Rudy Meinl “Weltklang” F tuba- FB

[DonO.]

I’m not sure how to post the link but if you’re on Facebook go to Marketplace and search. It’s in Cleveland, OH. Looks nice. $1300! 5 valves with thumb trigger on 5th, and a mechanism added to adjust main tuning slide from top with a stop nut. Looks to me like maybe the 5th valve slide has been lengthened too. I’d say a good buy for 1300.

[bort2.0]

I’m not sure how to post the link but if you’re on Facebook go to Marketplace and search. It’s in Cleveland, OH. Looks nice. $1300! 5 valves with thumb trigger on 5th, and a mechanism added to adjust main tuning slide from top with a stop nut. Looks to me like maybe the 5th valve slide has been lengthened too. I’d say a good buy for 1300.

I'd love to see this!

[hrender]

Find the share button on the ad, then click it. It should have "Copy Link" as an option. Select that, then paste the link into a URL tag (the chain button on the edit window in TF) in your post. You can right-click on a picture from the ad, select "Copy Link to picture", and paste that into your post in an image (img) tag.

I looked at FB but didn't see an ad for a Weltklang F. It might be in a private FB group, in which case only members of the group will be able to see the ad.

[bisontuba]

Found it...fyi..

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/it ... 292551373/

[bort2.0]

.

[hrender]

Thanks! Seems silly cheap for a RM 5v F.

[DonO.]

It has been worked on. In addition to the main tuning mechanism being added and the 5th slide being lengthened, I’d say the thumb ring has been re-soldered (moved?). But everything has the appearance of pro work.

[jtm]

Why do people keep posting these interesting tubas that I can actually afford?

[Uncle Buck]

I believe I may have formerly owned that tuba. If so, I think it was a Weltklang that Rudy Meinl engraved his name on after doing some work on it. Most likely adding the fifth valve, that probably wouldn’t have been original to a Weltklang.

My understanding is that isn’t uncommon for Rudy (to engrave his name after making a significant mod.)

[DonO.]

I believe I may have formerly owned that tuba. If so, I think it was a Weltklang that Rudy Meinl engraved his name on after doing some work on it. Most likely adding the fifth valve, that probably wouldn’t have been original to a Weltklang.

My understanding is that isn’t uncommon for Rudy (to engrave his name after making a significant mod.)

Yeah, I thought “Weltklang” was a B&S brand? Used only for export (“world sound”). So you’re saying Rudy Meinl would get his hands on a B&S made instrument, modify it in some way, then add his name to the engraving on the bell? If so that must get very confusing.

[Rick Denney]

Not confusing at all—it explains the differences and establishes the craft applied to those differences. It establishes important parts of the provenance without depending on fickle owners to do so.

If he sanded out the Weltklang engraving and replaced it with his own—THAT would be confusing.

Rick “who’d rather know than not know” Denney

[Uncle Buck]

What Rick said. If it’s the horn I formerly owned, it seemed to have some similarities to a B & S Symphonie. But my chops weren’t very good when I owned it (was just playing for fun) so I can’t give any more useful information.

[bort2.0]

There's a post by Lee Stofer on the old site, which basically says 1) Rudy didn't make Weltklang tubas and 2) Rudy engraved the bell, as described here, after a major repair/overhaul/etc.

[hrender]

So a 5v B&S F (pretty good) with Rudolf Meinl mods (even better) for $1300? Still sounds stupid cheap (cf. this) for what is likely a very good horn.

[bort2.0]

I've made contact with the seller, heard back once right away and nothing since. He's a HS band director, so I'm guessing he's pretty short on time. Maybe I'll hear more over the weekend?

[Rick Denney]

So a 5v B&S F (pretty good) with Rudolf Meinl mods (even better) for $1300? Still sounds stupid cheap (cf. this) for what is likely a very good horn.

That's probably not what it is, at least not exactly. Weltklang could be considered a budget brand, though it certainly used the same designs and construction as B&S-labeled models. But it may have had fewer features, including more than four valves. To my thinking it is likely that the fifth valve is an add-on. The leadpipe does not follow the usual route for a 5 or 6-valve B&S (or for a current RM, for that matter). B&S usually runs the leadpipe into the side of the fifth valve to shorten it, instead of coming in from the top. And the branch for this fifth valve is narrow and B&S always used a branch with a much wider crook. That makes me think the fifth valve was added, and the original leadpipe either replaced or modified to enter the top of the fifth valve rather than the top of the first valve, as would have been the case with a four-valve F tuba.

But the braces and solder pads and (excepting the leadpipe) general layout are pure B&S, and nothing like Rudolf Meinl.

I am not at all suggesting it isn't a great deal, but let's not say this is a Symphonie with some RM dent repairs or whatever. If the fifth valve is an add-on, it's bore and the dimensions of the leadpipe will strongly affect how similar this instrument is to a Symphonie. Any differences might be good or bad, but differences should be expected.

Rick "likely a very good horn--indeed" Denney

[Finetales]

$1300? And nobody's bought it yet??

I could use an F tuba...