TromboneChat

Hello, I just picked up a Los Angeles Olds Special with the serial number 22XXX. Is there anyone that could give me some more information and specs on a horn like this? Also opinions on this era of olds trombones? Thanks!

The olds Specials had a different color flare vs stem, which made it different looking. Kind of cool. It was a small dual bore, 485/500, 7.5" bell. Designated L15.

In general, the www.itsabear.com site is the place to go for info, but surprisingly I don't see anything on Specials there.

Horn-u-copia also https://www.horn-u-copia.net/Reference/ ... t=Trombone

They're not really rare, although rarer than Supers or ambassadors.

I've owned a few Olds: Ambassador, P24g, S20, Flugabone and currently own a Recording. Generally they were underrated horns, very high quality, well designed and assembled. Usually on the heavy side. And they tend to sell cheap these days, which can be good or bad depending on which side of the sale you're on.

People try to make a distinction between LA and Fullerton like Elkhart and Abilene, but the difference wasn't like that, in my experience. The quality of the horn depends much more on how it was treated and the quality of repairs. Ambassadors got a reputation as student tanks, but the rest were really pro-level horns.

hyperbolica wrote: ↑Tue Aug 15, 2023 2:51 pm The olds Specials had a different color flare vs stem, which made it different looking.

There was a point when they were made with all yellow bells. I owned one for a bit, still a great horn!

hyperbolica wrote: ↑Tue Aug 15, 2023 2:51 pm Generally they were underrated horns, very high quality, well designed and assembled. Usually on the heavy side.

Some of the Olds models were heavy but the Special was actually a relatively light horn (I think they were 2 lbs. 14 ozs.).

There is more information on ItsABear.com.

See page 8 of the attached (post-Los Angeles) 1961 Catalog:
http://itsabear.com/Olds_Docs/Olds1961.pdf

Mine is nose heavy, in common with some other Olds models. Adding a generic counterweight fixed the issue. Good, solid easy blowing horn I found.

A serial number in the 22xxx range puts it in the late 1940's. I don't have any catalogs on my site from that period, but Alan Rouse has a couple on his Olds Central site.
1947
1948

I'd expect it to be primarily yellow brass rather the the mixed material used a few years later.

My Old Special looks like 21936 and either an 8 or B at the end. I was told it was 1946. It is definetly nose heavy as it doesn't have a counterweight However, it is very playable with a nice tone. I've been moving between 6 1/2A and 11C mouthpieces.

Mine does not have the two tone bell.

I always hear good things about Olds horns. How are you liking it?

I just bought #228XX. It will need a good inside and out cleaning that I can do. And a trip to see John Sandhagen for slide alignment and it's ready to wail. The bell flare roundness feels so smooth I suspect it was tempered (spun twice) on the mandrel.