Olds Instrument Dating Guide

This guide documents Olds' production history from 1915 through 1979, covering their evolution from trombone-only production through their peak years of diversified instrument manufacturing. The serial number system reflects several distinct periods, including separate and unified numbering systems.

Production Periods

Period	Years	Characteristics	Numbering System
Early Period	1908-1928	Trombone-only production	Single sequence for trombones
Dual Production	1929-1946/1953	Separate sequences for trumpets and trombones (Exactly when the changeover happened not clear)	Two parallel numbering systems
Unified System	1946/1954-1977	Combined instrument numbering	Single sequence 100000-999999 by 1954
Alpha-Numeric	1978-1979	New system with "A" prefix	A-prefix followed by 5 digits

Period

Years

Characteristics

Numbering System

Early Period

1908-1928

Trombone-only production

Single sequence for trombones

Dual Production

1929-1946/1953

Separate sequences for trumpets and trombones (Exactly when the changeover happened not clear)

Two parallel numbering systems

Unified System

1946/1954-1977

Combined instrument numbering

Single sequence 100000-999999 by 1954

Alpha-Numeric

1978-1979

New system with "A" prefix

A-prefix followed by 5 digits

Significant Milestones

Year	Event
1915	Production begins with trombones
1928	Trumpet production begins
1946/1954	Unified numbering system introduced
1977	Reached 999999, switched to alpha-numeric
1979	Final documented serial numbers

Year

Event

1915

Production begins with trombones

1928

Trumpet production begins

1946/1954

Unified numbering system introduced

1977

Reached 999999, switched to alpha-numeric

1979

Final documented serial numbers

Serial Number Database

Year	Trombones	Trumpets
1915	1-500	N/A
1916	501-1000	N/A
1917	1001-1500	N/A
1918	1501-2000	N/A
1919	2001-2500	N/A
1920	2501-3000	N/A
1921	3001-3500	N/A
1922	3501-4000	N/A
1923	4001-4500	N/A
1924	4501-5000	N/A
1925	5001-5500	N/A
1926	5501-6000	N/A
1927	6001-6500	N/A
1928	6501-7000	1-500
1929	7001-7500	501-1000
1930	7501-8000	1001-1500
1931	8001-8500	1501-2000
1932	8501-9000	2001-2500
1933	9001-9500	2501-3000
1934	9501-10000	3001-3500
1935	10001-10500	3501-4000
1936	10501-11000	4001-4500
1937	11001-11500	4501-5000
1938	11501-12000	5001-5500
1939	12001-12500	5501-6000
1940	12501-13000	6001-6500
1941	13001-13500	6501-7000
1942	13501-14000	7001-7500
1943	14001-14250	7501-7750
1944	14251-14500	7751-8000
1945	14501-14750	8001-8250
1946	14751-15250	8251-8750
1947	15251-16000	8751-9500
1948	16001-17000	9501-10500
1949	17001-18000	10501-11500
1950	18001-19000	11501-12500
1951	19001-20000	12501-13500
1952	20001-21000	13501-14500
1953	21001-22000	14501-15500

