Extended Range Altissimo "E.R.A." Trumpets

The ERA trumpets were designed to facilitate high-register playing with a long, narrow profile bell that abruptly flares out to 5". The Clarin-ERA was identical to the Olds Custom CHR model, with a tuning bell design that eliminates the main tuning slide, resulting in a long tapered mouthpipe that extends from the mouthpiece to the third-valve entry port. See Alan Rouse's review of the CHR for more details. The Clarin-ERA was only made for a few years, beginning in 1975 and ending before 1977 (see Professional-ERA notes below for a possible legal explanation).

The Professional-ERA trumpet shares the bell profile of the Clarin-ERA and Olds Custom CHR models, but has a main tuning slide and a standard, non-tuneable bell. According to The Schilke Loyalist, Olds was sued by Yamaha in the 1970s in defense of a tuning bell patent (U.S. Patent 3,257,135) that had been secured by Renold Schilke and given to Yamaha. It is uncertain if the Professional-ERA model was made as a result of this lawsuit or not.

Model History | Specifications