Reynolds (Professional) Models
The photos and notes below describe the different engraving styles that were used on the Reynolds (Professional) line of instruments from 1936 through the mid 1970s.
1936-1946
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When Reynolds left H.N. White in 1936 to start his own company, he reportedly managed to take one of White’s long-time lead engravers with him. As a result, early Reynolds instruments have very ornate engravings that are reminiscent of the older H.N. White “Silver Tone” horns. |
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This ornate style appears on both sterling silver (above) and brass bell (here, silverplated) trumpets, cornets and trombones. Recorded serial numbers range from 208 to 9214 (1936-46). |
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This photo comes from an early Baritone – note subtle differences in the engraving pattern to the example above. |
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This engraving pattern was used on all instruments made for the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) bands during World War II. In addition to the bell engraving, a large “U.S.” mark was on the edge of the bell, signifying the USAAF procurement (as opposed to “USN” and “USQMC” marks for the Navy and regular Army bands, respectively). |
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The same mark above was used on all Reynolds background brass, baritones and low brass. |
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The French horns had a much simpler engraving style than other Reynolds instruments, most likely due to the thinner metal on the bell flare. |
1946-1952
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After Reynolds was sold to Scherl & Roth, a vertical engraving style replaced the ornate horizontal style on trumpets, cornets and trombones. Recorded serial numbers range from 92xx to approximately 30000 (1946-1952). |
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There is a marked difference between brass bell and sterling silver bell engravings. The former are marked with a very plain vertical FA REYNOLDS in block letters, while the sterling bells feature ornate engravings and filigree around the FA REYNOLDS text (see above). |
1952-1961
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When F.A. Reynolds cornets, trumpets and trombones were rebranded as the “Professional” line of instruments, the “Reynolds” block lettering engraving was changed to a script style that matched the engraving styles of the other model lines (Contempora, Emperor, Roth). Unlike these model lines, the Professional instruments only bore the “Reynolds” brand name without further designation. |
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TBD |
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Instruments with sterling silver bells were rebranded as “Reynolds Sterling” models in 1958/1959. |
1961-1964
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Description TBD |
1964-1970
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For all of its history with the Reynolds company, the Professional brand name was used sparingly after the early 1960s, when the company was sold twice and moved out of its manufacturing plant in Cleveland. The 1966 and 1970 Reynolds catalogs list only a Professional valve trombone, while some background brass simply carried the Reynolds name as shown here. |
1971-1979
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In Reynolds’ last decade, all instruments were similarly engraved: a large lowercase “reynolds” with the model name and “Made in USA” in smaller uppercase lettering underneath. The late-model Professional trumpets and trombones were made at the Olds plant in Fullerton from est.1971-74 and do not appear to be related to the Professional models above, other than sharing the name. |
