Calling all vintage Reynolds owners... request for info

contempora

Fellow Reynolds fans,

I am in the throes of a general revision of the Contempora Corner site (again!), with a special focus on the older F.A. Reynolds horns from the 1930s and 1940s. Really trying to nail down the different model variants (trumpet and cornet) and get those identified. So far, I've ID'd five brass-bell and two sterling-bell trumpet models, and three brass-bell and two sterling-bell cornet models. Just need to figure out where they all fit into the order of things...

So... if you have a F.A. Reynolds trumpet or cornet with a serial number under 30000 (approximately when the Roth-Reynolds name started being used, ~1952), I would love to hear from you regarding your horn specs in the following areas:

[1] Bell size?
[2] Bore size? (if you can measure it)
[3] What materials (brass, nickel silver, sterling silver) are used and where?
[4] Engraving style?
[5] Other cool features, e.g. Bb/A tuning rings, etc.
[6] Serial number (or at least as much as you're comfortable sharing)?

Feel free to post here, PM me or email directly to elshaddai@contemporacorner.com. I *really* appreciate your help in making the site even more accurate for the truly vintage horns.

Best regards,

ElShaddai Edwards
Contempora Corner
http://www.contemporacorner.com

BeboppinFool · Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 10:14 am Post subject:

Do you have a serial number list that goes back further than the Lars Kirmser list? I'll list my info a little later tonight, wanted to help keep this near the top for now.
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contempora · Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 3:20 pm Post subject:

BeboppinFool

Reynolds Trumpet:
[1] Bell size: 4-5/8"
[2] Bore size: my repairman says either .458 or .459
[3] What materials:
Nickel parts: leadpipe (after receiver, before tuning slide ferrule), valve caps (top & bottom), valve stems, finger buttons, water keys, pinky ring and "p" ring / rest is lacquer
[4] Engraving style: standing on its bell, vertical REYNOLDS with F A somewhat arc'ed and sorta straddling the R
[5] Other cool features: None besides a great sound and excellent intonation; upper register really sings
[6] Serial number: 12148

Reynolds Cornet:
[1] Bell size: 4-3/4"
[2] Bore size: haven't had it measured
[3] What materials:
Gold plated parts: valve caps (top & bottom), valve stems, finger buttons, water keys, all the slides (just the part that pulls out), rest is silver plate
[4] Engraving style: standing on its bell, vertical REYNOLDS with F A somewhat arc'ed and sorta straddling the R (same as trumpet)
[5] Other cool features: Great sound and excellent intonation but squirrelly G above high C (Tom Turner thinks it might be the gap or something)
[6] Serial number: 10104

My repairman couldn't find his book that told me that this Reynolds cornet was from 1941. I'd love to know the exact age of both of these horns.
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Puttin’ On The Ritz

contempora · Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 11:27 am Post subject:

BeboppinFool · Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 7:44 am Post subject:

contempora · Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:14 am Post subject:

oldlou · Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:50 am Post subject:

FYI. there were variants of three engraving styles used on the original F.A. Reynolds instruments that can be used to help date horns:

Right: Military bell shown here, also used on french horns, background brass, low brass. This style starts at least as early as SN 4000, maybe earlier - I just don't have samples of other brass from that early. This style was dropped ~1949 when the Contempora name was introduced and most "F.A. Reynolds" instruments were rebranded. Trumpets, cornets and tenor trombones were the only instruments that kept both Reynolds (aka Professional) and Contempora model lines.[/quote]

The Early Reynolds four digit cornet that I reported to you a couple of days ago has this style bell logo engraving, minus the U.S. Would this little horn be equivilant to which later model in quality?

OLDLOU>>

contempora · Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 9:30 am Post subject:

BeboppinFool · Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 11:09 am Post subject:

Yep, that's the engraving style I'm looking at. My horn looks a bit better than that one, however, although it looks like mine may have been relacquered at some point. The CO. INC. and CLEVELAND, O. are just a little weak.

My repair guy gave it a serious interior cleaning/acid bath and put new corks and felts, etc., in there. It plays a lot better then when I bought it for $150.00 on eBay, but the valves are just a tiny bit leaky. In spite of that fact, it plays very well. I'm wanting this to be my back-up horn, but I'll have to save up for a valve replate/refit job before it's ready for that challenge.

One thing I've noticed about this trumpet compared to the "matching" cornet is that the 23 valve combinations are better in tune than on the cornet. On the cornet they're a little bit more than just slightly under the pitch, and on the trumpet they've very close to being right in tune.

I also noticed that this has two slides on the third valve slide: one on the end, and the main one. My 1940 Olds Super has this same arrangement.
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oldlou

If the third valve tuning slide ,the outer one, is scored as a place for the slide to be moved to, that usually indicates that the horn was made for a relatively quick change to the key of A. the other slides will usually also have score marks on them as well.

OLDLOU>>

contempora · Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2006 8:13 am Post subject:

As way of an update on this project, the Contempora Corner site update went live yesterday with new pages about the original (1936-1946) F.A. Reynolds trumpets and cornets:

F.A. Reynolds Trumpets
F.A. Reynolds Cornets

Still no actual model designations, but I believe I have the different variant timeframes sorted out. I'm still working on some of the special finish options, e.g. silverplate, goldplate, etc., that have been reported and will welcome any model information, including bell sizes, bore sizes, photos, etc. that anyone wants to share.

A.N.A.Mendez · Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2006 8:42 am Post subject:

I'll dig out that U.S. model and get the specs for you.
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☛ "No matter how cynical you get, it's never enough to keep up" Lily Tomlin☚

A.N.A.Mendez

contempora

A.N.A.Mendez · Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2006 10:20 am Post subject:

If you want any more detail on the other one let me know.
I would like to take this oppourtunity to thank you for all the hours of work you do in this area. Guys like you make it so much more enjoyable for the rest of us in the hobby/craft by the many hours you put in organizing all the information so it is easy to research. I'm sure others join me in a big thank you for what may seem to be a thankless job, even if you love it, it's still alot of work!

_________________
"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☚

contempora · Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2006 8:37 pm Post subject:

Robert Rowe · Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2006 4:51 am Post subject:

I'll "second" that "Thank You", ElShaddai.

I felt honored that you included my two horns in your archive.

Robt
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I miss Genghis Khan ....

taylordiving · Regular Member Joined: 27 Jan 2013 Posts: 66

I would like to also congratulate you on all your fine efforts, El Shaddai, to make the Contempora Corner website into the fine source of information that it is. The best compliment I can give is that it is certainly the Reynolds equivalent of the Conn Loyalist site. Your efforts are greatly appreciated on this side of the world as well and it's allowing me to get up to speed pretty quick in my (never ending) search for vintage trumpets/cornets, Reynolds and otherwise.

Capt.Kirk · Heavyweight Member Joined: 24 Feb 2009 Posts: 5792

I just want to say thank you for what you do and the info you collect and your time! I wish you nothing but the best!!! Again Thank You!!!
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