It's arrived - all the way from Diespeck

[tubafatness]

I've always enjoyed looking at the unique signature shape of RM bell flares...particularly the 5/4

I too fall into this habit whenever I see a photo of a Rudy, or whenever I get a chance to look at my own 4/4. I wonder what it is that makes these horns so aesthetically pleasing. Anyone have an answer?

[oldbandnerd]

Can I have the box ?

[Geotuba]

I looked at the pictures, but didn't get an exact idea of how the trigger works. Is it operated by the left hand near the 1st slide?

Yes. The left hand rests on the part of the tubing inside the main body of the instrument - I think you can just see that here:



(Yes - this is the "first blow" picture my wife took without waiting for me to find the valves with my right hand!!)

The trigger is then operated with the thumb.

I'll try to get a better pic taken

With a 2nd valve trigger and the "default" 1st valve slide, you'd probably never have to use the 4th slide (bouncing around from the front to the back of the horn) except for MAYBE low C.

I take it you mean the C 6 ledger lines below the bass clef. With the limited messing around I have done so far this note seems to be very sharp and needs to be played 1234 - I'm not good enough at playing it yet to really figure out whether to use the 2nd valve trigger there or not. It seems that the B a semitone lower than it is then unreachable without pulling something else out - again needs a lot more messing around on my part to be sure about that.

[Geotuba]

Can I have the box ?

Sorry - it's all cut up and the recycling truck just left

[Geotuba]

RM 0 and RM 0. (larger backbore than the RM 0) mouthpieces side by side

Somehow this leaves me confused . . .

Are you sure there's not a typo in there?

I think he means RM 0!

"RM0 and RM0." is correct (the second one has a dot after it)

[Tortuba]

Congrats Hugh, I can't wait until you show up for rehearsal in September.

My God, it's a big horn. I'm not sure I'll be able to handle the volume.

For all you Tubnetters out there, I play in a concert band with Hugh and usually sit on his left because he used to play an upright EEb horn, pointing right. Now that we will both be pointing left, I may not have anywhere to hide. Time for ear plugs.

It is a mighty big horn. Hugh is a very tall guy (6"5" or better) so when you you see him sitting with his new baby on his lap you get an idea of just how big it is.

(My own horn is going to need a polish for sure)

Tortuba (Keith C.)

[gregsundt]

I'm going to have to do a lot of work learning the tuning (although this instrument is cleverly designed so that it is very much in tune throughout the entire range - but it is not a compensating instrument like my B&H was, of course) - whether the 2nd valve slide trigger will really make a difference for the stuff I do remains to be seen.

Don't be afraid to use 1-3 on occasion for F and A. A bit clumsy at first, but very rewarding intonation-wise without robbing tone quality. I always used 1-2 for d, as well. 4/4 and 5/4 Rudys are somewhat notorious for that kind of stuff, but they will also respond to what you put into them (as I found out at my first lesson with Bob LeBlanc a couple of decades ago).

Congrats. Looks like you have the horn of many of our dreams!!

[Cameron Gates]

I too fall into this habit whenever I see a photo of a Rudy, or whenever I get a chance to look at my own 4/4. I wonder what it is that makes these horns so aesthetically pleasing. Anyone have an answer?

I'm the same way. I love the fact that, of the Rudi's I have owned/seen, the finish is a little "rough". When one looks at a new Mirafone or B&S product it can be blinding. Those two companies buff the horns to shine shine shine. Rudi.....not so much. "Buffing streaks, who gives a crap. Squirt some not-so-long-lasting lacquer on it and ship it to the USA. Hell, it's a tool. Do you polish the shovel before you dig"?

I also love the braces. The ones I have had around have 1-piece massive bracing throughout. Those things have a good look to them.

The engraving also gives me the warm fuzzies and the sound tingles the butt.

Keep the pictures coming. That thing looks great.

[gwwilk]

With a 2nd valve trigger and the "default" 1st valve slide, you'd probably never have to use the 4th slide (bouncing around from the front to the back of the horn) except for MAYBE low C.

I take it you mean the C 6 ledger lines below the bass clef. With the limited messing around I have done so far this note seems to be very sharp and needs to be played 1234 - I'm not good enough at playing it yet to really figure out whether to use the 2nd valve trigger there or not. It seems that the B a semitone lower than it is then unreachable without pulling something else out - again needs a lot more messing around on my part to be sure about that.

Congrats, Hugh. You're gonna love this tuba! I was smitten by mine after the first blow (you can see it to the right of my drum throne in my avatar). There may be some intonation issues here and there, but I've found that alternate fingerings pretty much do the job for me. D in the staff if sustained needs 12 and C in the staff needs 13 or 4 to get up to pitch on my horn. D below the staff needs 3, C below the staff is tuned to 4, and B needs 24 or a triggered 2. I need to pull the 1st slide on EEb below the staff and finger everything below that a 1/2 step lower. That leaves BB without any options, and the 2nd slide trigger doesn't add enough length for me to get my tuner centered. That means BB is a false tone 23, which isn't too bad on my Bayreuth. That said, be aware that intonation will change if you change mouthpieces. I prefer the RM 0 that came with my Bayreuth, although I will occasionally use an LM3 or LM7 or GW Bayamo or Caver depending on what I'm doing.

If you have Michael Davis' '20 Minute Warmup' with the Pokorny CD, it's a really good way to get up to speed every day. The last exercise played down an octave didn't go very well at first, but with continued practice it now works for me down to the next to last note. I don't try to tune them, just get a note out. The breath marks in this exercise are about right, too! If you don't have it, I highly recommend it. I got my copy from Brian (http://www.bvdpress.com/) at the Denver ITEC.

Doc, I felt bad that I couldn't invite you over for a blow when you were in the neighborhood a couple of years ago (Wahoo, NE). My time was very limited and I couldn't see a way to work it out. Give me some advance warning, and you're more than welcome to stop by to try my Bayreuth. I plan to take it over to Lee Stofer's the second week in Oct. for servicing, but otherwise it should be here.

Hugh, I do envy you your trip to the RM factory. That must have been a blast. Enjoy!

[Geotuba]

I have posted a couple of photos at http://my-new-tuba.blogspot.com/2007/08 ... igger.html

Hope this makes the operation clear