Newly discovered ads from September and October 1937 Announcing the Super Brass Line
This is a recently discovered advertisement announcing the new line of Olds Super models from Tempo magazine in October 1937 which confirms the start year for this model.
This is an ad from the September 1937 issue of International Musician.
This is the text from the bottom of the ad in the September 1937 issue of International Musician
Super Evolution 2.0 August 2025
Circa 1937 Olds Catalog
An update of Eric Hamelin's work from 2008
My love affair with Olds trumpets began in 1977 when my dad handed me his 1947 Super trumpet to use in High School. Many years later, when looking for a good student trumpet for my son, I rediscovered Olds trumpets and have been fascinated by the innovation and longevity of these finely crafted American brass instruments.
This document builds on work that Eric Hamelin did more than a decade ago as a part of the Olds Register. I assisted Eric with chronicling some of the changes associated with the Olds Super trumpet during its 40 plus years of production. There have been some new discoveries since this original document was prepared in 2008 as well as some revised estimates for the years of production of early Olds trumpets. The Olds Register was re-opened to new entries in 2023 and more than 1,600 entries have been added since that time. Currently there are more than 7,500 entries.
My thanks to Ron Berndt, Dale Olson, Charlie Melk, Robb Stewart, Alan Rouse, John Trayer, John Irvine, Jon Patton, Dave Brewer, Tim Mueller, John Thorne, and Paul Ayick for assistance with this project. The photos are credited when known, but several were saved from eBay listings and other internet sources over the past 20 years. Often nothing is known of the history of a particular instrument, so an occasional anomaly is to be expected when dealing with instruments that are 60 to 70 years old. Sometimes it is easy to identify a modification, but other times it is hard to know if a Super left the Olds factory with some unusual feature or if it was modified years later. Pages from some of the catalogs from Olds Central are included to track design changes along with the related marketing efforts.
Due to some errors in dating the Olds catalogs featuring some of the early trumpet models, the Super was thought to have begun production in 1932; however, for several years it has been thought that 1937 was a more likely start date. With the recent discovery of two ads from September and October 1937, this is now confirmed.
Information about Olds production during WWII has also been recently confirmed.
#1 ...this new product of Olds' genius.
This new model certainly combined several features to create a unique trumpet in an era where there was a lot of innovation underway in brass instrument making. There isn't a single feature that sets the Super apart from other Olds models or those of competitors, but rather the combination of design and function that made this new model so popular.
Alan Rouse (Olds Central) made this comment as we were discussing the Super trumpet... "I've always felt that the features that make a horn great are not obvious to the naked eye. Tapers, tempering of the metal, precision of dimensions, etc. are not readily visible. Many of the features that we use to recognize a model are mostly cosmetic. In many cases the distinguishing features served a marketing purpose."
Even though a series of design changes occurred over the years, the Super trumpet remained a fixture in the Olds lineup as other models came and went or were completely redesigned. Super trumpets were still being made up until this great American brass icon closed its doors in 1979.
Shown above is Super 3961 a testament to Olds' genius! (photo by John Trayer)
#2 Extremely easy blowing, lightweight...
The Super has a "wrap" unlike any other Olds trumpet and is about an inch longer than most of today's traditional Bb trumpets and is about 1/4 of an inch longer than the French-made Besson trumpets. Obviously, the total length of the air column is the same as any other Bb trumpet. Although the Super is only slightly longer than the French Besson, the length from the tip of the mouthpiece receiver to the middle of the crook of the tuning slide on a Super is almost a full inch shorter than the Besson. This distance is made up on the bell section of the Super which results in a longer trumpet body.
The Super also has a spacer on the lower tubing from the tuning slide to the body which allows for a shorter tube on the bottom leg of the tuning slide (as do Besson and Benge trumpets) which sheds more than an inch of brass tubing off the bottom leg of the tuning slide. The original Supers used a thinner gauge of brass which also contributed to it being a lightweight instrument. The photo above is Super 10175, courtesy of Paul Ayick.
The weight on different era Super trumpets we have measured varies, but the early models are the lightest, weighing 33.6 ounces, making it one of the lightest modern production trumpets.
#3 German Silver Bell Reinforcing Band
The German silver (also, called nickel-silver) "spun reinforcing band around the bell" was a new take on "garland" or "kranz" that had been used by European brass makers. Nickel-silver is a major feature used extensively on the Super for the outer slide tubes, ferrules, balusters, and tone control band. Nickel-silver is a copper alloy with nickel and zinc (but no actual Silver).
This same nickel-silver band was used on the Recording model Super Trumpet (today known as the Super Recording) when it was introduced in 1939, but not continued when the Recording model with the Re-O-loy bell (another example of the creativity of both product design and marketing) was introduced in 1949. Re-O-loy is brass with a higher copper content. The photo above is from an eBay listing for Super Cornet 5745.
#4 Also labeled "Tone Control Band"
After the introduction of the Super, later marketing efforts referred to this as a "Tone Control Band".
The Tone Control Band remained a unique feature of the Super Trumpet (and cornet and trombone) within the Olds lineup of brasses. The distinctive hand engraving continued in the iconic artistic style shown above for several years. The last observed example of this engraving style is Super 12942.
The engraving style is a push or carved method perhaps using a template on the nickel-silver band.
The photo above is Super 3961 courtesy of John Trayer.
