• FAQ  • Search  • Memberlist  • Usergroups   • Register   • Profile  • Log in to check your private messages  • Log in 

Olds Cornets


Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3  Next
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    trumpetherald.com Forum Index -> Cornet/Flügelhorn
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
oldlou
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 04 Aug 2005
Posts: 997
Location: Michigan, USA

PostPosted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 4:48 pm    Post subject: Olds cornets Reply with quote

I have two Olds cornets from L.A.. The first is a Special and the second an Ambassador. Upon purchase of the Special I received an adaptor, much like those for fitting a conet m/p to a trumpet receiver. This allows me to use almost any cornet m/p on the early Olds cornets. Such a device should be very easy for anyone with access to a machine lathe to make.


OLDLOU>>
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
carltrumpet
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 09 Sep 2005
Posts: 530
Location: San Diego, CA

PostPosted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 5:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

When you put the regular cornet piece into the adapter, how far in does it go? Do you have to push the tuning slide all the way in to compensate?

I have thought about trying to make one of these, but I usually just let the MP sit too far in the receiver and compensate with the tuning slide. (Or sometimes I'll use a flugel piece.)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message AIM Address
oldlou
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 04 Aug 2005
Posts: 997
Location: Michigan, USA

PostPosted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 10:05 pm    Post subject: OLDS cornet mouthpices Reply with quote

With the adapter in place and usinf most any generic Bach cornet mouthpiece the overall length of the cornet is increased by only 1/4". There is still some tuning slide showing when the little horn is in tune, according to my Korg tuner.


OLDLOU>>
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Brassnose
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 07 Mar 2016
Posts: 2020
Location: Germany

PostPosted: Sun Aug 22, 2021 3:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Zombie thread alert! I thought it might be better to revive the thread rather than starting a new one and getting yelled at for not reading the old stuff

Alright, here we go: I am not much of a collector and always managed to keep the number of horns below 8 so far. BUT I just came across a beaten up Olds Studio cornet for cheap (like in REALLY CHEAP). It has a stuck mouthpiece and will need a good cleaning but that’s doable.

People seem to have mixed opinions about the Studio cornet, some say they are really bright and don’t bother, Trent Austin on the other hand in one of his videos makes it sound nice, though not strongly cornetty.

So, if I had a line into a Recording, a Special, and a Super cornet as well (which I have, though at quite different prices), what would people’s opinion on the Studio be? Repair and refurbish or go for one of the other horns? Field of use would be jazz and commercial stuff in smaller venues “just because it’s cool with a vintage cornet” or church.

Oh, I forgot: the Studio is a 1960 model, so not the redesigned late 1960s one.
_________________
2019 Martin Schmidt eXcellence
1992 Bach 43GH/43
1989 Kühnl & Hoyer Model 15 flugel
1980/2023 Custom Blessing Scholastic C 😎
1977 Conn 6B
1951 Buescher 400 Lightweight
AR Resonance, Klier, Curry
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
deleted_user_687c31b
New Member


Joined: 03 Apr 1996
Posts: 0

PostPosted: Sun Aug 22, 2021 4:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've only played the Olds Super cornet, which I find to be very brght, very trumpetty so if the Studio isn't cornetty enough, I soewhat doubt you'll like the Olds Super.

Then again, if it's really that cheap, you could always get the mouthpiece removed and perform a DIY cleaning, and then play it for a while. That should keep costs down while you decide if it's worth restoring.

Trent Austin also has a video where he plays an Olds Recording cornet (not a super recordng) I believe. He's a very consistent player, which imho make his video's quite useful to compare the nuances of different horns. You'll always sound like yourself, but if Trent's sound is brighter/warmer/darker on one of the cornets compared to the other, the same'll likely apply to your (relative sound).

Hope that's helpful, sorry I cannot share anything about the other cornets.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Brassnose
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 07 Mar 2016
Posts: 2020
Location: Germany

PostPosted: Sun Aug 22, 2021 4:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks, but I actually don’t mind a brighter horn, so your information is useful. If a Super or Studio turn out like a „subdued“ trumpet they may actually be quite useful.

