1920s-1930s F. E. Olds Medium Bore Tenor Trombone GL-227_A4-16

Sep 17

Written By Zoe Larson

Title: Tenor Trombone

Maker: F. E. Olds

Model: Medium Bore

Date: 1920s-1930s

Geography: Los Angeles, California, United States

Material: Brass

Serial Number: 2077 stamped on slide receiver and 4201 stamped on slide. See Notes section below.

Accession Number: GL-227_A4-16

Provenance: Gift of M. Haskett, July 1975

Description

Key: B-flat

Pitch: Low

Finish: Silver-plated with gold trim

Lacquer: No

Engraving: Engraved bell with “MADE BY / F. E. OLDS / LOS ANGELES / CAL / PAT - APR - 2 - 1912” inside a banner shape surrounded by flowers and filigree-style decoration. Further down on the bell is an engraved bear who is standing and playing a trombone. (This is the Olds “Golden Bear” logo.)

Mouthpiece: No

Accessories: No

Case: No

Notes:

Main tuner is on the hand slide.
No slide lock
Slide receiver is stamped “M” and “2077”. M indicates the Medium Bore model. Inner slide is stamped M4201. Outer slide stamped 4201 near tuner. Water key stamped 4201.
F. E. Olds trombones often had two serial numbers, one on the bell section and one on the slide section, and the numbers often didn’t match. However, based on the large time gap between the two serial numbers on this trombone (2077 and 4201), it’s likely that the sections weren’t originally sold together.
Eventually, the Olds company started using the slogan “It’s a Bear” and engraved the “Golden Bear” playing a trombone logo on instrument bells. According to the current F. E. Olds website, this started around 1924 and was the invention of F. E. Olds’s son Reginald Birdsall Olds. (Source: feolds.com/about/)