mlrenick

Hey, I was thinking of buying an olds ambassador cornet on ebay. I've heard that some cornets sound mellow and some sound like a trumpet. Does any one know how this cornet sounds. I would try it but most music shops in my area do not sell this type of cornet.

Brian H. Smout

Hi,

I have an LA Ambassador cornet. I use a Curry 3DC with it and I get a less edgy or trumpety sound. The early LA Ambassadors used a lager shank mouthpiece and if you want to try different mouthpieces with it you will run into some mouthpiece/receiver fit challenges. The valves are super and the sound is quite good for concert band or dixieland; not so much for brass band though.

Cheers,

Brian

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"Swift Current - where we're neither swift nor current"

toms@rockisland

I use my Olds Ambassador Cornet (Fullerton made) for Dixieland and all gigs except where my trumpet is required. Need to use the 3rd valve slide for our low D and C sharp, but it's just a good, all around horn. To me it just feels good to play jazz with it.

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TOM

Bach Strad LT180S-37
Yamaha YCR 6330S
Olds Ambassador Cornet- Fullerton

Ursa

I've owned an Ambassador cornet and can tell you that the sound tends to be on the bright side of the cornet tonal spectrum. The tone can be influenced further by mouthpiece selection--if you use a cornet version of a standard trumpet mouthpiece model such as a Bach 7C, it's going to sound much like a trumpet. You really need something with a very deep cup to take the trumpet-like edge away from the Ambassador's tone, such as the Schilke 8E2 (which I play and find satisfactory) or the Bach 5V.

Bach describes its non-letter-suffix models, such as the commonly-found 7, as having a deep cup, but in my experience they just aren't nearly deep enough to deliver a proper cornet tone in an Ambassador.

__________________
Ursa's collection of fine brasswinds...
Besson BE709 Trumpet
Conn 20B Trumpet - small bore
E. K. Blessing XL-CR Short Cornet
Frank Holton Super Collegiate Trumpet, Copper/Nickel bell
Frank Holton Super Collegiate Cornet, Rose Brass/Nickel bell
Frank Holton Collegiate Cornet
Yamaha YEP-321S Euphonium
Frank Holton 6/4 EEb Tuba

ogauge47

do you have to throw the 3rd valve slide out all the way for the Ds and C#s on yours?

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Jupiter 1000S Bb
1950 Olds Ambassador Bb
King 601 Bb
Conn 15B C

'5 out of 4 people have trouble with fractions'

operagost

I have one one of those beasts and let me tell you, it's a bear to play but you can make a TRUMPET sound like a mellophone. In fact, I put it on my two-valve Olds Ultratone and now that thing howls. It's a funnel, straight up. I wish they made it in a 1 rim. I would throw a nickel down it and see if it spiraled inward like those big yellow venturis that charities use.

All kidding aside, a 5MV is a more moderate option.

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2006 Yamaha Xeno 8335RGS
1987 Conn 100B "Doc Severinsen"
1946 Conn 22B "New York Symphony"

toms@rockisland

Dear ogauge 47,
The slide only has to go out 3/8 of an inch or so.

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TOM

Bach Strad LT180S-37
Yamaha YCR 6330S
Olds Ambassador Cornet- Fullerton

Ursa

Nobody ever said these deep pieces were especially easy to play. In addition to the Schilke 8E2, I have a Blessing copy of the Wick 4B, which is much deeper than the 8E2 and probably the Bach 5V as well. Both the 8E2 and the 4B will wear me out quick if my technique isn't flawless. But, the extra work is well worth it. Both pieces deliver a sweet, characteristic cornet tone with exceptional clarity. Unfortunately, the Wick 4B (and the Blessing copy) is not made in long shank for American cornets, so it won't fit properly on an Olds.

Back when I played my Ambassador in high school, I mostly played it with a Bach 7CW. So equipped, it sounded like a big-bore trumpet...and could generate some seriously high dynamics. Playing fff on this setup, one could lay waste to an entire section of student-line trumpets.

__________________
Ursa's collection of fine brasswinds...
Besson BE709 Trumpet
Conn 20B Trumpet - small bore
E. K. Blessing XL-CR Short Cornet
Frank Holton Super Collegiate Trumpet, Copper/Nickel bell
Frank Holton Super Collegiate Cornet, Rose Brass/Nickel bell
Frank Holton Collegiate Cornet
Yamaha YEP-321S Euphonium
Frank Holton 6/4 EEb Tuba

ComeBackKid

You can't go wrong buying an Olds cornet. They are not terribly expensive and any player who wants to claim a certain level of experience has to play an Olds at some point so you might as well do it now. The only problem is they are like potato chips - nobody can stop at just one.

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Come-Back Kid
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Selmer Invicta London (T)
Olds SuperStar (T)
Olds Super (2T)
Olds Special (2T+C)
Olds Ambassador (9T+7C)
Andreas Eastman (2T)
Conn Director (T+C)
King Cleveland Superior (T+C)
Holton (T602+C605 Shep Crk)
Holton Collegiate (T+C)
Blessing (T+C)
Yamaha (T+C)
Getzen 300
Amati ATR213
(+Revelle, Bundy, Alcazar, & ?)