The mp is super-stuck and I’ll definitely need professional help there. As I’ll see the repair man anyway, I’ll also ask for a good cleaning. Depending on how I feel with the Studio after that, I may then look into the other horns.
_________________
2019 Martin Schmidt eXcellence
1992 Bach 43GH/43
1989 Kühnl & Hoyer Model 15 flugel
1980/2023 Custom Blessing Scholastic C 😎
1977 Conn 6B
1951 Buescher 400 Lightweight
AR Resonance, Klier, Curry
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
huntman10
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 30 Aug 2017
Posts: 672
Location: Texas South Plains

PostPosted: Sun Aug 22, 2021 6:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have found the Studio does "light up" considerably when you push it a bit. Olds used a number of alloy combinations in their bells and those different alloys do give entirely different tonal character. That nickel silver flair on the bell makes a very responsive horn. The name Studio on that line of horns was given because they designed it to play with minimal effort.
_________________
huntman10
Collector/Player of Fine (and not so fine) Brass Instruments including
Various Strads, Yammies, Al Hirt Courtois, Schilkes,
Selmer 25, Getzen Eternas, Kanstuls (920 Pic, CG)
Martin Custom Large Bore, Lots Olds!, Conns, etc.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Brassnose
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 07 Mar 2016
Posts: 2020
Location: Germany

PostPosted: Sun Aug 22, 2021 7:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Interesting info, thanks. So, pre-COVID I used to play in a 10 piece pop/soul band and we did get quite some gigs at weddings and in local clubs, quite some on an amateur scale meaning about one to two per month, but fun to play and quite nicely paid in a number of cases.

Most of the settings were extremely tight, small stages, low ceilings in 1900s style city houses/basements and the like. Often this went along with difficult sound conditions - the trumpets were always too loud (can anyone on this forum imagine THAT ).

Now, the trumpet player is certainly not the main issue on a tight stage, but having a horn that can do both trumpet and flugel stuff ok well is an asset. It would solve the issue of always having to carry a flugel along. Even more so, because we had two trumpet/flugel players in the band. That would already be minus two horns on those tiny stages.

While I REALLY like my Bach, it isn’t the most discrete horn ever, so something a little lighter that speaks very easily but can still light up would actually fit the bill (y’all are fully aware that a professional player would of course use the Bach and could get everything done just so … yeah, I realize that, too).
_________________
2019 Martin Schmidt eXcellence
1992 Bach 43GH/43
1989 Kühnl & Hoyer Model 15 flugel
1980/2023 Custom Blessing Scholastic C 😎
1977 Conn 6B
1951 Buescher 400 Lightweight
AR Resonance, Klier, Curry
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Brassnose
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 07 Mar 2016
Posts: 2020
Location: Germany

PostPosted: Sun Aug 22, 2021 7:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oh, and on the nickel silver: yeah, I like that too. I played a Hüttl Silver Colibri, which has a 131 mm or so nickel silver bell (not just the flare but the whole bell), for a very short while and the nickel silver does seem to add to the sound. Hard to compare because of all the other things that are different between the Hüttl and the Studio.
_________________
2019 Martin Schmidt eXcellence
1992 Bach 43GH/43
1989 Kühnl & Hoyer Model 15 flugel
1980/2023 Custom Blessing Scholastic C 😎
1977 Conn 6B
1951 Buescher 400 Lightweight
AR Resonance, Klier, Curry
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
JonathanM
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 25 Aug 2007
Posts: 2013
Location: Charleston, SC

PostPosted: Sun Aug 22, 2021 11:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Let me begin by saying I'm a bit jealous; I've had Olds Special(s), Recording(s) and now have a Super (all cornets), but I've not yet landed the Studio (in either trumpet or cornet).
I'll to give a quick opinion on each of the three models I've had. I'd agree that the Super is not your general or average cornet sound; I'd say it's not exactly trumpety but certainly can lean that way. I'm going to make a new Youtube vid of the Super cornet before long, perhaps comparing it to my Special.
My keeper in the cornet area is an Olds Special I have. It's the three metal model, and a really nice payer. I'd call it an average cornet tone; not the darkest (probalby not for British Brass Bands), but still a fine cornet. For the money, one of the best cornets out there, in my opinion. I think the Nickel-silver bell with the bronze tip creates a really, really nice, unique tone.
The Recording cornet... Ah, what an instrument. I'm not a cultured, trained player enough to be a good cornetist, but I recently sold a Recording cornet (I keep my old Olds Special because my son and I spent a weekend working on it together; it holds precious memories to me [and it's a surprisingly good player, too]), but that Recording was tremendous player. I had one of the early models that requires the special mouthpiece. I used a Marcinckiwietzc flugel piece, which fit well, but didn't bring out the best tone - and sold it readily. The last Recording cornet I had, which took a standard, newer mouthpiece, was a dream. I can't imagine a better cornet tone; creamy, dark but not dead. If I had use for two cornets, I would definitely have kept it, but I rarely use the one I have.
If you're interested, you can visit my Youtube page by hitting the boxed WWW (world-wide-web) button below, select 'videos' right under my name there, and it will open up all the vids I've done over the past 7 years or so. The cornet vids will be in that group. On that same line (Home, Videos, Playlists, etc., you can type "Cornet" in the search there, and it'll bring up only the cornet vids. I've got recordings of my Special, the Super and the Recording cornets there. I'm far from the best player around, but the vids might give you some idea. In the last few months, I've finally upgraded my sound setup to something I'm more proud of...But it didn't elevate me to a pro player (very sad to say).
_________________
Jonathan Milam
Trumpets: 18043B, 18037 SterlingSilver+, 18043*, Benge 4x, Olds: '34 Symphony, '47 Super, '52 Recording
Flugle: Strad 182
Puje: American Belle
Cornet: Olds Recording & Super
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
deleted_user_687c31b
New Member


