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chapahi
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Joined: 13 Sep 2005
Posts: 1468
Location: Stuttgart, Germany
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 Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:19 am Post subject: Olds Super of Standard? |
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Hello all,
Today I compared my 1953 Olds with photos in an Olds catalog. My Olds has the tone ring on the bell with the writing, "Olds Super, Los Angeles etc." but the body doesn't resemble the Super in the Catalog. It has no brace on the tuning slide and no thumb hook on the first slide. Of the horns in the catalog, the body of mine matches the Standard. I thought the Supers had a brace on the tuning slide until the late fifties at least...
The catalog lists a French model and Military model trumpet for 135 dollars and the Super was 150 dollars. There is no mention of the Recording. What's the approximate date of my catalog?
Thanks in advance for any replies.
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Sima, Kanstul 1525 Flugel and Kanstul pocket trumpet. Olds Super |
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Brian Moore
Veteran Member
Joined: 12 Aug 2005
Posts: 407
Location: Exeter, UK
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| Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:28 am Post subject: Re: Olds Super of Standard? |
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| chapahi wrote: | Hello all,
Today I compared my 1953 Olds with photos in an Olds catalog. My Olds has the tone ring on the bell with the writing, "Olds Super, Los Angeles etc." but the body doesn't resemble the Super in the Catalog. It has no brace on the tuning slide and no thumb hook on the first slide. Of the horns in the catalog, the body of mine matches the Standard. I thought the Supers had a brace on the tuning slide until the late fifties at least...
The catalog lists a French model and Military model trumpet for 135 dollars and the Super was 150 dollars. There is no mention of the Recording. What's the approximate date of my catalog?
Thanks in advance for any replies. |
You'll have some fun perusing Alan Rouse's Olds Central site - scans of several dated catalogues included.
http://rouses.net/trumpet/olds.htm
The tuning slide brace disappeared around 1946, slightly before the time that the thumb saddle went. Somewhere I've done a spreadsheet listing all the small (and larger) changes that the Super design had that I've been able to document (mostly through ownership, though I've only had 6, 4 of which I still own). It sounds to me like you've got an absolutely normal Super for the date. I'm guessing your catalogue is from the '30s, as the French model went out of production fairly early. You'll be able to check this with Alan's site.
I think I can safely say that someone else on TH has a much greater obsession than I have, and will probably chip in....
EDIT - have found my spreadsheet, and I see that the tuning slide brace disappeared between Super SN 17038 and 18891 (1947). The thumb saddle went between 18891 and 21730. Also by 1953 Supers had got heavier by about 4ozs compared with the early examples.
And if you haven't found it, this labour of love is worth exploring:
http://www.theoldsregister.com/ |
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A.N.A.Mendez
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 27 Jul 2005
Posts: 5231
Location: ca.
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| Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 11:58 am Post subject: Re: Olds Super of Standard? |
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| Brian Moore wrote: | | chapahi wrote: | Hello all,
Today I compared my 1953 Olds with photos in an Olds catalog. My Olds has the tone ring on the bell with the writing, "Olds Super, Los Angeles etc." but the body doesn't resemble the Super in the Catalog. It has no brace on the tuning slide and no thumb hook on the first slide. Of the horns in the catalog, the body of mine matches the Standard. I thought the Supers had a brace on the tuning slide until the late fifties at least...
The catalog lists a French model and Military model trumpet for 135 dollars and the Super was 150 dollars. There is no mention of the Recording. What's the approximate date of my catalog?
Thanks in advance for any replies. |
You'll have some fun perusing Alan Rouse's Olds Central site - scans of several dated catalogues included.
http://rouses.net/trumpet/olds.htm
The tuning slide brace disappeared around 1946, slightly before the time that the thumb saddle went. Somewhere I've done a spreadsheet listing all the small (and larger) changes that the Super design had that I've been able to document (mostly through ownership, though I've only had 6, 4 of which I still own). It sounds to me like you've got an absolutely normal Super for the date. I'm guessing your catalogue is from the '30s, as the French model went out of production fairly early. You'll be able to check this with Alan's site.
I think I can safely say that someone else on TH has a much greater obsession than I have, and will probably chip in....
EDIT - have found my spreadsheet, and I see that the tuning slide brace disappeared between Super SN 17038 and 18891 (1947). The thumb saddle went between 18891 and 21730. Also by 1953 Supers had got heavier by about 4ozs compared with the early examples.
