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I need a few parts for this horn, and also, I was wondering if they were particularly good or bad in comparison to other fiberglass horns? I know the Conn 36K (I think) is considered the gold standard here for plastic, but were the Olds/Reynolds decent or totally worthless?
The parts it will need are bell screws (don't know if they are locing, as mentioned in a recent thread, as none are present) and the little screws that hold the valve body to the main bugle.
An intersting asise, the serial number of 840xxx on the second vavle does not match the list here: http://contemporacorner.com/serial-numbers/sn-reynolds/ as teh last number listed is int the 200K range. Would this be an Olds valve section with an Olds number? It's marked "Reynolds" in that black oval "badge" on the bell-to-body brace.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Hi! If you don't have any luck with the Reynolds, I'll make you a heck of a deal on my King! It's one of the first 'glass ones, with the paper label on the bell! Al.

Movable upper first slide, nice. They got that part right.

WakinAZ wrote:Movable upper first slide, nice. They got that part right.

My favorite detail in any souzy, so you can actually play in tune. The rest is, well, souzy.

So I cleaned it out with the garden hose today, hoping to find a wad of newspaper or something because it played pretty poorly, but nothing came out. Somehow, it does play a bit better now anyways, which is nice. I did discover a leak at one of the attachments, and I'm wondering how much of an effect this has. Right now it's an OK player, would fixing the leak (maybe) make it considerably better? Should it be an easy fix for my tech, possibly just needing a new washer/gasket? The valves are in good shape, with decent compression, so I'm thinking this is the only real issue aside from the missing screws. It would be nice to come home from a dixie/street gig and not have people ask me if I'm OK. I'm not a big dude, and that old silver King really wears me out.

bloke wrote: If you undo those brass-fiberglass connections you can remove the valveset and discover whether the O-rings are missing. If they're missing, you can find something in the hardware store (small gauge) that will fit.

Is there supposed to be an O-ring there? 'Cause if there is, there ain't. In fact, none of them appear to have them, but this is the only one leaking. There are two big O-rings where the brass part enters the fiberglass part, these seem to be doing their job.

bloke wrote:Run a marble down through the instrument from the large side of the main slide to discover whether something is lodged in the instrument.

Now that I've got the valve set off, I can run my HW Brass Savers snake up a little further, and there definitely IS an obstruction. I can't reach it with my arm, hose water won't blast it out. I think it's located in the big tube, adjacent to the leak. What to do next? I'm limited to simple household tools right now.

bloke wrote:snip
The other consideration with the Olds/Reynolds (particularly older ones) is the DELICATE bell flare...VERY prone to chipping...If in good condition, I view these as fine for adult/private use, and an interesting combination of Conn and King playing characteristics.

snip

My Reynolds (an earlier version - seen here ) has done pretty well - surplused after 10 or so years from a Jr. High School band, I have owned it since 1985 and use it in several bands, travelled all over the world with it, not handling exactly delicately! I did have the valve cluster gone over in 1995, ding removal and some tuning slide joint re-soldering, but the valves did not need plating. One or two tiny holes developed in the bottom bow over the years, but no big cracks or major failures of the plastic parts, brackets or joints. It has a good (not great) tone and plays in tune easily. I don't think the stickers have any big effect on the sound quality.

Maybe I got lucky!

Mike Finn wrote:It would be nice to come home from a dixie/street gig and not have people ask me if I'm OK. I'm not a big dude, and that old silver King really wears me out.

Shoulda joined the Army instead, Mr. Get Right.

Now that you have the valve section off.... run a garden hose through the fiberglass part from the small end. The combination of the water force and 'banging' any obstruction with the hose should do the trick.

Gotta revive a thread. For years I was pretty much an either/or guy when it came to souzys. If it wasn't a pre-cyborg King or pre-Macmillian Conn, I generally would not consider playing it. But, when it became apparent that I needed a fiberglass souzy for some outdoor and other gigs, and airbornebandsman's Reynolds was listed for sale, I had to investigate. After searching the threads, I came upon this thread and digested it thoroughly, as well as other resources, like Contempora Corner and other blogs and posts.

bloke wrote:The O-rings would be where the brass fitting on the valve section plugs into the brass socket that is glued to the small-end of the fiberglass. Yes, those funky little brace connectors on Olds (Reynolds) ALWAYS leak...but that (I suppose ) is part of the "characteristic sound." You can make those brace connectors leak slightly less with a bit of carefully-placed epoxy glue (Armstrong brand - two small glass jars) being the best.

bloke wrote:I view the Olds/Reynolds sousaphones (brass or fiberglass) as a cross between...say...a Conn 36K and a King 2380...Conn 36K-size large-4/4 body with 11/16" ("King" size ) bore. Again, if the delicate brass/fiberglass connections on an Olds/Reynolds aren't torn, broken, or leaky (and the pistons aren't leaky either), you've got something. The other consideration with the Olds/Reynolds (particularly older ones) is the DELICATE bell flare...VERY prone to chipping...If in good condition, I view these as fine for adult/private use, and an interesting combination of Conn and King playing characteristics.

So I acquired airbornebandsman's Reynolds souzy. Great horn. I agree with all the above. It is fragile, but a great player. My bell is in perfect shape. I plan on keeping it that way. Because of the way the bell bead is prone to chipping, I plan on taking a length of 5/16" o.d. clear plastic tubing, slitting it, and running it around the outside edge as a ding guard. Yes, the scale is very, very good. 5th partials are great, better than the Conns, and the 6th partials are not sharp, like the Kings. This one is built in the old-fashioned style of the longer 3rd valve circuit so that 2+3 Gb and Db are in tune and 1+3 C and low F need very little, if any, lipping, or you can pull the top bow of the 1st valve circuit to get 1+3 and 1+2+3 in tune. The privilege tones are right on. This is the first souzy that I have been able to lip or slur from a privilege tone to a conventional tone easily. I could not do that on the Conns or Kings I have played over the years. I really like having a 24 inch bell so it is not quite as "top heavy," as on the Conn 14K, 36K and analogs, rather than a 26 inch bell as on just about everything else. And, it does not seem to have any leaks, which also speaks highly of how well it has been taken care of.

One band I play in used to have an Olds, but it was a little bit older, with the triangle "Olds" bell brace instead of the spacer brace my Reynolds has. For some reason, to me it played stuffy and thin. It could have been because of leaks from the hardware, as pointed out, and I almost didn't acquire the Renolds souzy as a result of that prior experience with the Olds.

But after reading this thread, and knowing that airbornebandsman takes care of his instruments, I did. It was more than worth it, and I am very happy with it. Now, off to the hardware store to get 6 1/2 feet of clear plastic tubing.

bloke, thanks. In spite of the best of care, events can eventuate, so if it happens, I will keep your post in mind - you're talking about the clear cement that you ring pvc pipe fittings with after cleaning them with the purple stuff, right?

I do believe the Reynolds sousa I had, and the Reynolds sousa from the original posts are the same horn.