Olds Ambassador Los Angeles Cornet - what’s the mod?

Jinitude · New Member Joined: 08 May 2020 Posts: 5

Hello everyone! This is my very first post on trumpet herald. I’ve bought a few horns from y’all on here and you guys have been great! I’m a beginner, but I love collecting stuff, so I’m falling in the hole of buying cool vintage horns!

I bought this Olds Ambassador, serial number 38492, and it came from the estate of Byron Autrey from MSU. I went to school there for 1 year as a Tuba major, so I thought it was cool to own a horn from a trumpet legend at State!

Anyway, I had read some out Ambassadors here on Trumpet herald and the posts all mention that the lead pipe is different and requires a special mouthpiece. I just got my horn in the mail and promptly there a normal cornet mouthpiece on it and it sounds awesome. Super easy to play with a bright sound. I was super confused because I didn’t have an issues with fitting a mouthpiece. As I went and looked at other pictures of similar Ambassadors, it looks like mine has a different one? I’m not sure, so I thought I would ask the experts here on trumpet herald!

Any ideas on if this is modded and what it is modded with?

View my photos at: https://jenny-may.smugmug.com/Ambassador/Amabassador

Dale Proctor · Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2020 7:34 pm Post subject:

Looks like a mouthpiece receiver from a later model Ambassador cornet. Those are sized correctly for modern cornet mouthpieces.
_________________
"Brass bands are all very well in their place - outdoors and several miles away ." - Sir Thomas Beecham

Jinitude · New Member Joined: 08 May 2020 Posts: 5

Thanks Dale! That totally makes sense.

It plays pretty good, but it's more trumpet sounding than cornet in my opinion. Maybe the mouthpiece...just using an Olds 3C.

OldSchoolEuph · Heavyweight Member Joined: 07 Apr 2012 Posts: 2440

When I examined that horn in Byron's basement, I could not decide for certain if the leadpipe was original or, as would be typical, one of Byron's. It had definitely been reinstalled on the horn - the bell had been too, probably for repairs - and the brass color does appear just a little different, suggesting it is one of his. The red rot in the last crook ahead of the valves may need a patch some day, but it appeared in pretty good shape otherwise.

You can also see that the receiver is replaced - Byron never was overly precise with the solder.

The agent for his estate indicated that Byron had been using it to play on shortly before he passed. This surprised me as I never knew Byron to play any cornets other than his 3 King Silvertones. If true though, it means yu have one of a rare subset of his horns - ones he played. His personal modified Benge and Kanstul Custom are with someone at BAC now (contributing to the new Benge), his 3 Silvertones went to 3 different buyers, and I have his personal (heavily modified) Bach strad.
_________________
Ron Berndt
www.trumpet-history.com

2017 Austin Winds Stage 466
1962 Mt. Vernon Bach 43
1954 Holton 49 Stratodyne
1927 Conn 22B
1957 Holton 27 cornet
1985 Yamaha YEP-621
1975 Yamaha YEP-321 Custom
1965 Besson Baritone
1975 Olds Recording R-20

OldSchoolEuph · Heavyweight Member Joined: 07 Apr 2012 Posts: 2440

-- And if you were good enough to be accepted by Phil Sinder (Tuba & Euphonium professor and chair of the Falcone festival), you may be new to trumpet, but you are no beginner!
_________________
Ron Berndt
www.trumpet-history.com

2017 Austin Winds Stage 466
1962 Mt. Vernon Bach 43
1954 Holton 49 Stratodyne
1927 Conn 22B
1957 Holton 27 cornet
1985 Yamaha YEP-621
1975 Yamaha YEP-321 Custom
1965 Besson Baritone
1975 Olds Recording R-20

Jinitude · New Member Joined: 08 May 2020 Posts: 5

Wow, that's some awesome information about my new horn. So cool that he actually played it! I don't know what he did to this thing, but it is super easy to play. I've been buys lots of horns to try out (I now need to start selling them), so I have an Olds Studio and Special, some Rudy Mucks (which are pretty awesome), a myriad of random horns like Carl Fischer, HN White, and a Benge 3 LA trumpet which is my favorite trumpet. The best cornet I have I traded with Jim Hatfield for an Olds Recording, and he gave me a Yamaha 6335 cornet which is amazing. So, I say all that to say that the Yamaha is the best I have, the Benge is second and this Olds Ambassador is a close third, much better than anything else. I'm amazed that this horn only cost me $260 bucks.

I'm about 2/3 the way through my beginner Rubank. These high notes are killing me!

Phil Snyder!! He was an awesome teacher. So patient!

jhatpro · Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 4:15 am Post subject:

Hi Jen,

Nice to see you on the Herald!

The serial number would make your Ambassador a Fullerton horn built around 1961 and horns from that period have a standard receiver.

Jim
_________________
Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle

OldSchoolEuph · Heavyweight Member Joined: 07 Apr 2012 Posts: 2440

Dale Proctor · Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 7:52 am Post subject:

jhatpro · Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 10:24 am Post subject:

Hmm, I guess I better get to an optometrist. I did the same thing on my tax return.
_________________
Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle

Jinitude · New Member Joined: 08 May 2020 Posts: 5

Hi Jim! I just filed my taxes. Ouch. That hurt a lot. Still love the Yamaha Cornet! If you ever decide to sell that Recording, let me know! It was pretty awesome. I hope you keep it though!