Reynolds Contempora; Cleveland; .500 bore.

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PaulT
Posts: 372
Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2018 9:55 pm
Location: North Dakota

Reynolds Contempora; Cleveland; .500 bore.

Post by PaulT »

Hello,

I am a new member. I picked up a Reynolds Contempora on Ebay last summer. I was just interested in trying a smaller, lighter horn. And I wanted an old one. And this one seemed like it would fit the bill, so I bid and won. The horn has Cleveland, Ohio engraved on the throat and it has a 7.5" bell with a sliver ring around the edge. I like the horn a lot and it would be fun to know more about it. I found the "Contempora Corner" and have learned the horn was probably made sometime in sixties. Was it the kind of horn that might have spent some time in a jazz club or would it more likely have been in a high school band?

It plays and sounds the same to me regardless of where and what it might have been. And it plays and sounds darn good. It's just that, wow, it was built half a century ago, it's older than I am, and it would be fun to know more about it. I never thought a lot about trombone history, and now I might have a bit of it in my living room.

Any help here on what I have?

(and I love what I have whatever it is I do have)
spangy
Posts: 53
Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2018 8:17 pm

Re: Reynolds Contempora; Cleveland; .500 bore.

Post by spangy »

Sounds like you you have a 30-m. I have one one also that I like. Beautiful horns with top notch workmanship.
Reynolds Basses seemed to have a bit of a following but I'm not sure of any pros besides Jack Teagarden that used them. Supposedly, Big T when asked what the "R" on his horn stood for replied "rotten". I don't think he was a big fan.
Unless you have some documentation like a name on the case, its only a guess as to the history. More than likely it was a nice horn for a high schooler or amateur . They just weren't popular with jazz players of the time.
Reynolds made some nice horns. I also have a Professional and an Argenta. Both are great. I also picked up a professional cornet from the same year as my trombone. Its a wonderful player.
Enjoy your unique horn. they don't get much prettier.
Posaunus
Posts: 3424
Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2018 9:54 pm
Location: California

Re: Reynolds Contempora; Cleveland; .500 bore.

Post by Posaunus »

Continue to love your Contempora (almost certainly a Model 30-M). These were nice, professional-quality trombones, even if few professionals actually played them. A little quirky - oversize mouthpiece receivers, so Reynolds mouthpieces (with larger-than-standard shanks) fit best - if you can play them with the sound that you like. Other mouthpieces will drop farther into the receiver, so some will "bottom out" on the decorative ridges between the shank and the cup.

I like the Contempora 35 I picked up a few years ago (0.520' bore with F-attachment), though the ergonomics of the valve lever are a little awkward. Nice jazzy sound! Very robust.
PaulT
Posts: 372
Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2018 9:55 pm
Location: North Dakota

Re: Reynolds Contempora; Cleveland; .500 bore.

Post by PaulT »

Thank you, gentlemen, for your nice replies.

I hadn't noticed anything unusual about the mouthpiece receiver (not that I had looked). So I checked. I have been using a Bach 12C (mainly) and a Yamaha 45A (fun fun) on the horn. Both mouthpieces settle in with a just smidgen over a quarter inch of space showing between the receiver and the mouthpiece ridges (9/32" :wink: ) I don't know what normal is, but at least it is snug and not bottoming out. I have no idea if the horn has ever been modified or tinkered with.

I did find a note tucked in the lining of the case. It says, "Tommy D, enjoy the blow!" The note is signed "Glen Muller" or maybe it's " Miller", I can't tell, it's a little hard to read. Looking at it again, I think it's "Miller". Maybe the trombone was a present to this Tommy D person?



(there was no note. I just decided to give my sweet little horn a backstory :idea: )
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PhilipEdCarlson
Posts: 106
Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2018 10:59 pm

Re: Reynolds Contempora; Cleveland; .500 bore.

Post by PhilipEdCarlson »

PaulT wrote: Wed Jul 25, 2018 12:22 am I did find a note tucked in the lining of the case. It says, "Tommy D, enjoy the blow!" The note is signed "Glen Muller" or maybe it's " Miller", I can't tell, it's a little hard to read. Looking at it again, I think it's "Miller". Maybe the trombone was a present to this Tommy D person.

(there was no note. I just decided to give my sweet little horn a backstory :idea: )
I have an Olds Super with a service tag on the case that says George Roberts. No joke, but the TC Community calmed me down when I discovered that. Not very likely... but, I'm not taking the tag off anyway!
Philip Carlson
TR-181, 72H, 88HCL, 32H, 30H, 4H, 50's Super, 40's Super, Buescher True-Tone 410 & The Buescher, Constellation Euph, Getzen Severenson
Davidus1
Posts: 155
Joined: Sun Apr 22, 2018 8:00 pm
Location: St. Louis, MO

Re: Reynolds Contempora; Cleveland; .500 bore.

Post by Davidus1 »

Congrats on your purchase!
Conn Victor 5H
Yamaha YSL-630
Yamaha YSL-354
Miraphone 186 BBb
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