Tell me about the Olds Recording

[Bach5G]

I’m interested in an Olds Recording but I’m not sure about the 3-hour drive I’d have to make in order to try it out.

I started on an Ambassador many, many years ago. I eventually donated it to a Cuban conservatory. I don’t remember it being much of a horn. But the Recording was legendary when I was a kid. THE horn. Otherwise no experience with Olds.

I’ve played most other horns, including horns typically associated with LA, namely a Minick and a couple of Williams.

A friend tells me her DeBruycker plays more open, with a bigger sound, but I note she uses a Bach .509 slide. Might be expected.

I don’t imagine Rosolino had any problems being heard.


Said to be a late 60s Fullerton horn.

[hyperbolica]

The Recording is a dual bore - 0.495 - 0.510 or there abouts. The saying is that it blows like the top slide and sounds like the bottom. In this case, it means that the Recording gives you the fast articulation of a sub-500 slide, but sounds like a more beefy 509 bore. The Recording also has a reddish bell, not sure the copper content, but it's pretty red. The tuning slide and a lot of other material on the horn is nickel silver. This makes the sound rather dark. It is also kind of a heavy horn, which to me makes it more stable at volume. With all of the different materials, it's a very striking looking instrument. If you put a counterweight on it, the Recording is the most comfortable horn to hold, in my opinion. The grips are fairly ergo-friendly.

When you polish up one of these, I think they are some of the best looking horns out there. The engraving is nice, and some people add some silver or gold gilding accents to areas of the bell engraving. These are pretty sturdy horns, and the weight reflects this.

Whether or not you're going to like a Recording depends on a lot of things. If you like that dark, dusky sound, that's a big part of the Recording's character. I wouldn't call it a lead horn, although several people have said they have done it, and it worked well. To me the best use of a Recording is playing jazz standards with a small combo in a smoky bar. Or you might consider this the quintessential outdoor or even marching trombone. Because of the weight, it can really put out some volume, and it's solid enough to take some knocks, although I'd never do that to mine.

They're nice horns and cheap. Don't wring your hands over buying one like a Minick or a Williams, you can get 4 of these for the price of one of those.

[Bach5G]

One of my concerns is that they look like they’d be heavy and sluggish. But, Rosolino seems to get around ok (I’m listening to his Toronto recording).

[Posaunus]

One of my concerns is that they look like they’d be heavy and sluggish. But, Rosolino seems to get around ok (I’m listening to his Toronto recording).

Heavy? Just a bit heavier than say a King 3B. Much better balanced when fitted with a suitable counterweight. (See some previous threads about these.)

Sluggish? No - not if the original "duo-octagonal" (16-sided) slide has been well maintained or refurbished. (Mine is slick as a whistle.)

Other concern: The Recordings were originally supplied with the old Olds small-bore receiver, which is "under-sized" compared to standard small-shank mouthpieces - they were sold with Olds 3 (or perhaps Olds 1) mouthpieces, which are unusual, and rather small by modern standards. By sometime in the early 1970s, Olds converted the Recording receivers to standard small-shank tapers. (My 1968 R-15 Recording takes small Olds mouthpieces; my 1976 R-20 Recording with F-attachment accommodates standard small-shank pieces.) I now have a Doug Elliott setup with an "Olds Shank" that works perfectly for my R-15. I love to play this beautiful and full-sounding trombone. (Big band, jazz band, Dixieland ...)

[Dennis]

One of my concerns is that they look like they’d be heavy and sluggish. But, Rosolino seems to get around ok (I’m listening to his Toronto recording).

Most of the pictures I've seen of Rosolino show him holding something like a 6H.

[Gtofver]

I’ve got a super clean 1967 Olds Recording I am getting ready to sell if you are interested. I have been using it as a daily player but just picked up a ‘59 SilverSonic so it’s time for a new home for the Olds. Beautiful Horn.

[imsevimse]

The Recording is a dual bore - 0.495 - 0.510 or there abouts. The saying is that it blows like the top slide and sounds like the bottom.
....
The Recording also has a reddish bell, not sure the copper content, but it's pretty red.

I agree, that this is my reaction to dual bore horns too. My R-15 isn't red but seems to be gold brass. The R-15 can be a good lead horn, on the bad side it's a bit heavy to hold.
My R-20 is red. They play a lot different. I guess the R-20 is older and has the older receiver. I think the R-20 was labeled a bass trombone when it came just as the A-20 but by todays standards it is definitely a small bore with a trigger. Both these are great horns, but I prefer the R-15.

/Tom

[Monkhouse]

I've never really got along with mine, but many others speak highly of them. I tend to chip a lot of notes when playing it. I think my issues are largely with poor fit of modern mouthpieces, and I haven't made the investment to get something that works for me. I don't have this experience when I switch to other horns. It could also be the slide positions are slightly different than what I'm used to. If I spend a lot of time on it I'm able to adjust and center pitches but It seems like more work and adjustment is needed comparatively. I've added a counterweight which helps balance, but makes it heavier still. I would sell it at a fair price, as I have several other instruments which I prefer.

[TromboneMonkey]

I love mine, but I like the Studio better. The Recording is interesting in that it plays both bigger and smaller than one would think, depending on how you're playing it, and with what mouthpiece. At low volumes it plays almost like a miniature 88h; lots of lows; thick. At high volumes it's very intense, wide, with lots of highs. It's not sluggish at all, it's actually one of my most nimble horns. It, along with the other Olds horns I own, don't slot as well as my other horns though. It's like all of the partials are different widths than other horns.

I speculate that because all of the older Olds horns are dual bore, it contributes to them being a bit squirrely, in addition to the weird shank. I just like the sound so much I tolerate it.

[Improv]

What is a fair price for an old recording, and are pics available? What condition is the slide and valve?

[Gtofver]

Mines on Reverb right now if you are looking for one. 1967 Olds R15.

[hyperbolica]

What is a fair price for an old recording, and are pics available? What condition is the slide and valve?

Recordings, unfortunately, don't sell for what equivalent instruments do. Price is very dependent on visual condition. A shiny Recording might go for a grand. One with patina might not sell for half of that. Take a MV Bach 16 and a Recording and you'll get 3x the money for the Bach even if it doesn't play as well. Its just an Olds perception problem.