F. E. Olds
Encyclopedia
F. E. Olds was a manufacturer of musical instruments founded by Frank Ellsworth (F.E.) Olds in Los Angeles, California in the early 1900s. The company made its name making top-quality brass instruments, especially trombone
s, cornet
s, and trumpet
s.
By the late 1960s or early 1970s, although still producing some top-of-the-line instruments, the company had become better known for mass-produced student instruments. Construction quality declined as production quota
s were emphasized. That plus competition from other companies and cutbacks in school music budgets led to the firm going out of business in 1979. The Olds and Reynolds names (Olds merged with Reynolds in 1964) have since been bought and revived by a company based in New Jersey
.
in 1861. He was named for the Civil War
hero Frank Ellsworth of the Ellsworth Zouaves. While a child his family moved to Toledo, Ohio
. After finishing high school, F.E. went to Elkhart, Indiana
to work for C.G. Conn and learned the brass instrument
making business. In 1885, he moved to Los Angeles, California
. An amateur trombone player and entrepreneur, he first set up a shop to build bicycles, which was the only one in Los Angeles at the time. By 1886, he had established the first electroplating
shop in Southern California, doing silver
plating
with H. T. Hazard, establishing the Los Angeles Tool Works by 1887. 1886 also marked the arrival in Los Angeles of F.E.'s future bride, Helen Daisy Birdsall. In 1901, he was a machinist
with the Locomobile Company of the Pacific, branching out from bicycles to automobiles.
All along experimenting with trombone design, he was repairing band instruments full time by 1910. This early work was done in a small workshop behind his house, which was just south of downtown Los Angeles. It was probably about this time that he first offered his new trombones for sale. Implementing new ideas patented in 1912 (some of these are incorporated in most trombones today), Olds started producing high quality trombones on a small scale. From the earliest years, he was offering a variety of bore sizes (.485" and dual bores from .494"/.509" to .509"/.535") and bell diameters from 6" to 9 ½". Model designations were Solo, Small Medium, Medium, Large Medium, Large and Symphony, which did not indicate a particular bore and bell combination, but a relative size. Most Olds trombones were made to order at this time. These new trombones apparently met with success quickly, and with the help of Earl Strickler and Earl Williams, Olds expanded production to about 200 a year and moved into a much larger facility by the early 1920s.
Reginald Birdsall (R.B.) Olds (b. September 11, 1899) came to work with his father in 1920, having served in the U.S. Navy during World War I. With R.B.'s enthusiasm, Olds published their first catalogue in 1925 and introduced new models shortly after. It was about 1924 that Olds started making mouthpieces
with ivory
rim and cup and the trademark "Golden Bear" playing the trombone was first engraved on the bells. R.B. was most likely responsible for using the slogan: "It's a Bear", and otherwise modernizing the image of the company and its products. Also, during these years, they were working on trumpet design, finally tooling up for its production by 1928.
On October 9, 1928, F.E. was traveling with his wife and other prominent Californians on the S.S. City of Los Angeles (later commissioned) to South America. He died suddenly and unexpectedly, suffering a heart attack, and was buried at sea. His new trumpets were not offered for sale until after his death.
R.B. introduced cornets soon afterward. The Super Olds line of trombones, trumpets and cornets was introduced in about 1932 and soon became legendary. Other models introduced in the 1930s include the Special, Military, Symphony and French Models. All but the Super models could be ordered with a distinctive hammer
ed finish on the bell. This was the standard finish for the Military line. The Super bass trombone could be had with two valves, both actuated by levers. This is likely the first production bass trombone with two valve levers. There were also some french horns made in the late 1930s, although they didn't appear in the catalogues at that time. The Recording model trumpet and cornet were probably designed shortly before the war halted production. During World War II, the government had Olds produce saxophone
s along with the more standard strategic production. Today these are very rare as they were not generally available to the public and a large number of them went down with a supply ship in the Mediterranean. By 1941 Olds held al least six patents for trumpet and trombone design.
Shortly after World War II ended and brass instrument manufacturing restrictions were lifted, Chicago Musical Instruments purchased F.E. Olds & Son and took over operations with an eye on penetrating the burgeoning school band
market.
One of CMI's initial operating decisions was to begin producing a full line of background and low brass
instruments in addition to the trumpet, cornet and trombone models that Olds was already making and had built its reputation on. However, the Olds plant in Los Angeles was not set up for manufacturing the additional brass lines and CMI had difficulty finding a partner who would provide these instruments to Olds without also producing the more profitable small brass and trombones. Instead, CMI's president, Maurice Berlin, coaxed Foster Reynolds
, a former apprentice at J.W. York
,and 30 year veteran of the H.N. White company, and founder of F.A. Reynolds Co., out of retirement and sent him to Los Angeles with a directive to tool up the factory and begin manufacturing the full line of brasses.
