1938 F.E. Olds & Son Military/Radio Recording Model Cornet is a Vintage Cornet I found in a pawn shop 40+ years ago. The serial number is 5955. From the information I have been able to obtain over time, it was manufactured approximately 1939, based on the serial number (https://olds-central.com/serial-numbers/). It still plays great and looks brand new.
The Military/Radio Recording first appeared in the Olds catalog published in 1939 and was likely available for a year or two, making it one of the rarest. It appears almost identical to the Military Model Cornet that it seems to have replaced. The bells appear to have been made on the same mandrel, the valves are the same bore (.453”) and the mouth pipes also appear the same. The most detectable differences are in the primary-tuning slide crook and tubes. In the Military, the upper tube is .418” bore, the lower is .438” and the crook tapers in between. In the Radio, the upper tube is the same, but the crook and lower tube are .453” bore. The Military Model pictured below (top) is an early example from about 1934.
It looks like a trumpet, but it is shorter than a standard trumpet by approximately 2.5 inches from tip of bell to tip of lead pipe. It has a “slim line” profile in comparison to that of a standard cornet. The lead pipe uses the "Olds" type cornet mouthpiece. Other cornet mouthpieces, the back-bore shank is smaller. A trumpet mouthpiece does not fit very well because the back-bore shank is a little too large and sticks to far out of the lead-pipe.
The cornet was refurbished by the previous owner (quite sure the previous owner did not know what they had).
If you stand the horn on its bell, looking at it straight on (with the top of the valves pointing toward you) the engraving on the bell, reading from left to right, "RADIO ~ MODEL" is engraved. Also, running from lower left to upper right, the word "OLDS" is centered on a ribbon type banner. On the lower left end of the ribbon "Made by ~ F. E. Olds ~ & Son" is engraved, and on the upper right end of the ribbon "LOS ~ Angeles ~ Cal. USA" is engraved.
Online, in 2021, a Lacquered 1938 Olds Military Model Cornet sold for $1,200.00. Sold for https://reverb.com/item/40602973-1938-olds-military-model-cornet-in-lacquer
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Musical Instruments.
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