#5 New Streamline design
The strut style braces on the Super model had been used on other Olds models and along with the trombone style water keys, are a distinct Olds feature. However, the Super was the first Olds model to use a new style of knurling on the finger buttons, top caps, and bottom caps.
Other early Olds models used an angled style knurling which continued to be an Olds trademark on thousands of Ambassador models which would come later.
The Super sported a stylish finger button with a beveled edge and a single horizontal groove near the bottom the side profile. This same new style finger button was later used on the Super Recording and subsequent Recording models. Sometime in the 1940's, the Special model also began using this style of finger button. Between serial number 112706 and 119882, the horizontal groove was removed from the side of the finger button.
The top and bottom caps featured fine vertical grooved knurling, which would later be used on other top line Olds trumpets and cornets such as the Recording and Mendez and would also be used on some iterations of the Special model.
Super 18168 is shown above courtesy of Centex Brass. This is my dad's Super which was beautifully restored by Charlie Melk.
#6 ...truly the realization of the fine player's ideals.
The leadpipe of the Super trumpet has a unique taper among Olds models and some have speculated that this contributes to the open blow and intonation of the Super. The Super was the first Olds model to include a tuning slide brace.
Super 4866 (photo by Centex Brass) is shown above with the tuning slide brace and spacer on the bottom connecting tube to the tuning slide.
#7 Every attribute of the superfine trumpet has been achieved --- and surpassed --
Some attributes are related to trumpet design and others are cosmetic. The Super included several attractive features like the extensive nickel-silver trim and the mother-of pearl inserts on the 1st and 2nd slide pull knobs.
Also, notice in the photo shown above that the connecting knuckles between the valve casings were also nickel-silver. This feature appears on Super models and the French model trumpet, but we've not determined if there was a specific time frame for this feature.
Super 6230 (photo by Centex Brass) is shown above with nickel-silver connecting knuckles.
#8 Earliest Super trumpets
These very early trumpets, like the first catalog have forward facing 2nd valve crooks (ala Besson and later Benge) and side mounted 1st slide throws. Some have 3rd slide adjuster/stop rods. The first catalog that has been located which features the Super (shown at the beginning of this article), mentions the Super was "made in only the one special bore" which Robb Stewart has identified as .462 on early Supers. These early models had a seams in the mouthpipe.
Robb Stewart has a detailed analysis of two of these early Supers on his website that can be seen at this at this link. One of these trumpets is Super 3954, which I owned at one time. A photo of this trumpet is shown above with the forward-facing 2nd slide, side mounted 1st slide throw and main tuning slide brace. This is one of the trumpets in this range that does not have a 3rd slide adjuster/stop rod. Although I did not sell it directly to Robb, I'm pleased to see that it found its way to him so he could document the specific characteristics of this early Super.
From reviewing entries in the Olds Register, it is clear that Olds made models in batches. The earliest recorded Supers are 3699, 3724 and 3725. These three could have been part of a batch of as few as 26 and as many as 92, based on adjacent serial numbers submitted to the Olds Register. The next recorded Super in the Olds Register is 3924, followed by 3938, 3947, 3954, 3958, 3961 and 3971. There is one French model trumpet that appears between all these Super trumpets. It was an entry from the original Olds Register and there is no way to verify it, but based on the number of errors that have been submitted since the Olds Register was re-opened (that are verified if there is a question) it is highly likely that there is a typo for the serial number for this French model that appears within a string of seven otherwise consecutive entries for Super trumpets. If so, then this second batch of Super trumpets would have been between 47 and 83 instruments. These are the only ten Super trumpets recorded in the 3000 to 3999 range of serial numbers. The number of documented early Super trumpets has grown in recent years. Certainly, others are out there in private collections, so hopefully more early Olds Supers will be identified.
#9 Rounded Ferrules
The early Super models had rounded ferrules on the slide tubes and on the connection of the bell to the valve block.
The photo above shows the second slide rounded ferrules on Super 4807.
The photo above and to the right shows the rounded connecting ferrule to the bell on Super 6230
#10 First Slide Throw Saddle
Super 6694 is the last recorded with a side mounted 1st slide throw saddle. Super 6880 is the first recorded with a top side mounted 1st slide throw saddle.
The 1st slide throw saddle continued on the Super trumpet until Super 19585 and then did not return until the 1970's
The Super Cornets; however, continued to have this 1st slide throw saddle uninterrupted until the Super Cornet was discontinued sometime in the late 1960's or early 1970's.
#11 Unique features of early Super Trumpets
The focus of this original version of this article was the Super Trumpet, but the article has been expanded to include more information about the Super Cornet. The earliest Super Cornet recorded so far is 4095.
Although Olds had been making trumpets for almost a decade before the first Super trumpet, none of the earlier Olds trumpets had the forward-facing 2nd valve crooks and no other Olds models ever had this feature. The photo by John Trayer above shows an example of this forward-facing 2nd valve crook. Due to the wrap on the Super cornet, the forward-facing slide would not have been feasible. By Super 4319, the 2nd valve crook was rear-facing and continued that way for the remainder of production.
#12 First design changes occur shortly after introduction
Within the first year or so of production, some changes began to take place.
Super 4319 is the first known example with a rear-facing 2nd valve slide.
In the range of Super 4522 to Super 5094, the Tone control bands were wider.
The photo above a photo from Super 4549 with a wide tone control band. (photo by Centex Brass)
#13 Serial Number stamping
All of the early Olds trumpets had the serial number stamped on the second valve casing a well as the piston spring barrel, valve stem and top cap. The last two digits were stamped on the bottom caps as well as the top side of the inside leg of each slide tube.
