Dale Proctor

To answer the OP - yes, the "new" Olds did recycle serial numbers. I think most, if not all of the new ones have Amado water keys, as peviously stated. They will all have "Elkhart" stamped on the bell, too, instead of Los Angeles or Fullerton.

Also, a Fullerton Olds should not have a 4-digit s/n. The earliest Fullerton horns should begin around s/n 150,000.

__________________
Olde Towne Brass
www.otbrass.com

Brass Band of Huntsville

"Brass bands are all very well in their place - outdoors and several miles away ." - Sir Thomas Beecham

Happy Canuck

Two points for the question about the Ambassador with a 4 digit sn from thebluesbox:
- first Ambassador sn around 28000
- Fullerton timeframe between 149,6xx and 150,3xx

Still, a great horn if the price is right!


And about the A serials, I have an A6 cornet with A41299 and a Custom C with A42843, potentially the last of each model made?? And both are fantastic players!

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Bill

Olds Ambassador, Special, Super, Recording, Mendez Bb trumpets, Custom C trumpet/GR Butcher 65.6M
Olds Opera & Ambassador A6 Shepherds Crook cornets/Sparx 4B
Olds L-12 Flugelhorn/GR Butcher 65.6FL
Schilke MII Trumpet/GR Butcher 65.6M
If you have an Olds, go to http://www.theoldsregister.com/ and add data

thebluesbox

just an update, I got this horn the and the full serial looks as though this is about a 1972-74 model. completely referbished and refinished, it plays great and looks great.

gmcmurry

I was just surfing around trying to get a date on my Los Angeles Olds Recording Trumpet SR# 101798..

When did they change from Los Angeles to Fullerton (Or Fullerton to Los Angels)..

I also have Fullerton Recording Trumpet my father purchased for me early to mid 60's. It is SR# 452375

I am guessing that my SR# 101798 must have been made about my birthday... around 1952.

Its a real beauty. I love these Recording models. I have big hands and these horns fit me so much better.

Greg

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A.N.A. Mendez

The move was made about 1955, some of the bells (w/LA on them) , especially on the super models where already made up so the theory is they used that stuff up through maybe 57.

__________________
(Above) Alexanders ragtime band-circa 1960

"Baby, I'm already the coolest, and the hippist, now you want me to be on time too?" Buddy Love

"We appointed all our worst generals to command our armies, and our best generals to edit our newspapers." Robert E. Lee

ComeBackKid

In addition, following the move from LA to Fullerton, they continued to make some models exactly as they had been made in LA with the only difference being the engraving on the bell. The early Fullerton Ambassadors still had the pinky ring on the leadpipe rather than the later hook. I think they may have changed to the hook on the trumpets before they did on the cornets. I have an LA Ambassador cornet and also and early Fullerton cornet and they are identical as far as I can see. I know a guy who worked in the Olds factory and he looked at them and he could not see any difference. So, at what point the Fullerton models started to change from the LA models is not clear.

Also, regarding the S/N's with the 'A' prefix, I will confirm that the later Fullerton models from the original FE Olds company did have 'A' prefix. I have two Ambassador trumpets from 1978-1979 that both have the 'A' prefix on the serial number and they are genuine Olds models.

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Come-Back Kid
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Selmer Invicta London (1956)
Olds Super (1951, 1963, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969)
Olds SuperStar (1971)
Olds Studio (1970)
Olds Special (1951, 1956, 1960, 1962)
Olds Ambassador (a few: 1953-1979)
Andreas Eastman (new)
(+Conn Director, King Cleveland, Holton Collegiate,
Blessing Accord, York, Yamaha, Getzen, Amati, Revelle, Bundy, Alcazar)

whathefayla

Hey Greg


101798 is 53-55, probably closer to 53

Useful resource Elstub Enterprises. Rouses is a better hit for the early Olds numbers.

gmcmurry

Thanks for the Elstub link. I was pretty close in my thinking about that horn. However that site shows my other Recording a couple of years older than I thought. Maybe it was lying around a bit. I know I got it in '66 or '67 new in the Los Angeles area. That site shows 452375 at more like '64 - '65

Thanks for your help!

Greg

PS Looks like I might need to change my signature (-:

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buma

My understanding of the Olds Fullerton A-numbers is that unit 999999 was followed by unit A00001. The last of the Fullerton line was numbered A41xxx.

buma

Correction: The Olds Fullerton serials went to at least A46287.

Olds Ambassador Cornet Vintage made in Fullerton Nice! - eBay (item 170369301322 end time Aug-16-09 11:10:25 PDT)