1967 Olds Ambassador

[walldaja]

Today I got a "old" Olds that dates from when I first started playing trombone. I actually had an Olds then but it was a 1920's TIS model with that dancing bear on the bell.

I really like the way they mounted the counter-weight on the inner radius of the tuning slide instead of the "oh-so-common" way of mounting it on a brace. The bracing is neat by having flat sides. Art deco must have been in full swing.

Horn sounds good, using a Yamaha 48 mpc right now. Just need to get the slide working better, though it is free enough to play--it just pales compared to my Courtois and Yamaha which are as smooth as glass.

Was surprised to see evidence of a soldered in ring on the bell (like my Courtois). I appreciate the parents who got this for they kid who obviously didn't play it so I could see what was their "state of the art" for 1967 as well as hear what it sounds like.

[JohntheTheologian]

I rescued an even older Olds Ambassador from a local pawn shop and after several slide cleanings to get the caked on slide cream off, I got the slide working pretty well.

I plan on passing it on to one of the grandkids when they get a bit older, but the Olds 3 mp that came with it isn't in the best of shape.

If you have one that you're interested in passing on that's in good condition--- no plating wear on the rim-- and the price is cheap, I'd be interested. I'd also like to find a new case for mine. I'm keeping the nice after market case that I got from the pawn shop with the one I purchased. I'd prefer one of the lightweight plastic ones.

[walldaja]

A nice soak in the tub with warm water and Dawn (works for those little birds too) and then a few passes with a swab through the outer tubes made a big difference in the slide. Put a light coat of Yami-snot on it and it will be just fine. Applied some lacquer cleaner to the bell and it looks outstanding.

The case is in remarkable shape too, all hinges and latches work though it does smell a little musty. Unfortunately, after a closer look the block that holds the bell is held in place with a screw from the outside of the case. The screw has managed to break through the case.

In the mean time I can park it on a stand and I've got a Worfpack that can swallow it.

[JohnD]

You started off playing trombone back in '67? So did I. You ended up with an Ambie? So did I. This horn looks great. If there is no plating loss on the inners and the cleaned (!) slide runs even, this one will be fun. You may want to check with the SlideDoctors site about polishing the outer slide inside. Later, after a break-in time, the slide should be fine.
I like to play against some resistance in the very high register, impossible to overblow the heavy bell, dark fat sound for a small bore. Best results with Yamaha slide lube ( "Yamahasnot").
Check for intonation since the original mpc might go in a little deeper. Mine had the main tuning slide cut for 442Hz. I love those horns. Have fun!