Medalist Trombones

The Medalist line effectively replaced the Roth instruments in the RMC/Reynolds catalog. The Roth cornet, trumpet and trombone had been one of the three original instrument lines manufactured at F.A. Reynolds and Ohio Band, along with the Reynolds and Regent lines, and were noted for their durability and value. Conversely, Paul Rawlins notes that the early student horns produced by RMC-Reynolds were made with low-quality, inexpensive sheet brass. The concept was to put a cheap horn in a durable Samsonite case and sell the package to the student rental market. The approach worked until it was discovered that the low-quality brass used to make the horns could not be repaired without permanent damage to the metal.

After CMI purchased the assets to the Reynolds business, all trumpets, cornets, trombones and French horns were made at the Olds factory in Fullerton, Calif. There were typically slight adjustments to the model designs and specifications compared to the Cleveland instruments, however, the Medalist straight tenor underwent a more extensive transformation.

Medalist straight tenor trombones made in Fullerton were essentially rebranded versions of Olds' Ambassador Model A-15. Key changes include Olds' traditional dual-bore design, changes to the bracing ferrules and the move of the bell/slide connection nut from Reynolds’ traditional placement on the bell section to the slide, as on other Olds trombones. Model TO-57 (with F attachment) retained much more of the original Reynolds design.

In 1970, Reynolds fully merged production lines with Olds in Fullerton and sold the Abilene plant to Conn. In most cases, a horn would come off the California production line and become either a Reynolds- or Olds-branded instrument based on detailing and finish. These late Reynolds trombones are easily distinguished from earlier models by the rectangular "Reynolds" counterweight.

Model TO-55 (with F attachment) was introduced c.1974 and added the Olds-style dual bore slide.