What's the best F.E. Olds Trumpet?

Published 2024-03-02
Can you teach an "Olds dog" new tricks? Join Virtuosity's Robbie Adams as he tests and compares 5 beautiful vintage F.E. Olds trumpets (plus one cornet!), as part of our new series on legacy manufacturers.

Check out Virtuosity's current offering of Olds instruments:
www.virtuosityboston.com/collection/?brand=725157

Or, visit us in person at:
234 Huntington Ave
Boston, MA

Recording Info:
Trumpet: Microtech Gefell UMT800 pair (cardioid) via Integer XMP2 Preamp, no processing
Voice: Microtech Gefell M310 (single)
Video: Sony FX3 Cine Cameras, Voigtlander APO-Lanthar & Nokton lenses

0:00 Opening
0:22 Intro
0:43 Super (LA 1946)
1:01 Playing
1:30 Studio (LA 1951)
1:46 Playing
2:15 Special (Fullerton 1963)
2:29 Playing
2:59 Recording (Fullerton 1964)
3:15 Playing
3:45 Studio (Fullerton 1970)
3:58 Playing
4:28 Super Cornet (LA 1949)
4:47 Playing
5:17 Conclusion
5:47 Nothing to see here ;)

All Comments (4)
  • @jetsetsc
    I've owned a few dozen Olds horns over the years, and the ones I reach for most are a '51 "receiverless" Special, a 1946 Super Cornet and '47 Super trumpet and. They sound beautiful, and play effortlessly - like riding a good French or Italian steel bike frame that disappears beneath you.
  • That demonstration was beautifully done , I could really hear the timber of each horn. Many people just play loud, fast and high when demonstrating different horns( more for their ego than the listener) I really like the Super Cornet and the Recording. They all sounded great but those two horns really appealed to my ears. Thank you for putting out a great demo video of the horns. They will sell fast!!!!
  • Thanks for sharing the video with us!! Hello from Ukraine. I have an Olds special cornet all nickel silver. If you can share any information on it, would be much appreciated. About the year of manufacture and if the quality approx the same as older Olds special cornets with two-coloured finish. Thanks.