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Leeway
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Joined: 06 Sep 2019
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 Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2019 10:49 pm Post subject: Instruments branded "OLDS" after 1979 |
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Many of us will know that F.E. OLDS & SON closed its doors in 1979 after being unable to attract a buyer for the business and all the stock of parts, tools and machinery was auctioned off, including the name.
Then in the 1990s the brand reappeared simply as OLDS. From memory, they offered Pro quality Trumpets and Valve, as well as Slide Trombones. I bought a new Olds Velve Trombone at the time, got a good deal have to say I was happy with the horn. Ok, it wasnt made by F.E OLDS but realistically, nobody with the Olds name had much to do with the company after the 1940s.
Now I see there is a firm making Brass, Woodwind and Percussion under the name F.E. OLDS & SON!
Does anyone know much about the Olds horns made in the 90s? Where and who made them, peoples impressions of the quality, etc? And if the Company (or name) still being used today is the same maker? |
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andersonengineering
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Joined: 21 Aug 2018
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| Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2019 4:41 am Post subject: |
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I love my 50's to 60's FE Olds, and my mouthpieces from that era, no experience with the newer stuff.
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Bogey Factory
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Location: Springfield, MO
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| Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2019 5:19 am Post subject: |
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I think EK Blessing made those Olds branded instruments.
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derekthor
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Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
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| Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2019 6:08 am Post subject: |
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| The name now belongs to a Chinese company. Same thing with Bundy. |
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yourbrass
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Location: Pacifica, CA, USA
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| Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2019 8:05 am Post subject: |
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| Bogey Factory wrote: | | I think EK Blessing made those Olds branded instruments. |
Yes, the name became a stencil that Blessing used. There was also a Dutch company that got many Olds parts and added in some of their own to make trumpets. Poor quality, overall.
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James Becker
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Location: Littleton, MA
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| Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2019 6:20 am Post subject: |
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| derekthor wrote: | | The name now belongs to a Chinese company. Same thing with Bundy. |
Googled it and found https://feolds.com/
NEMC in Mountainside, NJ has owned the brand name F.E. Olds for decades. Their first offerings, after the demise of the original company, were made in collaboration with Mario Marconi, formerly of C Bruno and Sons (the importer of Besson trumpets). Manufactured in Holland, these trumpets and cornets closely resembled Ambassadors.
The next generation of Olds brass instruments were manufactured in the US by E.K. Blessing.
From what I can gather from images on the website, current offerings are being sourced from Czech Republic (Amati) and Asia.
NEMC has been helpful supporting product with replacement parts when requested.
As for Bundy, Conn-Selmer sold the trade name to Music and Arts, a division of Guitar Center which also owns WWBW, Giardinelli and Musician's Friend. Bundy is an exclusive brand sold only by these retailers.
You might also find this interesting, while digging I found WWBW is marketing an exclusive line of Giardinelli trumpets made by Eastman.
And speaking of Eastman, they now own two upper echelon wind instrument manufacturers in Massachusetts, Haynes Flutes and S.E. Shires.
And the French company Buffet owns V.Q. Powell Flutes in Maynard, MA.
I hope this is helpful.
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Leeway
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| Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2019 9:32 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks James, I've since had a good look over my mid 90s OLDS Valve Trombone and looked at a similar era Blessing Artist VT. The two horns obviously share a lot of common parts.
Mine has Elkhart. Ind. On the bell too and the original Warranty card in the case has a NJ return address, which corresponds with NEMC, so all this seems to add up to it being made by Blessing. It seems at the time they were trying to compete in the Pro Horn market with the Artist series and Olds branded instruments.
I have to say they didn't do too bad a job as my horn is very well finished and has beautiful fast valves, an 8" Bell and a big warm tone. |
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