Modern day Olds quality- Does it exist?

[Rhondo]

Are there trumpets produced today that match the quality control, workmanship, and reliability of Olds trumpets?

My first guess might be Yamaha, though I’ve read of issues there too (never had one).

My late ‘60s Ambassador might not be a pro horn, but it seems to have zero reliability issues. It’s a rock.

[Dayton]

I'm not terribly familiar with Olds trumpets, but the new Schilke, Shires, and Bach trumpets I've owned have also had zero issues over years of playing.

[Christian K. Peters]

Hello,
The longevity of play-ability is pretty much determined by maintenance and care. My Dad bought a Olds Special in '49ish, that was about a year old. He stopped playing in 1950 and it sat in the closet. I started playing it in 1969 and it was practically a new horn. I used it as a marching horn from 1972 to 1981. I played it off and on until recently. I finally noticed some valve wear about 5 years ago. I put a dent in it as a young kiddo, Dad had it removed. The bell got a minor munch in 1979, and that was expertly repaired. It is still a great horn. The horn has had its' lacquer stripped and I had a thumb ring installed on the first slide. It really plays like a pro horn. There are nuances that modern horns have. My other trumpets are Schilkes and the feel is very similar.
_________________
Christian K. Peters
Schilke Loyalist since 1976

[Divitt Trumpets]

Olds have issues just like other brands, but people outside of repair shops probably won't see enough examples of the instruments to know.
Their soft soldered waterkey hinge tubes are a terrible idea, and the ambassador balluster brace joints often come loose, as do the 3 piece Z brace rods. The other braces also snap and need to be re-brazed.
_________________
www.divitt-trumpets.com
www.facebook.com/divitt.trumpets
www.instagram.com/divitttrumpets

[yourbrass]

[A.N.A.Mendez]

[Brassnose]

I wasn’t aware that Olds had/had a reputation of unmatched quality control. Guessing that most modern (serious) instrument makers would offer the same and better quality control: Yamaha, Bach, Schilke, B&S, not to speak of Taylor, Schmidt , DQ, Krinner, and all those other smaller shops.
_________________
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, Frate, Klier

[Halflip]