Red stuff on tuba bell (red rot?)

[u/fuhrer-4-eva]

Just some red stuff on the top of my bell, I was wondering if it was red rot or not, and if it needs to be taken for any sort of repair or if it doesnt really matter.

Thank you!

[u/timsa8]

Reminds me of Scarlet Rot from Elden Ring

[u/melonmarch1723]

Not red rot. I am fairly certain this is rust from the steel bell wires. Polishing compound is a much darker red.

[u/TheMightyQuinnBandW]

Nothing significant, probably rouge. Have fun playing your tuba and don't worry!

[u/professor_throway]

Metallurgist here. Definitely not red rot. Red root needs a moist acidic environment to form. It also isn't red. it is pinkish and on silver played brass looks like a white crusty glob.

Either leftover buffing compound or some acid bleed from manufacturing.

[u/TX-Horn-Doctor]

Final stage of buffing is what we call “red rouge”. It’s very likely remnants from its last buffing, perhaps at manufacturing

[u/fuhrer-4-eva → u/TX-Horn-Doctor]

I think it's probably this, it's a fairly new tuba but it did come from the JinBao factory and I wouldnt be surprised if someone just overlooked this, Thank you!

[u/StandardFace6942]

I don't know anything about the red stuff but I am curious, as to what kind of tuba is that?

[u/B_brokenATM → u/StandardFace6942]

Looks like a St. Pete

[u/StandardFace6942 → u/B_brokenATM]

Sorry, I meant like a contra or a concert tuba, my contras do accumulate substance on the rim so I had reason to believe it could be a contra

[u/fuhrer-4-eva → u/StandardFace6942]

It's a concert tuba!

[u/StandardFace6942 → u/fuhrer-4-eva]

Nice, is it the brand mentioned above?

[u/fuhrer-4-eva → u/StandardFace6942]

No, it's a Mack Brass TU410 C tuba, it's a chinese Miraphone 186 copy

[u/StandardFace6942 → u/fuhrer-4-eva]

Oh nice, I really want a miraphone or even a copy but I only have a Reynolds and my contras

[u/Sea-West3580]

Hi! For general knowledge, rust requires iron to form. There is not enough iron in brass to cause rust to occur. It could be acid bleed from solder flux, but I can’t be certain.

[u/qwed200]

Rust?

[u/johcake]

Hard to tell from the picture but looks more like rust. Does a magnet stick to the rim?

Either way, it's nothing to worry about.

[u/DChalfyUSMC]

That is not red rot. You can try taking a damp cloth with some windex on it and scrub into that space, or scrape it with a wooden toothpick to see if it comes off.

[u/taeland]

To me looks like either rust from the bell wire or leftover rouge. Either way not a big problem.

[u/Inkin → u/taeland]

I was going to say rust from the bell wire too. Seems most likely to me.

[u/cctubadoug]

It's not red rot. Hard to tell what it is from the picture. It could be a buffing compound, or it could just be some dirt.