The serial number would no longer be on the of top cap and valve stem after WWII, but continued to be on the spring barrel into the 1960's consistent with other Olds models of that era.
Above are examples of the serial number stamping on Super 11907. (Photo by Centex Brass)
#14 1939 Olds Catalog
This is the second Olds catalog that has been discovered so far that includes the Super Trumpet. This catalog is dated 1939. It uses the same graphic for the Super Trumpet as the previous catalog, but by the publication of this catalog, the forward-facing 2nd slide and side mounted 1st slide saddle bracket had likely already been changed. There are several examples over the years where the marketing literature doesn't always match the current production model.
#15 Serial Number stamping
The last two digits were stamped on the bottom caps as well as the top side of the inside leg of each slide tube. The photo above shows the last two digits stamped on the top inner leg of the 1st valve slide of Super 13563. Often these are quite worn. This stamp was discontinued shortly after WWII. (Photo by Centex Brass)
#16 Mother of Pearl pull knobs on the first and second valve slides
One of the iconic features of the Super trumpet and cornet models is the mother of pearl pull knobs on the first and second valve slides. For models with the first slide saddle, the pull knob was not always present on the first slide.
#17 1939 Catalog - Super cornet
Olds first began marketing a "line" of instruments in 1933 when there was a Standard trumpet, cornet and trombone, but not until the Super line was announced in 1937 were the three different instruments (trumpet, cornet, and trombone) all marketed together. The Super trombone was first introduced around 1935 but was modified when the new Super line was announced in 1937. There are fewer Super Cornets recorded in the Olds Register in these early years, so the assumption is that they were produced in smaller numbers than the trumpet counterpart.
The 1939 catalog includes the phrase "beauty of design" in the description of the Super cornet and no doubt this is a reference to the sleek and flowing design of the leadpipe which makes a complete loop into the main tuning slide. This compact loop provides for a narrow wrap for this cornet. Considered a "long" cornet, the Super cornet has pistons that are the same length as Super trumpet pistons. The "Olds" model cornet (later named the Standard) has similar "short pistons" but later Olds cornets (Special, Super Recording, and later Recording) have much longer cornet pistons than their trumpet counterpart due to the wider wrap of these cornets.
The Super Cornet was introduced in an era that Trumpets were becoming much more popular, but the Super cornet is only slightly more conical in shape than the Super Trumpet. The main difference between the Super trumpet and cornet (aside from the wrap) is the mouthpiece, bore, and the bell flare. Robb Stewart has analyzed the differences in detail, and his theory is that the difference between the two has a lot more to do with the player than anything else! He has an interesting essay on his website that provides much more detail . While still a cornet, the Super Cornet is much more trumpet sounding than other cornets of this era. Perhaps Olds was trying to bridge the gap and offer a cornet to those that still were still in the cornet camp, but with modern styling and the ability to blend more easily with trumpets.
The 1939 catalog also indicates that the Super Cornet could be ordered in various bore sizes; however, with few examples available, only five entries in the Olds Register for a Super Cornet references a bore size. Super Cornets 5745, 6018, 6141, 6480, and 6670 are recorded as "LM" bores. There are 16 Super trumpets listing a bore size recorded in the Olds register in 4 different sizes. After this short period of different bore sizes, Super cornets were produced with a bore measuring .468 at the second valve slide. (compared to .460 for the trumpet counterpart).
#18 Super Cornet - 1st and 3rd slides
The Super Cornet had some features in common with the Super trumpet, but never had a push rod on the third valve slide. Tuning adjustments were only allowed by using the first slide saddle, which remained on the Super cornet even after it was discontinued on the Super trumpet. Super Cornet 5745 is shown above.
The bracket on the third valve slide is for a lyre, not a push rod. Only the end piece of the slide is removable.
#19 Super Cornet- main slide stop rod
Many Olds trumpet and cornet models in the 1930's and 40's had a stop rod (quick change to A) on the main tuning slide. This feature has only been observed on a few Super trumpets, but is consistently found on the Super cornets of this era. The photo above shows this feature on Super Cornet 10443
#20 "The streamlined form and bracing....
... make for easier handling as well as beauty of appearance." Shown above is Super cornet 5745
#21 Super cornet shares many of the same features as the Super trumpet and trombone
Olds used many of the same details on all Super instruments. The Super cornet also featured "the handsome spun band around the bell (that) permits fortissimo playing without blasting". Shown above is Super Cornet 11170.
#22 Mother of Pearl pull knobs
As with the Super trumpet, the Super cornet has Mother of Pearl pull knobs on the 1st and 2nd valve slides. The Super cornet retained the 1st slide saddle for the entire production, but the Mother of Pearl pull knob was eliminated.
#23 Super cornet "wrap"
Many cornets have a much wider wrap caused by the leadpipe making a wider first curve back around toward the valves. The Super cornet leadpipe makes a complete loop into the tubing for the main tuning slide and then the connecting tubes for this slide enter the valve casing at the 3rd valve. Cornet makers had been experimenting with many variations in the 19th and early 20th century, so there were other makers that Olds copied. The “double front loop mouth-pipe” variation appears to have been originally developed by Holton. While it is common for other makers to copy new design innovations, Olds didn’t just copy the Holton design. Olds designed the Super cornet so that it had many of the features of the Super trumpet, but also with its own identity and "streamlined form". Above is a photo of Super Cornet 5568 provided by John Thorne.
