Identify Vintage Olds Ambassador?

[paul]

Hey folks,
I'm hoping someone can give me some information on what period this Olds Ambassador might be? And any opinion on value would be appreciated too. Thanks for anything you can tell me about it!
Paul

olds 1.jpg

[paul]

additional pictures for reference. thanks!

[BGuttman]

The number you showed is NOT the serial number.

You can do a little dating from the engraving. If it's Los Angeles it is from before around 1965 (John Lowe can give you the exact date) when Olds moved from Los Angeles to Fullerton. The Ambassador can't be any older than the late 1940s.

This one appears to have been "rode hard and put away wet". There are some odd damages around and lots of corrosion. But I'll bet it is cheap.

[JohnL]

The pics don't show the serial number (the number on the brace is NOT the serial number), so it's impossible to be precise. If I read the engraving correctly, it says "Los Angeles", which dates it from the late forties to the early fifties.

The serial number should be located on the slide side of the tenon joint; lots of people miss it because it's often hiding behind the tenon nut.

[EDIT]I've never noticed a significant premium in the prices of LA Ambassadors vs. Fullerton Ambassadors.

[paul]

Thanks guys! I knew it wasn't the serial number, but it's the only number I had a picture of. I'm trying to find out the actual serial. I'm pretty sure its an LA Ambassador, based on what I can see in the engraving too.

As for price, depends on what you think is cheap! I might be able to get it for $30-40! Also asked for pictures of the inner slides condition. I kind of like the patina in the finish... looks like much of the lacquer is gone? almost a raw brass? or am I completely off base? Does that affect playability (for a student)?

[JohnL]

One thing to note is that the slide is not placed correctly in the case (happens a lot). The way it is in the pic, I expect there is a dent in the bell (likely some scratches, too) where the tenon has banged into the bell. That's an indicator that the seller is not familiar with trombones and may not be the best judge of little things like slide condition. That does look like the original case, btw.

Speaking of cases...
You might want to ask the seller about any case smells. It's hard to de-stink a case, and a replacement case might end up costing more than the horn.

I might be able to get it for $30-40!

That's pretty cheap, so you won't be out much if it doesn't work.

[ghmerrill]

Around $50 or a bit more is pretty much what you can get a good/excellent vanilla Fullerton Olds Ambassador for now in a lot of venues. There are a couple on shopgoodwill.com right now. The better looking one (which looks pretty decent) has been bid up to $12.00 at this point (actually, I should think of buying it just for the Olds 3 mouthpiece that comes with it so I could have a spare).

I had a chance about two years ago to get one near me here in NC that was in close to mint condition for $75 (again, a Fullerton Ambassador). As a comparison, I paid $125 for my 1947 Olds Standard (LA, of course)-- which I think was an excellent deal.

[paul]

Thanks guys! ShopGoodwill is one of the places I've been scouring and where this horn is listed! Also eBay Craigslist and now Facebook has some good listings!

Gary it sounds like you're a lucky guy to get such nice horns for those prices! Point me in the right direction if you see a find for my elementary school son!;)

I seem to see the Ambassadors going for $50-100+ plus shipping, but you know it's hard for me to tell what's in decent shape and what's "rode hard and put up wet" as Bruce says! Oh well I'm sure I'll find a fair starter horn for my son with all the help you guys provide!

I'm having a blast searching and researching!:)