F. E. Olds
[citation needed] That plus competition from other companies and cutbacks in school music budgets led to the firm going out of business in 1979.
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.
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.
was traveling with his wife and other prominent Californians on the S.S. City of Los Angeles (later commissioned, USS George F. Elliott) to South America.
During World War II, the government had Olds produce saxophones along with the more standard strategic production.
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.
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.
In the late 1940s, in a meeting between Reynolds, Reg Olds and Berlin, it was decided to pursue the student musician market for which great projections had been made.
Because Olds management was concerned about the possible effects of a low-priced model on the company's reputation, Reynolds insisted the horn be built to the same quality and tolerances of the rest of the line, only with less-expensive bracing and other features.
Built on the same bell mandrels as the premium Recording models and featuring extremely reliable valve sections, the Ambassador line was intended 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.
Another accomplishment to Reynolds' credit was his signing of the trumpeter Rafael Méndez in the late 1940s to be an Olds clinician and endorsor.
He worked closely with Mr. Mendez to create the artist's signature model trumpet and long cornet.
Rafael Méndez's name and the use of the Recording and Super models by other professionals is credited with enhancing the image and sales of Olds instruments.
Reynolds Co. One of Agard's first projects was managing the move in 1954 from Olds' long-time factory in Los Angeles to larger facilities in Fullerton, California.
Starting out at Olds as a French horn assembler, Kanstul apprenticed in the art of brass instrument building from Reynolds.
Reynold's brother, Harper, who was shop superintendent and who helped launch the Ambassador instruments, retired.
R. Dale Olsen was brought in as director of research with a directive to create a line of upper-register trumpets.
The decision was made to close the Fullerton plant and the machinery, tools and parts inventory were auctioned.