Joined: 03 Apr 1996
Posts: 0

PostPosted: Sun Aug 22, 2021 12:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Brassnose wrote:
Now, the trumpet player is certainly not the main issue on a tight stage, but having a horn that can do both trumpet and flugel stuff ok well is an asset. It would solve the issue of always having to carry a flugel along. Even more so, because we had two trumpet/flugel players in the band. That would already be minus two horns on those tiny stages.

The Olds Super that I have doesn't work well as a flugel substitute. I initially intended to use it for exactly that (with a deep V mouthpiece) and found I prefer my Olds Recording trumpet (with that same mouthpiece cup). If the Olds Recording cornet is anything like the trumpet version though, then I think that might be the cornet you'll want for the gigs you describe (with a shallow and a deep mouthpiece to change between sounds).
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
JonathanM
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 25 Aug 2007
Posts: 2013
Location: Charleston, SC

PostPosted: Sun Aug 22, 2021 1:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi, I agree. The Recording cornet leans toward a dark tone; it’d be very nice with a deep V mouthpiece.
_________________
Jonathan Milam
Trumpets: 18043B, 18037 SterlingSilver+, 18043*, Benge 4x, Olds: '34 Symphony, '47 Super, '52 Recording
Flugle: Strad 182
Puje: American Belle
Cornet: Olds Recording & Super
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
huntman10
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 30 Aug 2017
Posts: 672
Location: Texas South Plains

PostPosted: Sun Aug 22, 2021 1:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

As a brief addendum to my earlier post about the 50's Olds Studio cornet, I have owned and used all the models of Olds cornets from the 50's, except the Mendez, and the Studio is the "trumpetty-ist" of all, but curiously, still with that rather intimate " compact" cornet sound. It even feels like a trumpet in your hand, due to the tighter wrap of that curious S shaped leadpipe. I moved the lyre socket out to the end slide and lapped it to help the low D and C# (yes, I know about theonger 3rd slide on those older cornet) and used it regularly in a trumpet section a few years back because it was easy to "light up" and convenient to carry to our outdoor venues.
_________________
huntman10
Collector/Player of Fine (and not so fine) Brass Instruments including
Various Strads, Yammies, Al Hirt Courtois, Schilkes,
Selmer 25, Getzen Eternas, Kanstuls (920 Pic, CG)
Martin Custom Large Bore, Lots Olds!, Conns, etc.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Brassnose
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 07 Mar 2016
Posts: 2020
Location: Germany

PostPosted: Sun Aug 22, 2021 8:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Alright folks, this does sound interesting. As I said, mine is in bad shape and will need to get the mp out and a good cleaning plus it also looks like the valves move but could be faster.

As I am the rather careful type I will likely not play many gigs until this whole Covid BS is over/under control. As a result I will have another year of so to fix the horn up and give it a really good practice drive before we’re back to gigging.

