F.E. Olds Horns?

joseph_68 · Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2005 8:51 am Post subject: F.E. Olds Horns?

I have recently been reading up on F.E. Olds. I see that there is a lot of noted history prior to 1979. I see that Olds is still alive and well,

http://www.feolds.com

and they have some interesting things to say about their current horns.

What is the story behing the current Olds instruments? Are they still manufactured in America? How is the sound/quality?
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nextbrassguy · Heavyweight Member Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Posts: 1428

I am 99% sure that these "Olds" horns have absolutely nothing in common with the F.E. Olds horns manufactured before the original company folded in 1978 or'79 aside from the famous name.

djm6701 · Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2005 10:22 am Post subject:

Read the history of the company on this page:

http://rouses.net/trumpet/olds.htm

Olds made outstanding quality professional instruments for many years. I am aware of a couple of professional players who are still using vintage Olds instruments. The instruments now labelled with F.E. Olds have only the name in common.
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Richmond Hill (Toronto) Ontario
Kanstul WB1600, 1952 L.A. Olds Recording, 1975 L.A. Benge 3x, 1960's Olds Flugel, Yamaha 631 Flugel

GR 65.6 Mouthpieces
a jazz.fm member

joseph_68 · Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2005 12:08 pm Post subject:

Hmm. So what is today's F.E. Olds all about? Does anybody know where they are manufactured or what the quality is like?
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Liberty Lips · Heavyweight Member Joined: 12 Dec 2003 Posts: 983

tom turner · Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2005 1:04 pm Post subject:

Norlin effectively, and slowly killed those two once-great lines in the late '60s and throughout the '70's.

Then, the new owners bought the "names" and cannot claim to have done ANYTHING personally over the next quarter-of-a-century plus. It is just a seller of "stencil" horns developed by others outside their company. I doubt the new owners know anything about crafting horns and bought the names long ago in case they wanted to market stencil horns under the Olds name.

Particularly tasteless is their page on Foster Reynolds and how great of a horn maker he was. The new company doesn't make any "Reynolds" horns . . . and I'll bet Foster would be an absolute madman if (he was still alive) to see his name being associated with the new "horn-maker."

THE NEW OLDS INSTRUMENTS . . .
There have been some folks who have written favorable things about the new Olds horns on this site in the past. However, they don't set the world on fire and they are not the top-flight horns that the originals were in the 1940's-early 1960's.

Additionally, the new instruments are not made from the original plans and specs of any Olds or Reynolds horns of the past. They bear absolutely NO relation at all to the horns that once made those two companies famous.

James Becker · Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2005 5:34 am Post subject:

Here's what I know about Olds intruments. NEMC of New Jersey marketed a line of Olds Ambassador trumpets and cornets made in Holland in the early 1980's. With the guidence of Mario Marconi, these looked suprisingly simular to the original designs with the exception of internal valve cap threads on the casings. He was quite proud of these instruments when he showed them to me, pointing out the valve cap design. The current model Olds are made both domestically and overseas. The domestic made instruments are made in Elkhart Indiana by a firm known for their well made affordable student and step up instruments. The remainder of the Olds line is produced in the Czech Republic. It is possible they could be coming from additional sources. I hope this is helpful

Jim Becker
Brass Repair Specialist
jbecker@osmun.com
Osmun Music Inc.
www.osmun.com

Trumpeter58 · Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2005 6:23 am Post subject: F.E. Olds instruments

A little over two years ago I began my comeback to playing trumpet on a new Olds NA 100ZU advanced student model. If there's a single advantage to be considered regarding OLDS insturments it's that most if not all come with a ten-year warranty against defects. Though I consider the OLDS trumpet a fine instrument, before I stepped up to a Blessing ML-1S in December 2004, the OLDS had made two return visits to the factory, first to correct abnormal wear on the valve pistons (despite very frequent oiling), and the second to correct discoloration under the clear lacquer caused by "acid bleed" around the little finger hook and the joint where the mouthpiece receiver attaches to the leadpipe. The valve wear problem was satisfactorily corrected under warranty by replacing the original valves with new, hand-lapped ones, but the acid bleed discoloration has returned around the pinky hook. They also failed to completely coat the leadpipe with lacquer after cleaning up the initial discoloration, which left an area about 2" x 1/8" on the lower radius of the leadpipe that begain to tarnish within a week after I got the horn back. Since the OLDS is now essentially a backup horn in case I ever have to have any work done on my Blessing, I'll send it back to them before long to have them redo it correctly. On the up side, I am told by an OLDS factory rep that if any of my offspring wind up inheriting the horn within ten years following the purchase date, OLDS will honor the remaining warranty for the new owner.
_________________
"Blowing" my retirement away.
"All that we know is infinitely less than that which we have yet to learn."

