NYTC

Just got one of these.Looks amazing,plays amazing as well.Under 5000 serial number.
Any history?I have no idea what it is.
Any help here?

Thanks,
Felix

Chris4

Lucky...
The Olds Military models with hand hammered bells are amazing. I'm not sure where you can find any info though..

tom turner

Hi Felix,

Check out Alan Rouse's excellent website called "Olds Central." On this site the Olds lover can drool over lots of cool Olds information!

Here's a real page from the 1932 Olds catalogue that talks about the Olds Military Model Cornet. Hand hammered bells were an option back then . . . unlike today, although most Olds horns of the time were not purchased with this unique-looking option! The Military Model of '32 had a hand-hammered bell and this unique look can be viewed in the link below.

Alan estimates, on his site, that Olds trumpets (and presumably also cornets) in the 4000 range were probably made in either 1931 or '32.

http://rouses.net/trumpet/olds32/olds_30s_13.htm

Bookmark Alan's site! You'll visit it many times!!!

Sincerely,

Tom

PS: Here's a photo of Alan, taken by myself at a cornet collector's annual meeting a few years ago. Alan is a great guy in person too!

BTW, Alan is testing a pristine, super-rare King Mini Liberty Trumpet in this photo. This model was never sold to the public and only offered as gifts by H.N. White to friends, artists and other very special people! This horn plays just like a piccolo trumpet in Bb . . . only it LOOKS much cooler!

NYTC

Thanks guys.
Tom,my cornet does not have the hammered bell,but the regular one.
It was completely restored and looks new.They realy made great instruments back then.
I had few of my guys play it,and they were amazed at the sound of it.
This is possibly the best real cornet sound I have ever heard.
Is there a place where I can find out how many were actually made?Mine is a 4900 serial number.
It's not too much info out there.

Thanks,
Felix

tom turner

Hi Felix,

At the bottom of the Olds Central mainpage is a link to send an e-mail to Alan. Introduce yourself and he'll be glad to point you in the right direction. I can think of no one else with his lasting interest and accumulated knowledge about Olds instruments.

He can point you to other specialized experts too concerning Olds instruments, although Nick DeCarlis, owner of the vintagecornets.com website is a HUGE fan of the early Olds cornets . . . and gigs on an even eariler Olds cornet . . . Olds original one called simply "The Olds."

Here's the mainpage URL: http://rouses.net/trumpet/olds.htm

Hope this helps!

Tom

PS: Nick's website link is: http://vintagecornets.com/

NIck's new website that concerns his performaces, which he does exclusively on cornet, is:
http://www.jazzcor.net/html/presenti...ssic_jazz.html

I purposely linked you to the page where he's playing his cornet . . . which appears now to be a mid-1930's F. Besson shepherd's crook cornet! It must be a good one for Nick to put down his nice "The Olds" model!

Also, check out his music samples. Nick transforms the sound of the cornet right back to the early days of the long bell American cornet. Close your eyes and you'll almost think Hackett is alive again.

One of my favorite memories was of playing a cornets only (with rhythm section of course) at an annual collector's meeting with players and collectors from all over the country. It was held at a club in Florida and the sound was soooooooooo nice not having a bunch of razor-blade-in-the-wind trumpets screeching the cockroaces out of the rafters. What a sound!

This was before I got my Wild Thing cornet and I was using my trusty 3-Star. On the platform were some really cool and valuable cornets . . . a pristine, presentation-grade gold and silver King Master from the '30s, an 1890 John Heald, Nick on his "The Olds," a Conn Vocabell and several other fine cornets played by some really fine players. Man, I thought I'd either gone back to 1935 . . . or gone to Heaven, playing those classic old standards!

NYTC

Tom,
Thank you very much for the info.
I will contact Alan directly.
And here,I tought that the Recording was great,but this one is so much better.
I think that this will be my main playing instrument from now on.
Thank you again,Tom.
Felix

NYTC

Hey Tom.
Thank you very much for the information.
I just contacted Alan about the Military cornet.
he is absolutely amazing and was able to answer all my questions.
I am very happy wit hwhat I've got.
These are some pictures af the 2 beauties tha tI just got.

http://www.ibowtie.com/brassforum/im...s/Denicola.jpg
http://www.ibowtie.com/brassforum/im...s/military.jpg

Thank you again,
Felix

tom turner

GORGEOUS!

Tom