@ JonathanM: I have come across your YouTube channel but have not checked out all the videos. Thanks for putting them up - and don’t be jealous In North America, you guys have access to so many cool horns and a lot of them are really hard to come by over here. I need to visit more often after the pandemic.
_________________
2019 Martin Schmidt eXcellence
1992 Bach 43GH/43
1989 Kühnl & Hoyer Model 15 flugel
1980/2023 Custom Blessing Scholastic C 😎
1977 Conn 6B
1951 Buescher 400 Lightweight
AR Resonance, Klier, Curry
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
kerouack
Veteran Member


Joined: 16 Nov 2001
Posts: 346
Location: Barcelona (Spain)

PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2022 5:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

A friend let me an Old Special Cornet. I am trying it right now, I am playing trumpet all my life, not Cornet. At the time it was sold for half the price of the Olds Recording, but I think is a good instrument.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message MSN Messenger
Christian K. Peters
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 12 Nov 2001
Posts: 1529
Location: Eugene, Oregon

PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2022 9:20 am    Post subject: Olds cornets Reply with quote

Hello all,
Anything Olds always perks my interest. I have my Dads' Olds Special trumpet. It is late 40's vintage. A few years back I bought a similar vintage Special cornet, as both are receiver-less...Pretty unique. The trumpet played well, but I thought that it deserved, I deserved a first slide that could be manipulated. I had the horn modified to a thumb ring. It really helped me enjoy the horn even more. The cornet does not even have a third slide ring that will throw the slide out. It plays OK, but I really feel that I need to modify that horn, to be able to adjust the third and first slide tuning. I figure that if you are going to play an older instrument, you need to be able to, at least, throw the third slide.
_________________
Christian K. Peters
Schilke Loyalist since 1976
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
JHirakawa
Veteran Member


Joined: 11 Mar 2022
Posts: 155

PostPosted: Thu Jan 05, 2023 1:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/4_Vintage_Trumpets.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Vintage_Cornets.jpg

Here are photos of my vintage trumpets and cornets. The trumpet on the top is an 1969 Olds Custom Crafted P-10 that I got for $125 off of Craigs List. The lady that I bought it from was the original owner. I don't think she knew what she had. The Cornet on the left is a 1962 Olds Special. The Olds Special is my favorite Cornet of the group.
_________________
Kanstul FB Classic b-flat&C
'42 Buescher 205
'45 Martin Committee
'48 Chi Benge
'47 Conn 22b
'69 Olds Custom Crafted
'47 Holton 48
'64 Bach Strad Cornet
'62 Olds Spl Cornet
'64 Conn 80a
'54 Conn 34a
Benge flugel
Olds, DEG Bugles
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
R. Dale Olson
Regular Member


Joined: 11 Jan 2022
Posts: 18
Location: Fullerton, California: Galveston, Texas

PostPosted: Fri Jan 06, 2023 5:39 am    Post subject: Olds Cornet Mouthpiece Receiver Reply with quote

In reference to the myriad posts concerning Olds mouthpiece receivers, and the Los Angles versus Fullerton production instruments, consider the following.

First, Olds cornet #189611 was the first to have been fitted with a more "standard" mouthpiece receiver. All higher serial numbers had the "new" receiver.

Second, the move from Los Angeles to Fullerton was in 1954, and, according to personnel who were not only employed by Olds at the time, but were instrumental in facilitating the move, the transition was fast, meticously planned, purportedly by Foster Reynolds, and very smooth. Only a few workers left the firm as a function of the move. Don Agard, an F.A. Reynolds protegee and later General Manager, was deeply involved in locating the physical site of land which was to hold the factory, and to monitor its construction.

Changes in models, and/or their design were never specifically associated with the move, so distinctions between the "L.A. Olds" and "Fullerton" models is basically a myth, with only possibly minor exceptions, never documented.

R. Dale Olson
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
kerouack
Veteran Member


Joined: 16 Nov 2001
Posts: 346
Location: Barcelona (Spain)

PostPosted: Fri Jan 06, 2023 12:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

JHirakawa, why you like more the Olds Special, do you also have an Olds Recording ?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message MSN Messenger
stuartissimo
Heavyweight Member


Joined: 17 Dec 2021
Posts: 956
Location: Europe

PostPosted: Fri Jan 06, 2023 12:53 pm    Post subject: Re: Olds Cornet Mouthpiece Receiver Reply with quote

R. Dale Olson wrote:
First, Olds cornet #189611 was the first to have been fitted with a more "standard" mouthpiece receiver. All higher serial numbers had the "new" receiver.

Did they change anything about the horns to make the new receivers work? Has anyone ever done a comparison of both versions of the Olds cornet to determine whether Olds’s initial receiver played better or worse than the ‘modern cornet’ receiver?
_________________
1975 Olds Recording trumpet
1997 Getzen 700SP trumpet
1955 Olds Super cornet
1939 Buescher 280 flugelhorn
AR Resonance mouthpieces
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    trumpetherald.com Forum Index -> Cornet/Flügelhorn All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3  Next
Page 2 of 3

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group