1936-1946: The Originals

1936: In February 1936, just after his 51st birthday, Foster A. Reynolds (1884-1960) founded the F.A. Reynolds Company after more than 30 years work at the H.N. White Company. The new company was located at 2845 Prospect Avenue in Cleveland, near the campus of former Fenn College, now Cleveland State University.

Reynolds' early instruments have much in common with the designs he was familiar with from his work at H.N. White and it is not unthinkable that Reynolds leaned heavily on his former experience and relationships as he got his new company started (especially H.N. White workers whom he convinced to join him or whose services he "borrowed"). Regardless, he quickly moved to separate himself from his past work and establish his company's own place in the industry:

"With an established reputation in the industry and access to skilled technical assistance in Cleveland, Reynolds was able to experiment with design improvements in his own factory and to produce tubas, sousaphones, French horns, baritones and bass trombones that were rapidly recognized for superior workmanship and accoustical properties." [Richard Dundas, "Twentieth Century Brass Musical Instruments in the United States", p.59]

At about the same time that Foster Reynolds founded the F.A. Reynolds Co., he also established the Ohio Band Instrument Company. Producing horns in the same factory as F.A. Reynolds Co., Ohio Band sold instruments exclusively to dealers in the school band market, a business model Foster Reynolds was well familiar with from his work with H.N. White's Cleveland Band and American Standard divisions. Ohio Band production averaged approximately 5000 horns/year for 1936-1946, a little more than twice the rate of F.A. Reynolds instruments.

The Regent brand was Ohio Band's primary instrument line. Ohio Band offered dealers a full catalog of Regent brass and woodwind instruments and band accessories, including stands, mutes, mouthpieces, reeds, etc. Compare Ohio Band's catchphrase "Instruments of Quality" with the F.A. Reynolds slogan "Instruments of Distinction".

In addition to the Regent and Roth (see below) brands, Ohio Band made horns under the Paramount brand. Little is known about these instruments.

1938: Max Scherl and Heinrich Roth moved the former Simson & Frey (now Scherl & Roth) stringed instrument company from New York to Cleveland. As early as 1940 and possibly earlier, Reynolds' Ohio Band division was producing a "Roth Band Instruments" line of trumpet, cornet and tenor trombone. It seems likely, but has not been confirmed, that these were produced in association with Scherl & Roth, perhaps as part of that company's push into the school orchestra market. An Ohio Band print advertisement from 1940 features a youthful Charlie Shavers in a variety of contemporary settings that would appeal to younger musicians.

1940s: Reynolds' early success was recognized by the United States military and the company was awarded considerable contracts to provide instruments for Army Air Force service bands during World War II. These contracts allowed the relatively new company to continue focusing on instrument production when many more-established manufacturers, e.g. Olds and Conn, were forced to shut down instrument lines and produce wartime equipment. Reynolds made instruments for the military until the production contract quota was met in the late 1940s. Instruments made for the service bands typically bear a large "U.S." mark near the rim of the bell.

1946: After spending over ten years building and securing his company's place in the brass instrument industry and over 40 years in the industry overall, Foster Reynolds sold F.A. Reynolds Co. (including Ohio Band Instrument Co.) to Max Scherl and Heinrich Roth of the Scherl & Roth Company ( 1729 Superior Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio).