Hey all,

I have two trumpets that I would like to know about. I bought one at a yard sale and a friend of mine's father-in-law found the other one in his attic and gave it to his son-in-law who knew I played and in turn gave it to me.

1. Antoine Courtois Pocket Trumpet made in Paris
Says Antoine Courtois in cursive on the bell
Paris

33192 on the second valve

ACOURTOIS in an oval "badge plate" on the front valve
PARIS

Has E stamped on the lead pipe right where the mouthpiece goes in. Also says MADE IN FRANCE on the side of the lead pipe.

I know nothing about pocket trumpets, so can someone shed some light on this?


2. Has a rim around the bell which states Super Olds made by F.E. Olds & Son Los Angeles, California USA all in cursive.

32760 on the second valve

the valves appear to be offset on purpose!

There is some engraving that says SUPER and something else, but I can't make it out.

I do not have much money (economy) to spend on having the horns professionally cleaned right now...any tips on what to do for home cleaning?? The valves all seem to be in good working order. A mouthpiece is stuck in the second one...any hints on getting it out easily?

Thanks all!!

Check Trumpetherald post you made. I posted there along with at least one other.

Well, talk about lighting striking twice in the same place. You have two very valuable horns. Trumpet #2 appears to be a Super Recording (Super because of the ring on the bell and Recording because of the offset valves). Even if you don't have the funds to have them professionally restored, be sure to take very good care of them and at least put them into playing condition so that you can play them regularly. You are a very lucky guy. Post some photos for us to drool over..

I agree two excellent instruments, well done.

I agree about putting them into playing condition, it doesnt cost much from a reputable instrument repairers, I always do this and they can advise on the instrument as well.

Pulling a stuck mouthpiece must be done by a competent technician with the right tool or the instrument will be damaged.

I recommend going to a local dealer or shop and ask them to pull the mouthpiece, they will probably do it for nothing, especially if you buy some oil from them or something else you happen to need anyway at the time.

Good luck.

Brian

Which horn came from the yard sale and which was in the attic? I would be curious to know how much you paid. You have hit the jackpot twice, congratulations!!!!!

Originally Posted by jbkirby

Which horn came from the yard sale and which was in the attic? I would be curious to know how much you paid. You have hit the jackpot twice, congratulations!!!!!

I got the Courtois pocket at the yard sale and only paid ten dollars for it. I put it up for a long time with plans to just display it in my home music studio. Then, I noticed how many people here had multiple, multiple trumpets and I decided to pull it out and see if it even worked. To my surprise, I got the valves working in no time and all of the slides work. There are a few dents that need to be addressed, but otherwise, it looks really good.

A co-worker of mine's in-laws decided to move down here from New Jersey and they were selling a lot of their stuff. He got up in the attic and gave my co-worker a bunch of tools, old supplies, and his trumpet that he played in high school that had been in the attic for decades!! He told him to sell what he could and dump the rest. He was going to sell the trumpet for a dollar at a yard sale, but my co-worker said that I might want the trumpet because he knew I played intruments. He asked me if I wanted the trumpet, so I told him to bring it in and I would take a look at it. When I first saw it I thought...no, I'm not interested. But, I took it home and all of the slides worked!! The valves are a little sticky, but they will not be a problem to smooth out. The mouthpiece is stuck, but I am taking it to a shop tomorrow and getting it yanked. Once I got it home, I noticed the SUPER on the bell...so I assumed it was just a Olds Super. But, after looking at the websites from the replies I have gotten, I have since found out it is a Super Recording...and once I read where the Recording would be on the bell, I noticed that it is there, you just can't hardly see it!! The bell is really dirty, so I am hoping to clean it and get it looking nice again. I asked him how much he wanted for it...I told him it was a great horn and very expensive, but he said he knew nothing about it and it obviously didn't mean much to his father-in-law, and since it looked so rough, he said I could have it!!

All I can say is SWEET!!!!

Once I get them cleaned, I will post some pictures!!

Goodness, how do some people seem to trip over these valuable horns? :)

Originally Posted by ComeBackKid

Well, talk about lighting striking twice in the same place. You have two very valuable horns. Trumpet #2 appears to be a Super Recording (Super because of the ring on the bell and Recording because of the offset valves). Even if you don't have the funds to have them professionally restored, be sure to take very good care of them and at least put them into playing condition so that you can play them regularly. You are a very lucky guy. Post some photos for us to drool over..

It sure isn't me ! But I just got a nice 50's York Artist trumpet for $75 and my Lemar pea-shooter (Conn stencil) in great shape for $20. That should be fun to play some of the swing era pieces in our upcoming concert's lineup, at least in practice tonight.

Well, it looks like you just lived a fantasy we have, finding a valuable horn for nothing! The last Olds Super Recording on eBay sold for over $4,000.00, however, it was factory silver plate. Now, is yours silver plated or lacquer?

No, it's laquer...inn rough shape right now...I cleaned it for an hour last night, and am making progress. It looks better, but still far off from where I want it to be!! Any suggestions?