#24 Holton Cornet models influenced the design of the Super cornet
The Holton Revelation Cornet was introduced in 1914 and may be the initial inspiration for the general design of the Super Cornet. The leadpipe makes a curve toward the third valve but then makes another 180-degree bend into the tuning slide.
#25 Holton Long Model cornet introduced in 1924
Holton replaced the Revelation model cornet with the Long Model Cornet Model 28 in 1924. Notice “double front loop mouth-pipe” (photo from Trumpet-History.com)
#26 Holton Resotone cornet introduced in 1937
In 1937, Holton introduced another variation of the Long Model cornet with an even closer resemblance to the Super cornet including a contemporary take on a Germanic style bell garland. The previous Holton cornet models pre-date the Super Cornet by many years, but the Resotone model and the Super model were introduced to the market in the same year. (photo from Trumpet-History.com)
#27 Super cornet "wrap"
For a side-by-side comparison with the Holton Resotone cornet on the left, above is a photo of Super Cornet 17944
Bell to Leadpipe braces changed in the first few years
#28 Aircraft Strut braces
#29 Transitional Braces
#29 Transitional Braces
Early Supers had the strut type main bell to leadpipe braces, like other early Olds models. The “Aircraft Strut” brace style, which appears well into the 1950's in other brands, is an aesthetic link to the American obsession with aviation following WWI. Early Supers had the strut type main bell to leadpipe braces, like other early Olds models.
The last Super that has been identified with the original Aircraft Strut Braces is Super 6230,
Above is a photo of the rear strut brace on Super cornet 4516.
#29 Transitional Braces
#29 Transitional Braces
#29 Transitional Braces
A few examples have been identified with transitional Streamlined Braces.
Above is photo of Super 6869 provided by John Irvine which has the transitional Streamliner Braces
Both the Super trumpet and cornet models had this same style of brace, but the cornet only had the rear brace. There is no forward brace on the Super cornet because the leadpipe is curved downward just after is passes the valves.
#30 Streamliner Braces
#29 Transitional Braces
#30 Streamliner Braces
By the 1940s, the “Streamliner” aesthetic had gained huge traction culturally. This trend began in the late the 1930s (and is also a factor in the phenomena of “pea-shooter” trumpets).
The earliest Super with the new Streamliner style that has been observed is Super 6880; however, Super Cornet 7324 has the transitional Streamliner brace, so the change may not have occurred at the same time for trumpets and cornets. The Streamliner braces remained unchanged for the reminder of the production of the Super model for the next 40 years.
#31 Comparison of Braces
The photo above shows the three different styles of bell to leadpipe braces on three Super cornets.
Super cornet 5568 on the left side of the photo has the Aircraft Strut braces.
Super cornet 7324 is in the middle of the photo and has the transitional Streamliner braces that were used for a very short time.
Super cornet 27861 is on the right side of the photo and has the Streamliner braces that were used most of the Super trumpet and cornet production.
Thanks to John Thorne for this photo showing all three styles of braces in a single photograph.
#32 Early models did not have 3rd slide Adjuster/Stop Rods
Although somewhat unheralded, this tucked away stop rod is infinitely better in both function and design than the troublesome low hanging stop rod with ever-disappearing nuts used by Conn, Bach and others. It was not unique to the Super, but was indicative of innovative designs of Olds.
#33 3rd Slide Adjuster/Stop Rods
The earliest observed Super with this feature is Super 6880.
3rd slide adjuster/stop rods were used continuously on all Supers until Super 18442. Super 18769 is the first observed after this feature was eliminated. The photo above shows this on an early Super trumpet.
#34 Additional bore sizes, for a short while
The Olds catalog dated 1939 includes a section about the various bore sizes that were available. In 1937, when the Super was introduced, it came in only one bore size, but two years later, there were four options. This catalog page also mentions that the Olds French Horn only came in one bore size, but had three mouthpipe options, but as the photos below indicate, there must have been mouthpipe options on the Super trumpet also.
Many of the Super trumpets and cornets from 4788 to 6670 were stamped with bore markings.
Further research is needed, but there are several examples of Supers in the 9000 to 12000 serial number range that measure as a .462 bore.
#35 M Bore
The circa 1937 Olds Catalog indicates that the Super trumpet was made in only one special bore, but a year or two later, there were several Supers produced in several different bores.
Super 4788 is the earliest model showing a bore marking. This one is marked with an 'M' on the 2nd valve case (on the opposite side from the serial number) and measures to be a .453 bore. This trumpet is shown in the photo above.
#36 SYM bore
Olds Super 5764 is shown above with the SYM bore stamp. This trumpet measures as a .462 bore. There are six Super trumpets have have been recorded with a SYM bore stamp.
#37 Leadpipe "S" stamp on a SYM bore Super trumpet
In addition to the SYM bore stamp, 5764 also has an "S" stamped on the mouthpiece receiver.
#38 LLM Bore stamp
6230 has an LLM Bore stamp but the bore measures .461. There is no stamp on the leadpipe. There are two Super trumpets that have been recorded with an LLM bore.
#39 LM bore stamp
This is a photo of the bore stamp on 5774. It is believed to a .460 bore. There are six Super Trumpets and three Super cornets that have been recorded with an LM bore.
#40 Leadpipe "L" stamp on LM bore
This is a photo of the leadpipe stamp on 5774.
