Argenta

"Crafted in gleaming nickel silver, the new Reynolds Argenta series of Trumpets, Cornets and Trombones combines matchless beauty with unsurpassed tonal quality. Moderate in price, outstanding in value, these newly created instruments are ideal for advanced students and professionals who require instruments of precision and artistic workmanship. Built with meticulous attention to detail as are all Reynolds instruments, this dynamic new series of instruments is another example of Reynolds' quality leadership in the band instrument field. The solid nickel silver will withstand intensive use over many years." (1959 catalog)

Reynolds introduced the solid nickel-silver Argenta trumpet, cornet and tenor trombone in 1959, perhaps as a result of their work earlier in the 1950s designing and building the nickel-silver Chambers Model French horn. Evidently based on large-bore Contempora designs, the Argenta models were, and still are, some of very few non-French horn band instruments made completely of solid nickel silver.

Nickel silver, also known as German silver or neusilber, is an alloy of copper, zinc and nickel. A representative alloy mix contains 65% copper, 17% zinc and 18% nickel (compared to 80% copper and 20% zinc for yellow brass); despite its close appearance, there is no actual silver in nickel silver. Nickel silver has similar characteristics to brass, but is harder and stiffer, making it a durable alternative often used on high-wear areas of a horn, including valve casings, hand grips, tuning slides and trim.

Instruments made of solid nickel silver tend to have a darker, clearer tone compared to standard brass alloys. Nickel silver emphasizes the lower and higher overtone series, resulting in a sound that resonates very clearly in the corresponding registers. Nickel silver horns also tend to project more dramatically than other brass alloys and can easily throw an ensemble section out of balance without care; they are often used where a homogeneous section balance isn't emphasized, e.g. as a soloist instrument or in a small mixed-instrument horn line. That said, many have found satisfaction using Argenta instruments within big band groups and other similar settings.

According to Reynolds' trademark application, the name "Argenta" was taken from the Spanish word for "silver".

Model Engraving Styles

The photos and notes below describe the different engraving styles that were used on Argenta instruments over different periods of the Reynolds Company's history: