TubeNet

http://pictures.aol.com/galleries/polkanoble

I THINK that if you copy the above link to your browser You can get pictures of Red Rudy. There have been several requests for pictures. Note, it may now be a hyperlink. If so, just click on it. Choose the slide show option.

Red Rudy is a largely handmade R.Meinl 5/4 CC, 5 valve with a huge thumb ring. It required more hand work because it is made of red brass rather than yellow brass and red brass does not work the same way yellow brass does. It was made for a Frankfurt music show in 2002 (I think). The entire horn is red brass except slides and valves in nickel silver. It is otherwise the same size and design as the standard 5/4 CC.

I can't overblow it but I'm told It may not play quite as loud as a standard 5/4 (I actually do not believe that). It seems noticeably more efficient than any other horn I have tried-- Meaning it takes less effort to produce the same volume of sound.

Sound may be a little warmer due to the red brass. It can be played softly and I could play it in a quintet (but my Eb is better suited for that in general). It plays in tune easily but not automatically

It also has 5 of the quietest smoothest nickel silver valves I have experienced, and all slides are in nickel silver.

It has an engraved model number, but no serial number because it is one of a kind. ( if I understand the situation correctly)

If I am mistaken on any of this I invite Lee Stofer to correct the errors. I want this to be as accurate as possible

There has gotta be a better way to post pictures here. I would appreciate a lesson on that.

NICE!!!

Scooby Tuba wrote:Now there's a handsome picture!!!

I was going to call him a show-off but that Rudy is sweet and I'm just jealous!!!

Tim

That horn puts my Rudy to shame! Someday I'd love to at least play one of those 5/4 CC's.

What a gorgeous horn! Makes me pine for the wonderful Rudy 5/4 I sold back in 2000. I love my 4345 piston just fine, but...nothing is like a Rudy 5/4..and in red brass it must just be heaven.

Thanks for sharing!

Gary

The only other red brass Rudy I have ever seen was a 6v F that was at Custom Music for several years, back when Jeff F. and I were both working there. Anybody know who ended up with that horn? It was out of my reach then, though still quite reasonable at $6K (as I recall). There wasn't another F in the house that could touch it for pure beauty of sound, let alone looks.

Thanks for the comments.

I'm really enjoying Red Rudy

If any of you have has experience with venting the second valve on a similar horn, do you know of ANY downside to that?

Lee Stofer would probably do the work this summer when I visit his shop.

PolkaNoble wrote:If any of you have has experience with venting the second valve on a similar horn, do you know of ANY downside to that?

My Neptune has a vented second valve, but I don't personally like because I find air escapes if I try to trill. In fact when I played Mahler 6 which includes a couple of trills, I taped over the hole.

Scooby Tuba wrote:Now there's a handsome picture!!!

Great horn, great picture...but with a new toy like that, you've got to smile bigger than that!!