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F.A. Reynolds Trombones, Model [C]

Model History | Specifications

1946-1952 | F.A. Reynolds (Division of Scherl & Roth, Cleveland)

Model [C1] | Bore: .500" | Bell: 7½" brass | Materials: nickel-silver gooseneck, tuning slide, bracing and trim | Slide: chrome-plated nickel silver inner slides; brass outer slides with nickel-silver sleeves and handgrip | Finish: clear lacquer finish | Brass "R" counterweight; mother-of-pearl inset on slide lock ring

SN 23856; photos used with permission from Terry Glander (eBay Member: ohio-stubbo).

Model [C2] | same as [C1] with sterling silver bell

No example photos available.

Design Notes

Shortly after Scherl & Roth bought the F.A. Reynolds Co. in 1946, the Reynolds trombones underwent significant changes and incorporated much more of an Olds-style design. It is unknown whether (a) members of Olds' design staff had joined Reynolds during or after World War II when Olds had suspended instrument production to make war goods; (b) there was a greater willingness to "borrow" obvious design aspects of competitive models; or (c) the design simply evolved as Reynolds developed and introduced the Emperor and Contempora models in the mid/late 1940s. The changes are detailed in the following table:

Old Style (1936-1946)		New Style (1946-)
	Counterweight \| Most early Reynolds (and Regent) trombones were produced with a generic round counterweight similar to the King Liberty horns; after the sale to Roth, the distinctive "R" counterweight was introduced on all Reynolds models.
	Bell Bracing \| Reynolds' conventional bell bracing and ferrules were replaced with Olds-style triangular ferrules, which appear to have been patented in 1938 by Reginald Olds.
	Materials \| The original Reynolds trombones had a brass gooseneck and tuning slide crook; the change to solid nickel-silver up to the bell flare was adopted on the Professional and Contempora models, while Roth and Emperor models retained the brass components.
	Slide Lock \| The heavy-duty beveled slide lock of the older instruments featured a mother-of-pearl inset and was replaced with a smaller, non-beveled style ring, then finally a conventional ring with locking bar.
	Slide Crook \| Like King trombones, the early Reynolds horns were made with a separate ferrule connecting the outer slide tubes to the slide crook; this was changed to a one-piece crook with flared tubing at the ends, presumably saving manufacturing cost.