Artist Endorsements

Early Reynolds catalogs, advertisements and other marketing materials featured dozens of prominent professional artists, band directors and students who were associated with Reynolds at one point or another in their careers. After the sale of Reynolds to the Chicago Musical Instrument Co. in 1964 (and eventual merger with F.E. Olds), however, professional endorsements disappear completely. It's likely that increased competition forced Reynolds to focus more on tightening budgets than pay endorsement fees -- Reynolds' relationship with James Chambers in the late 1950s/early 1960s appears to have been the final promotional artist contract.