Year

Trombones

Trumpets

1915

1-500

N/A

1916

501-1000

N/A

1917

1001-1500

N/A

1918

1501-2000

N/A

1919

2001-2500

N/A

1920

2501-3000

N/A

1921

3001-3500

N/A

1922

3501-4000

N/A

1923

4001-4500

N/A

1924

4501-5000

N/A

1925

5001-5500

N/A

1926

5501-6000

N/A

1927

6001-6500

N/A

1928

6501-7000

1-500

1929

7001-7500

501-1000

1930

7501-8000

1001-1500

1931

8001-8500

1501-2000

1932

8501-9000

2001-2500

1933

9001-9500

2501-3000

1934

9501-10000

3001-3500

1935

10001-10500

3501-4000

1936

10501-11000

4001-4500

1937

11001-11500

4501-5000

1938

11501-12000

5001-5500

1939

12001-12500

5501-6000

1940

12501-13000

6001-6500

1941

13001-13500

6501-7000

1942

13501-14000

7001-7500

1943

14001-14250

7501-7750

1944

14251-14500

7751-8000

1945

14501-14750

8001-8250

1946

14751-15250

8251-8750

1947

15251-16000

8751-9500

1948

16001-17000

9501-10500

1949

17001-18000

10501-11500

1950

18001-19000

11501-12500

1951

19001-20000

12501-13500

1952

20001-21000

13501-14500

1953

21001-22000

14501-15500

Date	Serial Number
1954 (Jan-Mar)	100000-110000
1954 (Apr-Jun)	110001-120000
1954 (Jul-Sep)	120001-130000
1954 (Oct-Dec)	130001-140000
1955-1959	140001-300000
Note: Approximately 32,000 per year
1960-1964	300001-500000
Note: Approximately 40,000 per year
1965-1969	500001-700000
Note: Approximately 40,000 per year
1970-1974	700001-900000
Note: Approximately 40,000 per year
1975-1977	900001-999999
Note: Final numbers of original system
1978	A00001-A25000
Note: New alpha-numeric system
1979	A25001-A47510
Note: Final production year

Date

Serial Number

1954 (Jan-Mar)

100000-110000

1954 (Apr-Jun)

110001-120000

1954 (Jul-Sep)

120001-130000

1954 (Oct-Dec)

130001-140000

1955-1959

140001-300000

Note: Approximately 32,000 per year

1960-1964

300001-500000

Note: Approximately 40,000 per year

1965-1969

500001-700000

Note: Approximately 40,000 per year

1970-1974

700001-900000

Note: Approximately 40,000 per year

1975-1977

900001-999999

Note: Final numbers of original system

1978

A00001-A25000

Note: New alpha-numeric system

1979

A25001-A47510

Note: Final production year

Production Rate Analysis

Period	Production Characteristics
1915-1927	Average 500-1000 per year (trombones)
1928-1942	Steady growth in both lines
1943-1946	Wartime production slowdown
1947-1953	Post-war production boom
1954-1977	Peak production years
1978-1979	Final production period

Dating Your Instrument

Pre-1954 Instruments:

Check whether instrument is trumpet or trombone
Use appropriate column in early database
Note gaps between recorded numbers are interpolated

1954-1977 Instruments:

Use unified numbering system (100000-999999)
Dates are often recorded to the month
Production rate was fairly consistent

1978-1979 Instruments:

Look for "A" prefix
Format is "A" followed by 5 digits
Final documented number: A47510

Production Patterns

Early focus on trombones (1915-1927)
Gradual expansion into trumpets (1928)
Wartime production variations (1942-1945)
Post-war boom (1947-1953)
Steady growth in unified period (1954-1977)
Final production phase (1978-1979)

Notes

1947 Ambassador introduced at around 27,000
1955 production moved from LA to Fullerton (between 149,6xx, 150,3xx)
1956 eliminated large-shank mouthpiece receiver on cornetss (189,611)
1958 redesigned Ambassador cornets & trumpets. Pinky ring changed to hook, bracing changed.(246,5xx and 248,8xx)
1964 Alliance with Norlin Music (450,000)
1979 July 13th, production ceased (A41000). A Superstar Trombone was reported sold as part of a closeout with SN# A47510
An Olds Standard trumpet has been reported which falls out of the sequence with serial 17167 and accompanied by a payment book from 1945.

Horn-u-Copia

Olds Instrument Dating Guide

Production Periods

Significant Milestones

Serial Number Database

1915-1953: Separate Numbering Systems

1954-1979: Unified Numbering System

Production Rate Analysis

Dating Your Instrument

Pre-1954 Instruments:

1954-1977 Instruments:

1978-1979 Instruments:

Production Patterns

Notes