For the Reynolds folks -- updated website

[contemporacorner]

FYI--I just pushed a major overhaul of the contemporacorner.com website live. Lots of new stuff to absorb, including:

• Significantly expanded company history. I've done a lot of research on the period between 1929 and 1969, filling in lots of gaps and background history to how Reynolds got started, how the company was organized, what role Scherl & Roth played (and when they did).

• Updated the bio for Foster A. Reynolds from much of the same research sources

• Scanned in lots of new catalogs, price lists and brochures. Added a 1963 RMC catalog, a 1960s trombone brochure and lots of 1970s price lists

• Many new print ads from the 1940s and 1950s

• Updated the story of the Stereophonic (double valve bass tbn) with various details from Ostrander's side of things

I know it's been a long time coming, but I'm really happy to get this update finished.

Hope you enjoy --

[spangy]

What a wonderful resource. Big Thank You for maintaining this. The update looks great!

[jorymil]

Looks great! I know I used your site a bunch when getting an old Contempora this past summer. If you ever want some tech support help or some more photos, hit me up.

[adrielo19]

Thanks for this great contribution. I love the history of each trombone company.

[MrHCinDE]

Thanks for all your work. It was already a great resource and the update makes it even better.

I used to have a Contempora Stereophonic and enjoyed reading about the history of that horn and the Reynolds company in general.

It played a lot different to any other bass I’ve tried, at least to my ears from behind the bell. It’d be kinda cool to produce an archive of sound samples of these instruments. There isn’t much on YouTube about it and there aren’t so many of them still in circulation that people could hear these quirky and historically significant horns live.

I should have done it before I sold mine, not that I could really have done it justice with my limited bass skills. There are perhaps some much more accomplished bass trombonists on here that have one and might be persuaded to record something?


(Typo corrected, from “bad trombonists” to “bass trombonists”, no offence to all the bass specialists out there!)

[SwissTbone]

Wow great work! Maintaining a website like this takes a lot of time and you do a great job! All vintage trombone fans have to say "thank you"

[contemporacorner]

Thanks all!! Your comments are very much appreciated.

ElShaddai

[Vegastokc]

FYI--I just pushed a major overhaul of the contemporacorner.com website live. Lots of new stuff to absorb...
I know it's been a long time coming, but I'm really happy to get this update finished.

Hope you enjoy --

Awesome to hear!
As a Reynolds owner I spend a lot of time on your site.
I wish ALL the other makers had sites half as comprehensive and well produced as yours.
Cheers!

[Monkhouse]

I saw a guy playing a straight Reynolds with two R counter weights. It looked like it had rose brass bell, and sounded to me like a large/medium bore. I thought maybe it was similar to an 8H, but honestly didn't have a clue. Any thoughts on what it could be?

[contemporacorner]

I saw a guy playing a straight Reynolds with two R counter weights. It looked like it had rose brass bell, and sounded to me like a large/medium bore. I thought maybe it was similar to an 8H, but honestly didn't have a clue. Any thoughts on what it could be?

Not sure about the two R counterweights - that was never standard as far as I know, but a medium-large rose brass bell the size of a Conn 8H would be the larger Contempora tenor. Depending on year, it was either a .520" (1950-64) or .515" (1965-79). You'd have to go up to a bass trombone to get a larger Reynolds trombone bore size.

[contemporacorner]

Awesome to hear!
As a Reynolds owner I spend a lot of time on your site.
I wish ALL the other makers had sites half as comprehensive and well produced as yours.
Cheers!

Thank you!

[pwrjam]

I saw a guy playing a straight Reynolds with two R counter weights. It looked like it had rose brass bell, and sounded to me like a large/medium bore. I thought maybe it was similar to an 8H, but honestly didn't have a clue. Any thoughts on what it could be?

I know this is an old thread at this point. But I just wanted to say It was probably me. My main horn is, from what I can tell a valveless Reynolds Model 72 bass trombone with a 9 1/2 inch bell that looks like it was probably some kind of custom order, or factory experiment. It's possible it was customized by somebody, but there are some details about it that lead me to believe it is original. I bought it about 4 years ago now, and it came with 2 tuning slides actually. The one I use mainly is the double R slide. The other tuning slide has an olds style counterweight mounted on the inside of the crook. It's a heavier (with the double R slide the horn is very slide heavy), and makes the already heavy horn respond slower.

[Monkhouse]

I saw a guy playing a straight Reynolds with two R counter weights. It looked like it had rose brass bell, and sounded to me like a large/medium bore. I thought maybe it was similar to an 8H, but honestly didn't have a clue. Any thoughts on what it could be?

I know this is an old thread at this point. But I just wanted to say It was probably me. My main horn is, from what I can tell a valveless Reynolds Model 72 bass trombone with a 9 1/2 inch bell that looks like it was probably some kind of custom order, or factory experiment. It's possible it was customized by somebody, but there are some details about it that lead me to believe it is original. I bought it about 4 years ago now, and it came with 2 tuning slides actually. The one I use mainly is the double R slide. The other tuning slide has an olds style counterweight mounted on the inside of the crook. It's a heavier (with the double R slide the horn is very slide heavy), and makes the already heavy horn respond slower.

Thanks for the information. I figured it wasn't a stock horn, but was very curious.

[Jleeferg]

Could you please identify this trombone? I can make out the Reynolds logo on the bell. I’ve never seen that counterweight before

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[contemporacorner]

Could you please identify this trombone? I can make out the Reynolds logo on the bell. I’ve never seen that counterweight before

Two ways to date this horn. First, the monogram block engraving. That was introduced in 1946, shortly after WWII and around the time that Foster Reynolds retired from his company.

Second, the bracing. Reynolds redesigned their trombone bracing c.1949. The earlier models, like those in these pictures, resemble King-style bracing that F.A. Reynolds was familiar with. There was a circular counterweight that is often seen as well, though not on that particular brace. After 1949, the bracing looks like those on Olds trombones, though not the one-peice construction that Olds had patented.

So, take those together and I'm pretty confident that this trombone is from 1946-1949. Can't tell from the photos if it's a brass bell or sterling silver.

More info: https://contemporacorner.com/trombones/ ... trombones/