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F. E. Olds
F. E. Olds was a manufacturer of musical instruments founded by Frank Ellsworth (F. E.) Olds in Fullerton, California, in the early 1900s. The company made brass instruments, especially trombones, cornets, and trumpets.
By the late 1960s or early 1970s, although still producing some professional level instruments, the company had become better known for mass-produced student instruments. Construction quality declined as production quotas were emphasized.[citation needed] That plus competition from other companies and cutbacks in school music budgets led to the firm going out of business in 1979. The Olds and Reynolds names (Olds merged with F.A. Reynolds in 1964) have since been bought and revived in 1983 by a new company under the name F.E. Olds and Sons, based in Mountainside, New Jersey.
Frank Ellsworth (F.E.) Olds was born in Medina, New York, in 1861. He was named for the Civil War hero Elmer E. Ellsworth of the Ellsworth Zouaves. While a child his family moved to Toledo, Ohio. After finishing high school, F.E. went to Elkhart, Indiana to work for C.G. Conn and learned the brass instrument making business. In 1885, he moved to Los Angeles, California. 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. By 1886, he had established the first electroplating shop in Southern California, doing silver plating with H. T. Hazard, establishing the Los Angeles Tool Works by 1887. 1886 also marked the arrival in Los Angeles of F.E.'s future bride, Helen Daisy Birdsall. In 1901, he was a machinist with the Locomobile Company of the Pacific, branching out from bicycles to automobiles.
All along experimenting with trombone design, he was repairing band instruments full-time by 1910. This early work was done in a small workshop behind his house, which was just south of downtown Los Angeles. It was probably about this time that he first offered his new trombones for sale. Implementing new ideas patented in 1912 (some of these are incorporated in trombones today), Olds started producing quality trombones on a small scale. From the earliest years, he was offering a variety of bore sizes (.485" and dual bores from .494"/.509" to .509"/.535") and bell diameters from 6" to 9 ½". Model designations were Solo, Small Medium, Medium, Large Medium, Large and Symphony, which did not indicate a particular bore and bell combination, but a relative size. Most Olds trombones were made to order at this time. These new trombones apparently met with success quickly, and with the help of Earl Strickler and Earl Williams, Olds expanded production to about 200 a year and moved into a large facility by the early 1920s.
Reginald Birdsall (R.B.) Olds (b. September 11, 1899) came to work with his father in 1920, having served in the U.S. Navy during World War I. With R.B.'s enthusiasm, Olds published their first catalogue in 1925 and introduced new models shortly after. 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. R.B. was most likely responsible for using the slogan: "It's a Bear", and otherwise modernizing the image of the company and its products. Also, during these years, they were working on trumpet design, finally tooling up for its production by 1928.
On October 9, 1928, F.E. 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. He died suddenly and unexpectedly, suffering a heart attack, and was buried at sea. His new trumpets were not offered for sale until after his death.
R.B. introduced cornets soon afterward. The Super Olds line of trombones, trumpets and cornets was introduced in about 1932 and soon became legendary. Other models introduced in the 1930s include the Special, Military, Symphony and French models. All but the Super models could be ordered with a distinctive hammered finish on the bell. This was the standard finish for the Military line. The Super bass trombone could be had with two valves, both actuated by levers. This is likely the first production bass trombone with two valve levers.[citation needed] There were also some french horns made in the late 1930s, although they didn't appear in the catalogues at that time. The Recording model trumpet and cornet were probably designed shortly before the war halted production. During World War II, the government had Olds produce saxophones along with the more standard strategic production. Today these are very rare as they were not generally available to the public and a large number of them went down with a supply ship in the Mediterranean. By 1941 Olds held at least six patents for trumpet and trombone design.
Shortly after World War II ended and brass instrument manufacturing restrictions were lifted, Chicago Musical Instruments purchased F.E. Olds & Son.
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F. E. Olds
F. E. Olds was a manufacturer of musical instruments founded by Frank Ellsworth (F. E.) Olds in Fullerton, California, in the early 1900s. The company made brass instruments, especially trombones, cornets, and trumpets.
By the late 1960s or early 1970s, although still producing some professional level instruments, the company had become better known for mass-produced student instruments. Construction quality declined as production quotas were emphasized.[citation needed] That plus competition from other companies and cutbacks in school music budgets led to the firm going out of business in 1979. The Olds and Reynolds names (Olds merged with F.A. Reynolds in 1964) have since been bought and revived in 1983 by a new company under the name F.E. Olds and Sons, based in Mountainside, New Jersey.
Frank Ellsworth (F.E.) Olds was born in Medina, New York, in 1861. He was named for the Civil War hero Elmer E. Ellsworth of the Ellsworth Zouaves. While a child his family moved to Toledo, Ohio. After finishing high school, F.E. went to Elkhart, Indiana to work for C.G. Conn and learned the brass instrument making business. In 1885, he moved to Los Angeles, California. 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. By 1886, he had established the first electroplating shop in Southern California, doing silver plating with H. T. Hazard, establishing the Los Angeles Tool Works by 1887. 1886 also marked the arrival in Los Angeles of F.E.'s future bride, Helen Daisy Birdsall. In 1901, he was a machinist with the Locomobile Company of the Pacific, branching out from bicycles to automobiles.
All along experimenting with trombone design, he was repairing band instruments full-time by 1910. This early work was done in a small workshop behind his house, which was just south of downtown Los Angeles. It was probably about this time that he first offered his new trombones for sale. Implementing new ideas patented in 1912 (some of these are incorporated in trombones today), Olds started producing quality trombones on a small scale. From the earliest years, he was offering a variety of bore sizes (.485" and dual bores from .494"/.509" to .509"/.535") and bell diameters from 6" to 9 ½". Model designations were Solo, Small Medium, Medium, Large Medium, Large and Symphony, which did not indicate a particular bore and bell combination, but a relative size. Most Olds trombones were made to order at this time. These new trombones apparently met with success quickly, and with the help of Earl Strickler and Earl Williams, Olds expanded production to about 200 a year and moved into a large facility by the early 1920s.
Reginald Birdsall (R.B.) Olds (b. September 11, 1899) came to work with his father in 1920, having served in the U.S. Navy during World War I. With R.B.'s enthusiasm, Olds published their first catalogue in 1925 and introduced new models shortly after. 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. R.B. was most likely responsible for using the slogan: "It's a Bear", and otherwise modernizing the image of the company and its products. Also, during these years, they were working on trumpet design, finally tooling up for its production by 1928.
On October 9, 1928, F.E. 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. He died suddenly and unexpectedly, suffering a heart attack, and was buried at sea. His new trumpets were not offered for sale until after his death.
R.B. introduced cornets soon afterward. The Super Olds line of trombones, trumpets and cornets was introduced in about 1932 and soon became legendary. Other models introduced in the 1930s include the Special, Military, Symphony and French models. All but the Super models could be ordered with a distinctive hammered finish on the bell. This was the standard finish for the Military line. The Super bass trombone could be had with two valves, both actuated by levers. This is likely the first production bass trombone with two valve levers.[citation needed] There were also some french horns made in the late 1930s, although they didn't appear in the catalogues at that time. The Recording model trumpet and cornet were probably designed shortly before the war halted production. During World War II, the government had Olds produce saxophones along with the more standard strategic production. Today these are very rare as they were not generally available to the public and a large number of them went down with a supply ship in the Mediterranean. By 1941 Olds held at least six patents for trumpet and trombone design.
Shortly after World War II ended and brass instrument manufacturing restrictions were lifted, Chicago Musical Instruments purchased F.E. Olds & Son.
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