Reynolds was regarded as one of the top brass instrument designers in the country, and was responsible for the introduction of many of the finest Olds trumpets and cornets.
Among his first design actions were the renowned Ambassador model trumpet, cornet and trombone (1948). Reportedly built on the same bell mandrels as the premium Recording models and featuring extremely reliable valve sections, the Ambassador line was the latest design to reflect Reynolds' professional commitment to providing high-quality, dependable horns at an affordable price.
The "Brilliant Bell" of the 1948/49 Studio line (trumpet, cornet, trombone) points to either collaboration or competition with Reynold's former company in Cleveland, who had launched an identical nickel-silver bell flare on the Emperor ("Silver Flare") and Roth ("Tone Tempered") lines in 1947.
Reynolds worked with renowned artist Rafael Méndez
in the early 1950s to introduce the signature Mendez trumpet and cornet models. These were high quality instruments priced to compete with other U.S. made student models at the time. Two Opera models followed several years later. The great popularity of Rafael Méndez and the use of the Recording and Super models by other professionals did a lot to enhance the image and sales of Olds instruments.
In 1952, Reynolds, as the plant supervisor, brought Don Agard to Olds from F.A. Reynolds Co. One of Agard's first major projects was managing the move in 1954 from Olds' long-time factory in Los Angeles to larger facilities in Fullerton.
In 1953, the company was joined by a young Zigmant Kanstul. Starting out at Olds as a French horn
assembler, Kanstul learned the art of brass instrument building from Reynolds.
Reynolds died of a heart attack, July 18, 1960, while at work at the Fullerton plant. After his death, Agard took over plant operations while Kanstul became factory superintendent in charge of all R & D - Engineering and Design. Reynold's brother, Harper, who was shop superintendent at Olds and who helped launch the Ambassador instruments, retired. Kanstul remained at Olds until the early 1970s when he left to become manager of the nearby Benge
plant and eventually his own company, Kanstul Musical Instruments. Agard ran operations at Olds until the company finally closed its doors in 1979. Olds merged with competitor and Foster's former company, F.A. Reynolds Co., in 1964.
By the 1960s, Olds was producing trumpets, cornets, slide and valve trombones, alto horn
s, mellophone
s, french horns, euphonium
s, tuba
s and sousaphone
s. They also supplied imported woodwind instruments in the Ambassador line. Olds was the second U.S. maker to have produced over one million brass instruments. Increases in volume were accompanied by a lessening in quality, however. By 1970, there was a noticeable decrease in the quality of construction that made Olds famous. The mark became too closely associated with the student models, and not so much with the prestige of the models for which they had been known. When the business was for sale in 1978, nobody stepped forward to take on the task of keeping the factory going, so it was closed down and its contents auctioned off.
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
s, cornet
Cornet
The cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the renaissance and early baroque cornett or cornetto.-History:The cornet was...
s, and trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
s.
By the late 1960s or early 1970s, although still producing some top-of-the-line instruments, the company had become better known for mass-produced student instruments. Construction quality declined as production quota
Production quota
A production quota is a goal for the production of a good. It is typically set by a government or an organization, and can be applied to an individual worker, firm, industry or country. Quotas can be set high to encourage production, or can be used to limit production to control the supply of goods...
s were emphasized. That plus competition from other companies and cutbacks in school music budgets led to the firm going out of business in 1979. The Olds and Reynolds names (Olds merged with Reynolds in 1964) have since been bought and revived by a company based in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
History
Frank Ellsworth (F.E.) Olds was born in Medina, New YorkMedina, New York
Medina is a village in the towns of Shelby and Ridgeway in Orleans County, New York, United States. The population was 6,415 at the 2000 census, making it the second most populous municipality in the county after Albion, the county seat. The village was named by its surveyor...
in 1861. He was named for the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
hero Frank Ellsworth of the Ellsworth Zouaves. While a child his family moved to Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
. After finishing high school, F.E. went to Elkhart, Indiana
Elkhart, Indiana
Elkhart is a city in Elkhart County, Indiana, United States. The city is located east of South Bend, northwest of Fort Wayne, east of Chicago, and north of Indianapolis...
to work for C.G. Conn and learned the brass instrument
Brass instrument
A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
making business. In 1885, he moved to Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. An amateur trombone player and entrepreneur, he first set up a shop to build bicycles, which was the only one in Los Angeles at the time. By 1886, he had established the first electroplating
Electroplating
Electroplating is a plating process in which metal ions in a solution are moved by an electric field to coat an electrode. The process uses electrical current to reduce cations of a desired material from a solution and coat a conductive object with a thin layer of the material, such as a metal...