#41 Baluster braces
The first Super models have very short baluster braces, with one brace on the leadpipe side and two on the bell side. This is a photo of Super 4549. Later models had the same configuration of one brace on the leadpipe side and two on the bell side until Super 20442, when Super trumpets had a single baluster brace on each side for a couple of years.
#42 Early Super cornet Baluster braces
The earliest observed Super cornet models had the same three brace baluster braces as the early trumpets, but by Super Cornet 5568, the braces on cornets had changed to two baluster braces on each side. Perhaps this additional bracing was needed on the cornet because there is no front bell to leadpipe brace. Shown above is Super cornet 8169.
1941 Catalog
#43 1941 Olds Catalog - Hierarchy of models
This piece in the 1941 catalog provides a description of the three categories of Olds models at the time. There were Trumpets, Cornets, and Trombones in each of these categories.
The Recording model Super Trumpet had recently been introduced and was included in the category of "Super" Instruments.
#44 1941 Olds Catalog - Super Trumpet
The Super trumpet in the 1941 catalog shows several differences from the 1939 version.
The 2nd valve slide is now rear facing; the first slide saddle bracket is mounted on the top of the slide; and the view of the trumpet is angled so that the third slide stop rod screw is visible.
#45 Olds Production during World War II
For many years, it was thought that Olds did not produce any instruments during WWII as all domestic manufacturing was turned to the war effort, but several recent discoveries have shed new light on this topic.
Olds did have military contracts during the war and more detail on this topic can be found here:
Olds Central Olds War time production
Based on the serial numbers of several US Military contract instruments and also spreading out estimated production over the war years, the following is the most recent serial number data for the war years:
YEAR BEGINNING / ENDING ANNUAL
SERIAL NUMBER PRODUCTION
1942 9650 / 10999 1,350
1943 11000 / 12399 1,400
1944 12400 / 13799 1,400
1945 13800 / 14999 1,200
1946 15000
#46 Olds Production during World War II
Based on revised serial number estimates, Olds Trumpet and Cornet serial numbers would have been around #9600 at the start of World War II.
The characteristics of Supers in the 7000 to 11000 range appear to be the same, but then changes begin to occur. Perhaps this was the start of some war-time material shortage.
Also, no Super trumpets or cornets are recorded in the Olds Register for most of the 12000 serial number range. A Super trumpet is recorded as 11957 and then the next Super trumpet that is recorded is 12887. This gap in production of Super models coincides with at least some trumpets and cornets that were made under military contract. The first Super models made after this gap appear to be the first with aluminum valve guides and other material changes that could have been caused by the war. When the Super model begins to be produced again, the 13000 to 17000 range of serial numbers is almost exclusively Super Trumpet models, with a few small batches of Super Recording cornets mixed in.
To the left is Super 13031 in original satin silver beautifully photographed by Paul Ayick.
Changes influenced by or occurring during World War II?
#47 Different knurling on finger buttons and valve caps
Several Supers with the "angled style" knurling have been identified (with serial numbers stamped on the top caps) between Super 10990 and Super 11957. The photo from Centex Brass shows Super 11907 which has this different style finger buttons and top and bottom caps. These are the same style that was used on all the other Olds models during this era. Perhaps this was the start of some war-time workman or parts shortages.
#48 Different knurling on finger buttons and valve caps
The photo from Centex Brass shows Super 11892 which also has the different style finger buttons and top and bottom caps.
It is not uncommon to see replacement or mismatched trim pieces on vintage instruments; however, these examples are from the era when many parts were stamped with the serial numbers, so it can be verified that the different style parts are original to this trumpet.
#49 Aluminum in place of brass for some parts
Several Supers during war-time production have aluminum valve guides, spring barrels, top/bottom caps and finger buttons. Fortunately, serial numbers were still being stamped on these parts so they can be determined to be original. While war-time demand for all types of metal was likely, it is possible that Olds improvised using whatever materials might have been available at the time to keep producing instruments. Likely these types of substitutions impacted other instruments as well.
The photo from Centex Brass shows these parts from Super 13120.
#50 Modification of bell engraving
Although the tone control band width changed early in the production, the style of the engraving remained consistent through Super 11957. There are no Super trumpets or cornets recorded for about a year until Super 12887. A few are recorded with nickel silver tone rings with the original script engraving, and then there are three beginning with Super 13043 which have different engraving. LOS ANGELES, CALIF changed from the script style into a block style The photo is Super 13043 which is is silver plated.
#51 Lacquered Super with modified engraving
Super13120 is shown in the photo to the left. The engraving is the same modified style as Super 13043. Three Super trumpets and no Super cornets have been identified with this modified engraving style. Perhaps the war also had something to do with this as more civilians entered military service. Super 13120 is one of very few lacquer Supers produced during this era and it confirms that although the engraving style had changed, the band was still made of nickel-silver.
#52 Tone Control Band Engraving changed
The tone control band engraving changed again, but this time it stayed the same for a for more than three decades (other than replacing Los Angeles with Fullerton). The first observed with the new style is Super 13220 shown on the right. Because this trumpet is silver plated, it is hard to determine if the tone band is brass or nickel silver, but there appears to be some small areas of brass showing.
The tone control band on all Supers with this new style were photo engraved. Once this new engraving style was put in place, it remained consistent for the remainder of the production in Los Angeles.