And if you haven't found it, this labour of love is worth exploring:
http://www.theoldsregister.com/ |
That catalog is early 30s, the French was only made 2 years 30-31. The military model is that era as well. The supers went through a bunch of changes, the 1st slide moved all over the place, top of slide, back, side, some had none at all. Braces same thing. One of these days I want to do a spreadsheet myself, try to figure all these subtle changes...Does your catalog look similar to this???
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"There is no necessity for deadly strife" A. Lincoln 1860
☛ "No matter how cynical you get, it's never enough to keep up" Lily Tomlin☚ |
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chapahi
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 13 Sep 2005
Posts: 1468
Location: Stuttgart, Germany
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| Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 6:07 pm Post subject: |
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Actually the catalog is exactly this one from the webstie you pointed out to me:
http://rouses.net/trumpet/olds32/olds1932.htm
Thanks for that.
It's nice condition and style threw me off. No yellowing or musty smell...I'd have never guessed it was from 1932! It was thrown in along with a '46 Super Trombone I just got off ebay, the latest addition to my "Super" team... 
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Sima, Kanstul 1525 Flugel and Kanstul pocket trumpet. Olds Super |
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Brian Moore
Veteran Member
Joined: 12 Aug 2005
Posts: 407
Location: Exeter, UK
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| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 12:18 am Post subject: |
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| chapahi wrote: | | Actually the catalog is exactly this one from the webstie you pointed out to me: It was thrown in along with a '46 Super Trombone I just got off ebay, the latest addition to my "Super" team... |
Haha, yes, I recently got one of these too, mine also being 1946, I think, with the hand-engraved tone ring. Must be one of the latest serial number Olds instruments (18xxx) to have the hand engraving there. Curiously, my Super Trumpet 15xxx (1945) has a stamped brass tone ring. I'd previously thought that these engraved tone rings finished in 1939 (c. 11xxx). Maybe the person who engraved them had done extra trombone ones before the war shut-down, or maybe they just carried on engraving the trombones for longer. |
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Trptbenge
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 15 Feb 2002
Posts: 2392
Location: Atlanta, GA
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| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 4:45 am Post subject: |
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I spent this last weekend with a guy who was my former teacher and now has become a close friend. Both he and his wife play trumpet and have 30 + trumpets between them. He has collected a few of the Olds models over the years. He doesn't get to play them all that often so we rotated through them playing each one for a couple of tunes and then moving on so we could oil the valves and slides. We got to most of them but not all.
Here are my top picks. First was the Mendez - just a heck of a horn. Next was a difficult choice but I would give it to the Super - big sound and very flexible. Third was the Recording - always a favorite of mine. Fourth was the French Model - excellent playing horn. Fifth was the Clark Terry. The rest of his collection were pretty good but not up to the level of the top five horns. These included the Standard, The Special, The Ambassador, the studio, the CHR, The Pinto and the Superstar.
The one horn he used to own and sold that might have been in the top five is a Super Recording. It was a sweet playing horn with a great sound. However, that particular horn had some real intonation issues so he sold it. Now, he wishes he had it for his collection. However, the Mendez and Super he has are hard to beat.
Mike |
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Brad361
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Joined: 16 Dec 2007
Posts: 7080
Location: Houston, TX.
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| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 5:07 am Post subject: |
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And now, the award for vintage Olds trumpet expert and afficionado of 2008: and the winner is........envelope please......(tympani roll).....
the winner is ......A.N.A. Mendez!!!! (sounds of celebratory Academy Awards style music, played on 1953 Olds trumpets)!!!!
Just kidding there senor Mendez!
Cool ads, by the way!
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When asked if he always sounds great:
"I always try, but not always, because the horn is merciless, unpredictable and traitorous." - Arturo Sandoval |
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A.N.A.Mendez
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 27 Jul 2005
Posts: 5231
Location: ca.
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| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 9:07 am Post subject: |
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| Brad361 wrote: | And now, the award for vintage Olds trumpet expert and afficionado of 2008: and the winner is........envelope please......(tympani roll).....
the winner is ......A.N.A. Mendez!!!! (sounds of celebratory Academy Awards style music, played on 1953 Olds trumpets)!!!!
Just kidding there senor Mendez!
Cool ads, by the way! |
Aw Shucks.... 
I owe a lot to my buddy Dr.Pepp who helped me a bunch and has forgotten more Olds tid bits than I know.
Thanks though, I do enjoy all the great guys (& gals) on this fine forum! 
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"There is no necessity for deadly strife" A. Lincoln 1860
☛ "No matter how cynical you get, it's never enough to keep up" Lily Tomlin☚ |
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