nice work. Love how you documented each step. I bet they work really well. I like the "S" style links because they look classy. As for how they work compared to the modern ones, I dont have experience there. Thank you for your post.
Geez, you guys are really trying to turn me to the dark side again, back to BBb. Gonna hafta try me a Kaiser some day.
Re: Miraphone Kaiser Tuba linkage upgrade
Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2025 9:01 am
I guess what I was saying was that what you've done here is what Miraphone did (for a short number of years) with black plastic versions of those same links, but should never have tried it with black plastic. They should have done just what you did.