shop in Southern California, doing silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
plating
Plating
Plating is a surface covering in which a metal is deposited on a conductive surface. Plating has been done for hundreds of years, but it is also critical for modern technology...
with H. T. Hazard, establishing the Los Angeles Tool Works by 1887. 1886 also marked the arrival in Los Angeles of F.E.'s future bride, Helen Daisy Birdsall. In 1901, he was a machinist
Machinist
A machinist is a person who uses machine tools to make or modify parts, primarily metal parts, a process known as machining. This is accomplished by using machine tools to cut away excess material much as a woodcarver cuts away excess wood to produce his work. In addition to metal, the parts may...
with the Locomobile Company of the Pacific, branching out from bicycles to automobiles.
All along experimenting with trombone design, he was repairing band instruments full time by 1910. This early work was done in a small workshop behind his house, which was just south of downtown Los Angeles. It was probably about this time that he first offered his new trombones for sale. Implementing new ideas patented in 1912 (some of these are incorporated in most trombones today), Olds started producing high quality trombones on a small scale. From the earliest years, he was offering a variety of bore sizes (.485" and dual bores from .494"/.509" to .509"/.535") and bell diameters from 6" to 9 ½". Model designations were Solo, Small Medium, Medium, Large Medium, Large and Symphony, which did not indicate a particular bore and bell combination, but a relative size. Most Olds trombones were made to order at this time. These new trombones apparently met with success quickly, and with the help of Earl Strickler and Earl Williams, Olds expanded production to about 200 a year and moved into a much larger facility by the early 1920s.
Reginald Birdsall (R.B.) Olds (b. September 11, 1899) came to work with his father in 1920, having served in the U.S. Navy during World War I. With R.B.'s enthusiasm, Olds published their first catalogue in 1925 and introduced new models shortly after. It was about 1924 that Olds started making mouthpieces
Mouthpiece (brass)
On brass instruments the mouthpiece is the part of the instrument which is placed upon the player's lips. The purpose of the mouthpiece is a resonator, which passes vibration from the lips to the column of air contained within the instrument, giving rise to the standing wave pattern of vibration in...
with ivory
Ivory
Ivory is a term for dentine, which constitutes the bulk of the teeth and tusks of animals, when used as a material for art or manufacturing. Ivory has been important since ancient times for making a range of items, from ivory carvings to false teeth, fans, dominoes, joint tubes, piano keys and...
rim and cup and the trademark "Golden Bear" playing the trombone was first engraved on the bells. R.B. was most likely responsible for using the slogan: "It's a Bear", and otherwise modernizing the image of the company and its products. Also, during these years, they were working on trumpet design, finally tooling up for its production by 1928.
On October 9, 1928, F.E. was traveling with his wife and other prominent Californians on the S.S. City of Los Angeles (later commissioned) to South America. He died suddenly and unexpectedly, suffering a heart attack, and was buried at sea. His new trumpets were not offered for sale until after his death.
R.B. introduced cornets soon afterward. The Super Olds line of trombones, trumpets and cornets was introduced in about 1932 and soon became legendary. Other models introduced in the 1930s include the Special, Military, Symphony and French Models. All but the Super models could be ordered with a distinctive hammer
Hammer
A hammer is a tool meant to deliver an impact to an object. The most common uses are for driving nails, fitting parts, forging metal and breaking up objects. Hammers are often designed for a specific purpose, and vary widely in their shape and structure. The usual features are a handle and a head,...
ed finish on the bell. This was the standard finish for the Military line. The Super bass trombone could be had with two valves, both actuated by levers. This is likely the first production bass trombone with two valve levers. There were also some french horns made in the late 1930s, although they didn't appear in the catalogues at that time. The Recording model trumpet and cornet were probably designed shortly before the war halted production. During World War II, the government had Olds produce saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
s along with the more standard strategic production. Today these are very rare as they were not generally available to the public and a large number of them went down with a supply ship in the Mediterranean. By 1941 Olds held al least six patents for trumpet and trombone design.
Shortly after World War II ended and brass instrument manufacturing restrictions were lifted, Chicago Musical Instruments purchased F.E. Olds & Son and took over operations with an eye on penetrating the burgeoning school band
School band
A school band is a group of student musicians who rehearse and perform instrumental music together. A concert band is usually under the direction of one or more conductors...
market.
