6075 ebay nov 23, 2014
This is a vintage Charles (Karl) Missenharter tuba # 6075. The legend on the bell reads "MEDAILLE FIRST CLASS PHILADELPHIA PARIS & SAN FRANSISCO AMERICAN INSTITUTE Ch. MISSENHARTER MANF'R NEW YORK 6075", above an ornate eagle and shield design based on the Great Seal of the United States. A diamond and floral motif decorates the other parts of the horn. This appears to have been silver-plated at one time, but as you can see from the photos, it is greatly tarnished and worn off in many places. The instrument is 32" tall, and the cone is 11.5" at its narrowest, and 22.5" at its widest. The bell is 13" in diameter. I am unsure of the bore, but the valves measure 4" in diameter on the outside if that is any guide. There are dents in the body on either side of the first bend. There is a small triangle welded to the bell. I am unsure if this is a repair to the rim or the bell, or an original embellishment. The mouthpiece is not original. It is a Miraphone, badged as Mirafone, which I beleive dates it to the 1940s-50s. It says "MIRAFONE H2 BBb," but I believe that the tuba itself is an Eb based on the sounds produced by my (admittedly non-expert) playing. As far as I can tell, all other parts are all original, except possibly the aforementioned triangle on the rim. Please let me know if you would like any other measurements or pictures, and I will do my best to oblige.
