SOLD Rudy Meinl 5/4 CC

[Ted Cox]

IMG_0867.jpg

5 Valve Rudolf Meinl CC Tuba with soft bag.
If you read further down this thread, you'll see what I paid for the horn and what I have in it. However, I'm ready to sell, which means someone may get a good deal. Email me (below).

This Rudy is for sale because I recently purchased an Alexander 164 Kaiser CC tuba. What a find!
I have an anvil case for the Alex that works equally well with the Rudy - meaning, I can ship the tuba safely. But, I want the case back.

When I bought the Rudy almost two years ago, I drove it over to Indiana to have Martin Wilk work his magic. I was stunned by how much his work improved this horn. My best guess on the age of the instrument is about 30 years old. I know Willie Clark owned the instrument at one point and my understanding is he regretted selling it.

If you've never heard this tuba "in action", there's a great video on YouTube of Rex Martin playing his Rudy with the Chicago Symphony in Japan. Tchaik 4! Worth checking out regardless. It's a very fine instrument with valves that are quick and quiet.
You pay shipping and I'll pay to have the case returned to me.

Email me directly at ted@spirithouseyoga.com" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

[Billy M.]

Anyone have $9k I can have? I see something I'd like to own.

[Ted Cox]

Bump

[Ted Cox]

Bump for price reduction

[bort]

Hey Ted... just for fun, could you please show us a photo of the Alex 164 next to the Rudy 5/4? #uncommontubapairs

[Ted Cox]

As requested - a side-by-side of an Alex 164 Kaiser CC and a Rudy Meinl 5/4 CC.

[bort]

Thanks!

Dang that Rudy is big!

[Ted Cox]

Bump - again.
Someone buy this instrument - make me an offer!

[Matt G]

Not sure when Willie Clark owned this, but I’m guessing he was inspired by Paul Weikle that had a Rudy 5/4 CC when he was in Orlando in the mid-1990s. I played Paul’s for a concert that had Die Meistersinger on the call sheet and Continental Airlines had decided to leave my F and CC in New Jersey. Back on topic, the 5/4 Rudy was a great horn even in the high register despite its size. And the sound was huge. What a pleasure these horns are to play.

Certainly worth considering if you’re looking to own a single CC tuba that can cover a lot of the repertoire.

[Ted Cox]

Make me an offer.

[Ted Cox]

Lots of interest this week. Come on - make a decision!

[Ted Cox]

I'm starting to get bruised from so much bumping.

[Ted Cox]

Oh, come on - buy my tuba - it's really good.

[Ted Cox]

A pandemic should be a great time to sell a tuba, right?

[jantuba]

I dont doubt that this is a great tuba. I have owned one,but is the price a bit high?i've seen them go for 7-8k in better looking condition. The way it plays is of course most important.
And again, this is horn is from one of a few masters that still builds them all by hand.

[Ted Cox]

Right about now, if someone made a decent offer, I just might take it.
A friend of mine bought a Rudy 5/4 at the exact same time I bought this one and paid substantially more - as in 50% more.
Having played his horn, there isn't a dollars difference between them - although his horn was owned by someone well known.
Trying to sell anything during a pandemic isn't the best time - but fortunately I'm in a position where I can be patient.
Someone will buy it eventually, and when they do, someone will be really happy they did. I doubt they'll fret too much whether or not they paid too much or too little. We should all be glad we don't have to buy string instruments and bows.

[Matt G]

I’ve only played a few Rudy’s in my life, but each one was a phenomenal tuba. These are all handmade instruments and the ones I played have had fantastic response.

For undergrad, the school had a RM 3/4 BBb. It was effectively the same size as my 186 BBb. The Mirafone had a more “electric” sound (it could put a ring of edge around the sound easily) whereas the Rudy stayed dark. I had checked this horn out one semester and took it with me on a fun trip to Terry Warburton’s shop (he was maybe 10 miles away?) to get a mouthpiece made. Terry had an extra blank of a Helleberg cup that he made several copies of for Ed Firth back in the early 90s. Terry was turned a rim onto the blank and we started playing with contours and diameter and throat. I think the throat ended up around 8.5mm and the inner rim diameter was huge, around 34mm. The result was a horn/mouthpiece combo that sounded like a 5/4 tuba with 3/4 response characteristics. The mouthpiece worked poorly in my 186. I kept it a long time, used it mainly for marching band (it was LOUD on the Yamaha sousaphones), and then sold it to a student simply because he sounded so great on it with his 20J.

I played Mike Roylance’s 3/4 CC. It was awesome. I asked him once if he was considering selling it and he laughed.

I borrowed Paul Weikle’s (mentioned above). It was fantastic.

So this is simply a nostalgic bump for Mr. Cox. Any of you younger dudes looking for an orchestral CC should weigh this as a option. Does it sound like a Clorkophone? Nope. But Rudy’s have their own character and nonetheless awesome sound.

The little mouthpiece aside is to maybe mention how the Rudy’s I’ve played seem to be very mouthpiece flexible as well. Intonation didn’t seem to vary much but you could make a Rudy sound pretty light (I think I plugged in a Bach 18 for Meistersinger on the 5/4 and it was good) to huge, like the mouthpiece I had made for that 3/4.

[bort]

Ted's photo makes the tuba look normal-sized. These things are, in reality, huge. And for as big as they are, they never struck me as bring air hogs. And also, surprisingly easy and comfortable to hold (sorry Matt G, but the 2165 has always been a really difficult tuba for me to try to hold...)

Years ago, bloke put a smaller leadpipe on one of these, and said it gave way better control (or something), and maybe like 5% less output. Seems like maybe a good way to split the difference, if the bore is scary for anyone.

Ted, if I knew you were going to sell this tuba to get that 164, I very well might have bought it from you. I love my 163, and everything worked out awesomely with that... But the Rudy 5/4 has always been on my short list, and may have been too much for me to resist.

As for price, Ted's price is Ted's price. If you're interested, talk to him. He's a nice person! Frankly, I think a lot of these have sold for less than they should have. And remember ... Gasp... Some people actually buy these things NEW.

[Matt G]

Bort, absolutely right about the size. A 5/4 RM CC isn’t much more to handle in the lap than a 188. Good point about scaling.

And yeah, the 2165 is not tiny! When I switch between the horns I have now, the 4/4 feels like my old YFB-621 felt after tooting my old 188 for a while.

[bort]

As a former 188 owner and longtime proponent, I definitely agree with that.

I owned a Rudy 4/4 CC for a little while, and regret selling that one, too. The thing with Rudy tubas, IMO, is that they do best with what I call "player maintenance." If you play regularly, you will be rewarded and unlock the potential of the tuba. If you play once in a while... Might not be as easy when you first pick up the horn. Also, never judge the sound of a Rudy in a small room. Play in a hall, a church, even outside... And you'll see quickly what it's all about.

And as important as anything else, the Rudy 5/4 is a gorgeous tuba. Again, Ted... I'm glad I bought my Alex, but you're killing me with this Rudy!