Valves on Olds Recording & Olds Ambassador

ernieo2 · Posted: Sun May 02, 2004 8:56 am Post subject:

Can anyone tell me if the valves on a 1965-1969 Olds Recording are interchangeable with the valves on a Olds Ambassador of the same years? I have a Recording with one valve that shows sign of wear on the bottom. Was thinking of buying an Ambassador for parts but don't know if the valves are the same.

musicmork · Heavyweight Member Joined: 13 Mar 2004 Posts: 1530

Go here and email ALAN..... http://rouses.net/trumpet/olds.htm
_________________
MARK /aka "musicmork"/ aka " The Creator "
TRUMPET: Getzen , Olds
MOUTHPIECES Bach 3-C, Schilke 13a4a
CORNET: Holton Galaxy (Awesome horn)
KEYBOARDS: Kurzweil PC88MX,Yamaha S-30, Casio Privia 575R

BeboppinFool · Posted: Sun May 02, 2004 9:42 am Post subject:

My repairman was flipping through an Allied catalog one day last week, and I was noticing that the part numbers for valves on those horns were the same.

Based on that information alone, my best guess is that they are, indeed, interchangeable. I suppose I could go upstairs and try switching valves between my various Olds horns, but for some reason I just don't like that idea. Seems like a sacrilege on these great instruments!

Maybe somebody else will give you the definitive answer.

Rich
_________________
Puttin’ On The Ritz

_Happy Canuck · Posted: Sun May 02, 2004 10:34 am Post subject:

NO...

I just reviewed my Olds parts catalog. Valves are common between the Ambassador, Special, Studio, Super and Mendez. But the Recording valves are different.

When you stop and think about it, since the middle valve is offset the location and direction of the valve ports would have to be different?!
_________________
Bill

Olds Mendez, Recording, Super, Special & Ambassador trumpets/GR Butcher 65.6M
Olds Opera, Ambassador Shepherds Crook cornets/Sparx 4B
Olds L-12 Flug/GR Butcher 65.6FL
Schilke MII trumpet/GR Butcher 65.6M

mheffernen5 · Posted: Sun May 02, 2004 11:00 am Post subject:

I heard Olds valves are supposed to be good...one of the best trumpets ever made.

orchestraltrpt · Veteran Member Joined: 04 Mar 2003 Posts: 163

Dave Monette's first trumpets had Olds Ambassador valve sections.

Scott

djm6701 · Posted: Sun May 02, 2004 2:56 pm Post subject:

I hate to disagree with my friend Bill above, but the valves *are* in fact interchangeable between the Ambassador and the Recording. I just tried it and they work fine (including the offset second valve).
_________________
Dave M.
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

JohnD · Posted: Mon May 03, 2004 3:33 am Post subject:

Hi, since the bear got me once on ebay, I had a Recording with ruined valves. The Ambassodor valves do fit the casings but I took an endoscopic check for the ports and found them mismatching.
My Olds part list reports different part numbers for Ambie / Recording pistons the way Bill comments above. I then purchased a set of Recording pistons from the guy who also sells the part lists, had them replated and now they fit and are really tight.
The horn plays fine, reminds me a little of top-of-the-line Yamahas. (Although I like the more darker and free blowing character of my Ambassador, but the Recording supports the upper range better.)

John

Trptbenge · Posted: Mon May 03, 2004 5:21 am Post subject:

Scott, I didn't know that about Monettes but it doesn't surprise me. Olds trumpets are some of the best production trumpets ever made. I have owned quite a few and I can't remember having any real problems with the valves (as long as the plating hadn't worn off). If you go back and look through their line of trumpets they had a model that would fit just about every situation. Even the student model the Ambassador played as good as many pro horns. I was one of the guys who put a Pilczuk pipe on his Ambassador and found it an incredibly playing horn. It was a 1964 vintage horn and the valves were great.

It is unfortunate that changing times and mismanagement by the company that bought them brought their demise. I believe that they were bought by CMI. The same company that bought Martin, Blessing and one or two other Musical Companies. Their management of all those firms was equally bad. All of them had financial problems. If the right management team had been in place at Olds it could have still been around today.

Mike

[ This Message was edited by: Trptbenge on 2004-05-03 08:21 ]

[ This Message was edited by: Trptbenge on 2004-05-03 08:22 ]

ernieo2 · Posted: Mon May 03, 2004 5:23 pm Post subject:

Thanks for all of your help everyone, I e-mailed Alan and he suggested I contact Anderson Plating which I am going to do. I'll let you know the outcome later as I am going to ask for a price quote for a complete piston refit. I think my 1966 Olds Recording would be worth spending the money on if it is not too outrageously expensive.