Help needed for more info and thoughts on my C trumpet made by Reynolds with Cardwell history.
The serial number is 217xxx from 1965, and I snagged it for a premium when stock from a store was being liquidated years ago. However when I purchased the horn the previous bell was smashed beyond repair (there is limited bracing on the trumpet due to the tunable bell design, so its fragile), and a tech was able to fit a similar holton bell to the tunable bell system to give it one. It plays great after the tech went through it, and has since turn a dark amber and probably needs a cleaning soon. The trumpet is currently fitted with a bach leadpipe and other main tuning slide made into one piece, however it also came with what was explained as its original leadpipe and main tuning slide, with US PAT 3507181 stamped on the reciever (Reynolds style). The interesting thing is that the main tuning slide was fitted with a water key bracket but never had its water hey hole drilled, and the soldered areas aren't buffed on the entire piece (Like NOS). The entire horn is still in raw brass. I know some of the history surronding W T Cardwell and his patent on trumpet leadpipes filed in 1967, and have read his work published in 1966 by the National Institute of Physics the "Working Theory of Trumpet Air Column Design". There is referenced that Cardwell made 4 trumpets, two of which became the Reynolds Era and Olds CHR made for a few years in the 70s before the lawsuit from Yamaha over the tunable bell design by Schilke. I believe this to be one of those 4 prototype trumpets, although some work has been done in the past to fit the bach leadpipe. Any more info or thoughts on this piece of history would be greatly appreciated. I tried contacting the FE Olds store in NJ but they are temporarily closed, and Contempora Corner takes a while.
The entire second valve crook and tubing has been faced perpendicular from the valve block (like other c trumpets) and a thumb hook present on the first slide, and reversed third slide with ring as well. Also some work done around where the leadpipe meets the valve block. All for c trumpet and everything still in raw brass with only one dent on the first slide crook like how it bought it. The second and third valve appear original with no serial number stamped on the spring barrel, but the first valve has since been replaced is suppose with an olds trumpet valve 213xxx from 1956. Super tight tolerances on the valves, even though they look worn. The only thing I've had added is place an adjustable finger ring into the original tunable bell slide brace to hold my pointer finger when playin, visibily with my other gig horns, a Blessing Super Artist, Bach Strad Cornetc(update: now has new valves and slides), and some NOS cornet and trumpet leadpipes later purchased seperately (stored with them for safe keeping) in thier Fanfare Caseworks flight case.