One of CMI's initial operating decisions was to begin producing a full line of background and low brass
Brass instrument
A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
instruments in addition to the trumpet, cornet and trombone models that Olds was already making and had built its reputation on. However, the Olds plant in Los Angeles was not set up for manufacturing the additional brass lines and CMI had difficulty finding a partner who would provide these instruments to Olds without also producing the more profitable small brass and trombones. Instead, CMI's president, Maurice Berlin, coaxed Foster Reynolds
F.A. Reynolds
-Life:Foster Reynolds was born December 29, 1884, was married twice and had three children. His first Marriage to Frances Dean at the age of 18 lasted 31 years before ending in divorce. His second marriage to Myrtle Rozelle in the late 1940s lasted the remainder of his life...
, a former apprentice at J.W. York
James Warren York
James Warren York was a musician, businessman, business owner and musical instrument innovator. The "York tuba sound" is considered by most tubists to be the defining timbre of a quality instrument...
,and 30 year veteran of the H.N. White company, and founder of F.A. Reynolds Co., out of retirement and sent him to Los Angeles with a directive to tool up the factory and begin manufacturing the full line of brasses.
Reynolds was regarded as one of the top brass instrument designers in the country, and was responsible for the introduction of many of the finest Olds trumpets and cornets.
Among his first design actions were the renowned Ambassador model trumpet, cornet and trombone (1948). Reportedly built on the same bell mandrels as the premium Recording models and featuring extremely reliable valve sections, the Ambassador line was the latest design to reflect Reynolds' professional commitment to providing high-quality, dependable horns at an affordable price.
The "Brilliant Bell" of the 1948/49 Studio line (trumpet, cornet, trombone) points to either collaboration or competition with Reynold's former company in Cleveland, who had launched an identical nickel-silver bell flare on the Emperor ("Silver Flare") and Roth ("Tone Tempered") lines in 1947.
Reynolds worked with renowned artist Rafael Méndez
Rafael Méndez
Rafael Méndez was a popular Mexican virtuoso solo trumpeter.Méndez was born in Jiquilpan, Michoacán, Mexico...
in the early 1950s to introduce the signature Mendez trumpet and cornet models. These were high quality instruments priced to compete with other U.S. made student models at the time. Two Opera models followed several years later. The great popularity of Rafael Méndez and the use of the Recording and Super models by other professionals did a lot to enhance the image and sales of Olds instruments.
In 1952, Reynolds, as the plant supervisor, brought Don Agard to Olds from F.A. Reynolds Co. One of Agard's first major projects was managing the move in 1954 from Olds' long-time factory in Los Angeles to larger facilities in Fullerton.
In 1953, the company was joined by a young Zigmant Kanstul. Starting out at Olds as a French horn
Horn (instrument)
The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
assembler, Kanstul learned the art of brass instrument building from Reynolds.
Reynolds died of a heart attack, July 18, 1960, while at work at the Fullerton plant. After his death, Agard took over plant operations while Kanstul became factory superintendent in charge of all R & D - Engineering and Design. Reynold's brother, Harper, who was shop superintendent at Olds and who helped launch the Ambassador instruments, retired. Kanstul remained at Olds until the early 1970s when he left to become manager of the nearby Benge
Benge
Benge is the 'Poison Oracle' used by the Azande of Central Africa, mainly in Southern Sudan, in which a decision is determined by whether or not a fowl survives being administered a poison. The outcome of the oracle can be taken as law in certain circumstances when a Zande Chief is present. The...
plant and eventually his own company, Kanstul Musical Instruments. Agard ran operations at Olds until the company finally closed its doors in 1979. Olds merged with competitor and Foster's former company, F.A. Reynolds Co., in 1964.
By the 1960s, Olds was producing trumpets, cornets, slide and valve trombones, alto horn
Alto horn
The alto horn is a brass instrument pitched in E...
s, mellophone
Mellophone
The mellophone is a brass instrument that is typically used in place of the horn in marching bands or drum and bugle corps....
s, french horns, euphonium
Euphonium
The euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word euphonos, meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced"...
s, tuba
Tuba
The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
s and sousaphone
Sousaphone
The sousaphone is a type of tuba that is widely employed in marching bands. Designed so that it fits around the body of the musician and is supported by the left shoulder, the sousaphone may be readily played while being carried...
s. They also supplied imported woodwind instruments in the Ambassador line. Olds was the second U.S. maker to have produced over one million brass instruments. Increases in volume were accompanied by a lessening in quality, however. By 1970, there was a noticeable decrease in the quality of construction that made Olds famous. The mark became too closely associated with the student models, and not so much with the prestige of the models for which they had been known. When the business was for sale in 1978, nobody stepped forward to take on the task of keeping the factory going, so it was closed down and its contents auctioned off.