Sousaphones

Some variations have been seen within Reynolds sousaphones, e.g. some with nickel-silver valve slide crooks vs others with brass, but not enough to possibly assign as unique model lines (like with the trumpets and cornets).

Regent instruments were made by Ohio Band Instrument Co., a subsidiary of F.A. Reynolds, using the same factory machines and craftsmen as the parent company.

The Contempora line launched in 1949 with new trumpet and bass trombone models, followed by cornet and tenor trombone. A year later, most original "F.A. Reynolds" instruments had been rebranded on paper as "Contempora" instruments, including the Sousaphones, though they were still referred to as "Reynolds" instruments throughout the 1950s. It is undetermined if the "Contempora" name was engraved prior to 1952, so many of these instruments may look the same as the F.A. Reynolds models.

Sousaphones made from 1952-1960 should have "Contempora" and "Made by Roth-Reynolds" engraved on the bell.

Sometime after Richards Music purchased Reynolds in 1961, the product catalog was reorganized. Old model numbers were replaced with a new scheme that incorporated an abbreviation for the type of instrument, e.g. "FE" for French Horn, and a hierarchal numbering system that reflected the grade of instrument, e.g. "01" for top-level artist instruments, "56" for student horns. To the best of knowledge, the instrument specifications did not change, just the model numbers. The new numbering system was used for the rest of the company's history.

New to the Reynolds catalog in 1961 was the introduction of a Fiberglass Sousaphone. Promising significant weight reduction and a variety of colors and finishes, the model married the traditional brass valve section to a fiberglass body and bell. Conn had announced their fiberglass sousaphone at the NAMM convention in July 1961—the RMC advertisement below appeared in September of that same year.

After CMI purchased the assets to Reynolds, background and low brass instruments were produced at the Reynolds factory in Abilene, Texas. There were slight adjustments to the model specifications compared to the Cleveland instruments. It has been reported that some parts—e.g., baritone and low brass bells—were manufactured at the Olds plant in Fullerton and shipped to Abilene to be assembled with parts made there. 

In 1970, Reynolds merged production lines with Olds in Fullerton and sold the Abilene plant to Conn. It appears that the brass sousaphones either did not make the transition to California, or were discontinued shortly thereafter. The 1970 catalog is their last documented appearance. The fiberglass sousaphone continued to be made, both as Reynolds and Olds models.