#53 Tone Control Band changed to brass
It was unknown if these first tone control bands with the new style were brass or nickel-silver because the trumpets were all silver plated, but recently photos were discovered of Super 13560, which is among the first examples known with the new style engraving and fortunately the silver plating has worn revealing a brass tone band.
My current serial number and production estimates would place these Super trumpets with these brass tone bands with the new engraving style as 1944 war time production.
While brass might have been in short supply, apparently nickel-silver was even harder to obtain during the war. If the assumption is correct that these Supers were made during war time, they certainly would have been for military use, and that would have provided the ability to acquire materials.
#54 Tone Control Band on other instruments
The photo on the right is a Olds Super of a different type. This is the Super Olds tone control band on an Olds Tenor Saxophone! Both Tenor and Alto Saxophones have been observed that have the Super designation. While Olds offered saxophones and a variety of other instruments after the war, there is no mention of a Super model saxophone in any of the available literature.
#55 Other Olds Super instruments
The Olds Super trumpet and cornet were introduced in 1937, and an initial version of the Super trombone was introduced in 1935. There is no evidence in the Olds literature that has been discovered to date of any other instruments in the "Super" line. Dale Olson wrote in his Olds history that " It has been reported that Olds manufactured a run of saxophones for the government, which was lost with the sinking of a ship on which they were being transported.
Super Olds Alto and Tenor saxophones have been observed that both have tone control bands that match the new engraving style that is assumed to have been initiated with some military orders for Super trumpets in 1944. Perhaps these surviving saxophones were made around the same time, and not all were lost at sea.
David Brewer owns one of these Super saxophones and it appears that the silver-plated tone band may be brass under the plating, which would be consistent with the tone bands on the first Super trumpets with new style engraving. The dimensions of the tone bands on the Super alto saxophone appear to the be same as on the Super trumpet.
The photo at the left shows the Super tenor saxophone with some beautiful art deco engraving. The serial numbers on the two examples of Super saxophones are three- or four-digit numbers so they do not appear to have any correlation with the serial number sequence for Olds brasses.
#56 Factory Silver predominates
Most trumpets between Super 12887 and Super 14719 were produced in factory silver. Factory silver had always been an option, yet very few silver-plated Supers were recorded until this range.
U.S. Military orders for brass instruments have traditionally been for silver plated instruments, so whether Olds began producing silver plated trumpets for prospective sale to branches of the US Military or they had orders from the military, it is certainly not a coincidence that the majority of Super Trumpets of this era were silver plated.
Shown to in the photo to the right is Super 14605, an original satin silver Super Trumpet with polished accents and a gold wash bell.
Changes occurring after the conclusion of World War II
As Olds resumed civilian production there were a number of changes that occurred in both the appearance and design of the Super models.
#57 Brass tone control bands continue after WWII
Super 15537 is the first recorded lacquered Super with a brass tone control band, although examples of silver-plated Supers with brass tone bands have been identified. Brass tone control bands replaced the nickel-silver bands for the next few thousand Super models, with only a couple exceptions recorded in the Olds Register.
Whether material shortages of nickel-silver during or after the war led to the continued use of brass tone bands or Olds had ordered or created a large supply of these brass tone bands may be a subject of debate; however, a decade later, Olds continued using tone bands that were engraved "Los Angeles" for a full five years after moving to Fullerton, so there is another example of where they appear to have used material on hand until it was exhausted.
Super Recording models during this range also had brass tone control bands.
I've never seen anyone comment on this, but in the part of the engraving "Super Olds" it looks like there is a small bear in the middle of the "O" in Olds, but perhaps I'm seeing things.
#58 Olds 1941 Logo appears on the new Tone Control Band engraving
Although my mind wants to see a Bear in the middle of the "O" in Olds in the Tone Control Band, the font style is from the Olds logo that appears on the cover of the 1941 Catalog.
Olds used a several different logos and catch phrases during the company's history, but the tone control band engraving did not change every time the logo changed.
Additional Post War changes
#59 Tuning slide is less rounded and brace is gone
The main tuning slide brace disappears from production and the newer slightly less rounded and more ‘D’ shaped main tuning slide appears. Super 17686 is the last with the older rounded crook tuning slide with a brace. Super 17799 is the first with the new tuning slide configuration. The Super Recording model trumpet would keep the brace for the balance of its production as well as the subsequent Recording model. Shown in the photo are the two styles of tuning slides. The older style is on the right side of the photo.
#60 Other early post-war changes
3rd slide stop rods/adjusters are discontinued after Super 18442
The lightweight tubing was replaced around Serial number 19000 and the trumpets became heavier. A slide from a post-19000 horn cannot be inserted in a pre-19000 horn.
1st slide saddles were discontinued after Super 19213 and don’t appear again until the mid 70s. The Mother of Pearl pull knob returns on the 1st slide.
Early post war pistons were nickel plated brass rather than nickel plated nickel silver. The range of serial numbers is not known, but likely similar to brass tone band.
#61 Third Valve slide bracing
Super 20435 is the last example with two braces on the third valve slide
#62 Third Valve slide bracing
Super 20669 is the first example observed with one brace on the third valve slide.
#63 Nickel-silver tone control bands return
A few nickel-silver tone control bands are recorded in the Olds Register between Super 18066 and Super 22000; however, in reviewing photos of more than two dozen Super trumpets in this range, only one has a nickel-silver tone control band. Super 19590 is shown in the photo. After Super 22433 there are no more brass tone control bands.
