Posted by David Graves on April 25, 1999 at 14:34:51:
In Reply to: Opinions on the Rudy Meinl C45-5S. posted by Chris on April 23, 1999 at 19:50:59:
I have owned 2 very different RM 4/4 CC's, and I have played a virtual plethera of Miraphones. Although both makes are capable of producing a colorful (lots of overtones present vs. sounding like a 55-gallon cooker w/valves, as do many of the piston valve horns which are so popular today) sound, the RM's -- generally speaking -- have a wider dynamic range, especially at the loud end of the spectrum. However, I have found the Mirafones to be more consistent in regards to pitch -- i.e., the 5th partial is almost always flat, and the rest is o.k. With RM's it's possible to get one that has a great overtone series (I have one now), but it's more likely that you'll get one that has at least a few quirky notes -- possibly 3rd partial (#), 6th partial (real #), and 8th partial (also pretty #). If you don't mind alternate fingerings, I'd go w/the RM simply primarily because it's a more versatile instrument (decibel-wise).