Olds Rotary Tuba

[Dan Schultz]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Pro-F-E-Olds-NO1004 ... 414ba7d2a9

Who is making these horns that display the Olds logo? I know it's not really Olds. I found some sales literature on Olds in a neighborhood music store a couple of years ago. The sales hype spoke of a 'lifetime' warranty. I called their corporate offices in New Jersey (I think) and folks I questioned about whether they had a parts program and what a 'lifetime' warranty meant did not seen to want to talk to me. ... imagine that! Anyway.... I've since been a little puzzled about the 'new' Olds line.

What's the poop?

[tubademon999]

back in High School, I bought one of these horns from a music store in Texas. I had this exact horn. It is a Maestro, which is a Chinese company. This guy is lying about it being made by Olds. They are student horns at best.

[The Big Ben]

The sales hype spoke of a 'lifetime' warranty. I called their corporate offices in New Jersey (I think) and folks I questioned about whether they had a parts program and what a 'lifetime' warranty meant did not seen to want to talk to me. ... imagine that! Anyway.... I've since been a little puzzled about the 'new' Olds line.

Kind of reminds me of the joke of a kid with a lemonade stand.

Sign says: "Lemonade- All You Can Drink! 10 c."

Man says: "I'll have a glass."

Man gives kid the dime, get a glass of lemonade, drinks it right down, asks for another. Kid refuses.

Man says: "Hey, it says 'All You Can Drink'"

Kid says: "That's right. One glass is all you can drink."

I imagine the New Olds 'lifetime warrantee' is void as soon as it breaks or wears out. "That's the end of the life of the horn. We only warranted it to last until it wears out. Since the horn is now worn out, the warrantee is invalid."

Jeff "Not ready for prime time" Benedict

[The Big Ben]

back in High School, I bought one of these horns from a music store in Texas. I had this exact horn. It is a Maestro, which is a Chinese company. This guy is lying about it being made by Olds. They are student horns at best.

I'm guessing that this company bought the rights to use the Olds name from whomever received the rights when Olds went belly up. They bought a recognizable name and a stellar reputation along with it. Kinda too bad they chose to drag the name through the mud.

Let the buyer beware....

[tuba-tobias]

The paddles, linkage and other details looks "Cervenish" (or Amati or Musica) to me. If it is chinese made it must be a stensil of those brands.
The case looks as Winther's cases that comes with Cerveny (and Amati and Musica)instruments here in Norway.

[Dan Schultz]

Cerveny CBB 681
!!!

I have one in the house currently................

Cheers

Kurt

Did you get a lifetime warranty with the Cerveny?

[TUbajohn20J]

I played somebody's "new" 3 top valve BBb Olds a few years ago. It played pretty good and was in tune. Reminded me of the way Conn 12J's play. Good student tuba!

[Cameron Gates]

I vote Cerveny. The picture shows a bell with a silver ring at the flare. Have the Chinese done that? Me thinks no.

This is assuming that the tuba in the picture is the one you would get shipped to you.

That tuba has Cerveny all over it. Looks like a potential killer deal if the price stays low.

[brasshospital]

I agree with the Cerveny. I used to work for a music store that was an Amati dealer and we would get trumpets in with the Olds logo. Amati owns the rights to the Olds name. As far as i know. We were also told that they would make horns for most of the manufactures.

[brasshospital]

Bloke
I could be wrong but that was what was implied to me when I worked at that store. And it was straight from Amati US. Oh well. Sorry if I am wrong.

[WakinAZ]

I played a new "Olds" piston three banger that looked like a Chinese copy of a Yamaha student tuba. Even had the funky valve guide things. So these folks are probably sourcing from wherever they can depending on the instrument.

[Dan Schultz]

I played a new "Olds" piston three banger that looked like a Chinese copy of a Yamaha student tuba. Even had the funky valve guide things. So these folks are probably sourcing from wherever they can depending on the instrument.

Yep. You can see that same horn on the 'Eastman' website. It's a copy of a Yamaha. When I first saw one... It appeared so close that I figured all the parts would interchange with the Yamaha version. It's come to me from fairly reliable sources (not totally confirmed by me) that Eastman actually bought the old factory where the Yamaha tubas were built... complete with the tooling.

Since the bells on the Olds rotary horns appear to be of European origin... it's in the realm of possibility that the body is built somewhere other than Europe and the final assembly is done by Amati. Only the 'Shadow' knows where parts originate.

At this juncture... I don't care where horns originate. Just so long as they pass the 'acid test' of a little time in the hands of school kids and that repair parts are available. The quality issues.... good or bad... will ultimately determine the success or failure of these brands.