#64 Baluster Braces change from three to two
From the beginning of production, the Super had one baluster brace on the leadpipe side and two on the bell side. The Super cornet initially had one brace on each side of the balusters, but this was changed to the same configuration as the Super trumpet withing the first couple of years of production.
Super 19976 is the last observed example with three braces.
To the right is a photo showing the baluster braces on Super 15051
#65 Baluster Braces change from three to two
For a couple of years (1949-1950) , there was only one brace on each side. The photo to the left shows Super 20442 with this configuration. The only examples observed during this period are of the Super trumpet, so it it is unknome at this time if this change also applied to the Super cornet
Super 20106 is the first observed example with two braces
#66 Baluster Braces change from two to four.
A couple of years later, the baluster braces changed again, from one on each side connected to the middle baluster, to two braces on each side connected to the 1st and 3rd balusters. The photo to the left shows Super 53555 with this configuration. Super 52338 is the last example observed with two braces and Super 53555 is the first example observed with four braces. All later models through the end of the Fullerton era had this four baluster brace configuration. Fullerton examples of the Super cornet all have the same four baluster braces, but it is unknown if the change occurred at approximately the same time
#67 My Olds Story
This is my dad's Super Trumpet Super 18168 that he purchased after being discharged from the Navy in 1946. He had a dance band in Houston and continued playing until he passed this on to my oldest brother and then me in high school. In 1977, I made my first vintage horn restoration mistake when I talked my dad into getting this trumpet relacquered. I learned later what a poor job they did when I realized the tone control band engraving had been completely buffed off. For my dad's 80th birthday, I had Charlie Melk completely restore the trumpet and install a new Olds Super bell that I'd acquired. My dad didn't' know the difference between Fullerton and Los Angeles, so he enjoyed his newly restored trumpet for the next fourteen years as he continued to play in the community band. After his passing in 2019, I had Charlie install the Los Angeles brass tone ring bell that I'd acquired to match the original bell on this trumpet.
This trumpet was made shortly after the war as Olds was ramping up production and is a great example of some of the design and cosmetic changes that were underway. It has the first slide saddle and third slide stop rod that were features of pre-war and wartime Supers, but were discontinued shortly after this trumpet was made. This trumpet also has the serial number stamped on the top caps and valve stems, in addition to the spring barrels. The serial number stamping on the top caps and valve stems would also end shortly after this trumpet was made. Likewise, the two digits of the serial number stamped on the slides tubes ended just after this trumpet was made. This trumpet is one of the last Supers to have lighter weight tubing for the valve slides. However, it also has a brass tone ring and no brace on the tuning slide, which were features of early post-war Supers.
Changes in the early 50's to the Super and other Olds models
#68 Flat style bracing replaced with post style bracing
The flat-style beam bracing between the slides was changed to more of a post-style, between Super 54932 and 56126. This same change occurred on the Recording model.
Super 54932 is the last recorded with flat style beam bracing between the slides.
#69 Flat style beam bracing replaced with post style bracing
The first Super Trumpet recorded with the new slide bracing is Super 56126.
#70 A batch of Super trumpets with US Military marking
Super 58235 and Super 58272 were two trumpets in a batch of silver plated trumpets with US engraved on the bell were made in 1951 presumably during the Korean War.
#71 US Military Super trumpets
In addition to the US engraving (and a case with US embossed on it) these Military issue Supers had traditional waterkeys on the tuning slide.
Based on adjacent batches of other models recorded in the Olds Register, this batch of Military Supers trumpets was between 40 and 200 instruments.
#72 Balusters briefly changed
Super 59513 has straight sided balusters, rather than the traditional Olds "bulbed" style. A few other Super trumpets have been identified with this design change, all in the 59000 serial number range. Several Recording trumpets in a larger range of serial numbers also have this style of balusters.
#73 Trombone style water key changed to standard on the 3rd valve slide
The replacement of the trombone style waterkey with a standard water key on the third slide is an example of a change that is not completely sequential by serial number. Super 52338 is the first documented standard waterkey on the 3rd slide; however, most Supers of this era continued to have trombone style waterkeys on the 3rd slide. By Super 68254, all subsequent Super trumpets have a standard waterkey on the 3rd slide.
As a player, I find it awkward to have different style waterkeys on the same instrument, but Olds did this on the Super, Recording, and Special trumpets and cornets.
#74 Balusters become brass for a couple of years
From Super 63691 to Super 101534 brass balusters replaced the standard nickel-silver on Super trumpets and cornets. (This occurred on the Special trumpet and cornet as well).
This may have been as a result of material restrictions placed by the US government during the Korean War. Nickel silver trim on the Super trumpet remained unchanged.
The Mendez model was introduced during this era (86000) and had brass balusters with very little nickel silver and this remained constant even after the nickel-silver balusters returned to the Super. All Recording model trumpets and cornets that have been observed continued to have nickel-silver balusters consistently during this time period.
#75 Top and bottom cap sizes change
• 80000 The size of both the top and bottom caps are changed to a larger diameter. (This occurred on all Olds trumpets and cornets at approximately the same time). The Mendez model was introduced at about this time (sn 86000) and the first Mendez models had the new larger size top and bottom caps. Perhaps the change coincided with introduction of this new model since it has the same style top and bottom caps as the Super and also Special and Recording).
The photo shows a set of three of the older style bottom caps on the bottom and a set of three of later style on the top. The thread sizes are obviously different. The older style measures .815 inches in diameter. The later style measures .865 inches in diameter.