Blessing ML-1S
Olds Special NA 100ZU
Holton Collegiate cornet (circa 1953)
Olds NF13MRT Flugel
Monette STC1-B4S

joseph_68 · Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2005 9:45 am Post subject:

Thank you for sharing the info. I am so surprised at all the "channeling" these horns go through. I guess the 10 year warranty is a nice backup with any problems though ; )

BTW - Trumpeter58, What do you think of the sound on your Olds?
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Benge 65B trumpet
'71 Reynolds Emperor cornet
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heavyharmonies · Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2005 9:58 am Post subject:

I accidentally pulled an impulse Buy-It-Now on a "New Olds" NP6MST Shepherd's Crook cornet. The next morning I was kicking myself for being so stupid.

Then I got the horn. I was expecting to hate it, but damned if it wasn't a wonderful little horn! I love the way it plays. I was using it as my main horn up until I bought my Marcinkiewicz Rembrandt. I still have the Olds and intend to keep it as a backup horn.

The NP6MST is marketed as part of their "professional" line. If you can pick one up relatively inexpensively, I would definitely recommend trying it. While I wouldn't pay full retail for one, for what I snagged it for on Ebay ($225) it was easily one of my best purchases to date. Since people tend to pooh-pooh the new Olds horns, you may be able to steal one on Ebay...

Trumpeter58 · Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2005 10:21 am Post subject: How my OLDS sounds

Joseph_68. In answer to your question, I like the sound of the OLDS NA 100ZU horn. The rose brass leadpipe gives it a smoother, more velvety tone than a silver or all yellow brass horn. Using a 7C mpc it's kinda mellow, but when I plug in a 10 1/2C mpc it turns more brassy for jazz. My old Holton cornet is smoother yet. As Imay have state earlier, it doesn't blow quite as freely as my Blessing ML-1S, but has a nice feel to it.
_________________
"Blowing" my retirement away.
"All that we know is infinitely less than that which we have yet to learn."

Blessing ML-1S
Olds Special NA 100ZU
Holton Collegiate cornet (circa 1953)
Olds NF13MRT Flugel
Monette STC1-B4S

joseph_68 · Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2005 11:19 am Post subject:

Sounds like a "new Olds" can be a nice back up or beginner's horn. This is what they state regarding the manufacturing of the new instruments on their website:

"Every instrument is subjected to the most minute quality control inspection - to make sure that each is fully responsive to every musical requirement and fully worthy of the Olds signature."

If this is indeed true, it's a plus. My guess is that this is not always the case with some of today's manufacturers.
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Benge 65B trumpet
'71 Reynolds Emperor cornet
Monette B6 - tmpt mpc
CG Personal - cornet mpc

DaveH · Heavyweight Member Joined: 20 Nov 2001 Posts: 3861

joseph_68 · Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2005 12:49 pm Post subject:

Okay, I was so curious that I called F.E. Olds, then E.K. Blessing. As it turns out, any "new" Olds horn with the Elkhart, IN stamp has been manufactured by Blessing.

So basically the F.E. Olds horns are just variations of Blessing models with the Olds name. Or how about this? They are new Olds designs manufactured by Blessing? Well none of it makes too much sense lol. Actually, the Olds "advanced" student model looks to have some nice extras for the price. It can be found between $369-$499 new. Interesting.
_________________
Tools:
Benge 65B trumpet
'71 Reynolds Emperor cornet
Monette B6 - tmpt mpc
CG Personal - cornet mpc

DaveH · Heavyweight Member Joined: 20 Nov 2001 Posts: 3861

Well now, those revelations should make one very skeptical of the quote taken from the Olds website...

The top of the line horn from Blessing is the ML-1, a decent intermediate horn which does not play or sound like any professional horn I have played. Not bad; just intermediate. However, I would prefer the current King Silver Flair 2055.

That price range is a typical discounted price for a student horn.

The ML-1 was listed in the WWBW summer catalog for a discounted price of $659.99 in silver; new.

I cannot think of any "professional horn" which sells NEW for a discounted price anywhere near that price.

I have played Blessing ML-1 trumpets. IMO, they play better than student horns, but not as well as any professional horn I have ever played. More of an intermediate horn.

Olds is a "Blessing in disguise"

TimBrown · Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2005 8:13 pm Post subject:

Trumpeter58 · Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 4:59 pm Post subject:

I wasn't aware that Blessing was making horns for F.E. Olds. I may have to quiz the guys at both factories that I have corresponded with in the past. I will tell you that per what I have been told by the Olds factory rep I have swapped mails with, they discontinued production of the NA 100ZU last year because they found out that it directly competed with other more popular student model horns that they offer.

The history posted on the Olds website gives the general impression that they've been making instruments essentially non-stop since 1908. Blessing's history page claims that Emil Karl Blessing started making trombones in 1906 and that the business expanded from there, remaining in family hands via purchase of the business by a son-in-law, Merle Johnson, in 1964 when E. Karl Blessing, Jr, son of Emil Karl Blessing. fell into bad health.
_________________
"Blowing" my retirement away.
"All that we know is infinitely less than that which we have yet to learn."

Blessing ML-1S
Olds Special NA 100ZU
Holton Collegiate cornet (circa 1953)
Olds NF13MRT Flugel
Monette STC1-B4S