#76 Two-Pin Valve guides
The photo shows the older "two pin" style of valve guide. Each guide consists of two pieces. The two-pin style consists of a brass keyway that is inserted into the slots in the spring barrel. The ring is inserted over the top of the spring barrel and seats into the two grooves in the bar.
The photo shows one valve guide disassembled and another with the two parts connected.
#77 Two-Pin Valve guides end
Super 108106 is the last observed with two-pin valve guides. Shortly after this, they were discontinued on the Super as well as other models. The Mendez model began production at serial number 86000 with single pin valve guides. Perhaps this was developed for the new Mendez model and then carried over to the other models.
#78 Single-pin valve guides begin
The photo shows the later "single pin" style of valve guide. Each guide also consists of two pieces. The large ring with the single keyway pin is inserted into the slot in the spring barrel. The smaller retaining ring is inserted into the groove of the larger ring to secure it to the spring barrel.
The photo shows one valve guide disassembled and another with the two parts connected.
Fullerton Era Olds Supers (1954 - 1979)
#79 Move to Fullerton accelerates production
Olds moved to a new plant in Fullerton in 1954 for more space to allow production to expand. In the years leading up to the move, Olds was producing close to 20,000 instruments per year. A few years after the move, production expanded to as many as 50,000 per year, with and expansion of the types as well as number of instruments produced. The changes that occurred to the Super model during the Los Angeles era were frequent, but usually small changes based on available materials or some fine-tuning of the model . The changes made during the Fullerton era were more often based on production and cost concerns. Most of the changes during the Fullerton era occurred on some other models (presumably) at the same time.
#80 Tone Bands continue to be engraved Los Angeles
Even though Olds moved to a new plant in Fullerton in 1954, there was a delay in changing the engraving on most models; however, within a couple of years, "Los Angeles" was replaced with "Fullerton" on all models except Super trumpets and cornets. The tone band continued to be engraved "Los Angeles" until 1960. Either Olds had a supply of tone bands on hand already engraved with Los Angeles or the template that was being used for the photo engraving was not changed until 1960.
Super 280905 made circa 1959 shown on the right.
#81 Third slide "dump" end discontinued
From the initial production in 1937, all Super trumpets had a third slide "dump end" so that the third slide had two connected pieces. There was also a water key on this slide, so the "dump end" was not needed to expel water, so it might be considered redundant, but during the Fullerton production it was eliminated, likely as a cost cutting measure. This feature was also eliminated on the Recording model. If you look closely at the two photos where the nickel-silver meets the brass crook on the slide, you can see the difference in these two slides.
The photo on the left shows Super 343242 on the top with the dump slide and Super 504265 on the bottom that does not have the dump end.
#82 Super Cornet production ends
The Super Cornet last appears in the 1967 Olds Catalog as pi4tured on the right. The last serial number for a Super Cornet recorded in the Olds Register is 650152 circa 1968 production.
#83 Valox spring barrels
In th5 early 1970's Olds began providing a new type of valve set with some models, including the Super Trumpet. The spring barrels and valve guides were made of Valox, a thermoplastic polyester resin. Olds did not use these on the Ambassador models, so perhaps it was not a cost cutting move, but they were discontinued after few years with production of nickel plated brass spring barrels resuming. Brass valve guides were replaced with nylon valve guides, likely for cost savings. The photo on the right shows the Valox spring barrels and valve guides on Super 823386.
#84 Ultra Sonic bell
Although "Ultra Sonic" is engraved on the leadpipe, the Super trumpets in the early 1970's (as well as the Mendez, Custom and Clarke Terry models) were supplied with "Ultra Sonic" bells. According to R. Dale Olson, "The Ultra-Sonic Bell was a one-piece, seamless, bell, manufactured through an "explosion molding" process. In this, a tapered tube was inserted into a mold, with an explosive charge detonated within the tube. Upon explosion, the metal was forced to the approximate shape of the mold. A secondary process involved "spinning" the bell against a mandrel to achieve the final configuration.
This process was employed essentially because of economics. It was cheaper. Later, this process was replaced by "plasma welding", an even more economical process. Never were any musical characteristics, better or worse, associated with the different manufacturing processes." Super 823386 is shown on the right.
#85 1st valve slide saddle returns
This photo from the 1977 Olds Catalog shows the final configuration of the Super trumpet with a 1st valve slide saddle and a 3rd valve slide stop rod.
#86 3rd valve slide stop rod
Super 797893 is shown on the right with the 3rd valve slide stop rod that was added to the Super after the new Super Star model was introduced with this feature. This threaded rod was a design previously used by Reynolds and obviously found its way to several Olds models after Reynolds was acquired by Olds' parent company, Chicago Musical Instrument Company (later Norlin.)
#87 The last Super Trumpet recorded in the Olds Register is A30107 made during the last months of Olds production in 1979
Admittedly, the Fullerton era is not as well documented. Please submit any comments to add to this section.
This is the end of the specific features and some reference information follows.
Weight of Super Trumpets
Year Serial number Weight
1939 6320 33.6 ounces
1939 6879 32.4 ounces
1940 7746 33.9 ounces
1941 8256 33.6 ounces
1946 15987 33.8 ounces
1947 18422 35.2 ounces
1947 22102 34.2 ounces
1947 23152 33.8 ounces
1949 36400 36.4 ounces
1965 504265 38.6 ounces