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Olds Ambassador Cornet - what to do with it?



 
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mikepodorski
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Joined: 25 Jul 2020
Posts: 34

PostPosted: Tue Oct 06, 2020 7:16 pm    Post subject: Olds Ambassador Cornet - what to do with it? Reply with quote

I picked up a pair of horns today for $125. One is a very nice King Tempo II 601 for my son and one is an Olds Ambassador Cornet. The trumpet needs corks but is otherwise great. The Ambassador is ok. The lead pipe is bent down and the bracing is unsoldered and tweaked. Other than that, it has expected wear, a few red rot spots, but seems to have decent compression and is dent free. I honestly don't know which direction to go with it. I do want to add a Cornet to my arsenal, but I don't know if this one is the one. I had a Ambassador trumpet and hated it (valve issues, intonation), but I think it was a bad refurbish prior to me buying it. I was thinking of flipping it to recoup my money, but the bent lead pipe may effect the value. I know these are great, but probably won't get much more than $150 fixed. I probably need to play it to decide, but it really needs to be professionally cleaned before I play it. It REEKS of mold.

Short story long, what are the thoughts out there?
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Crazy Finn
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Joined: 27 Dec 2001
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Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota

PostPosted: Tue Oct 06, 2020 8:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I can't tell you that you will or won't like the Ambassador cornet. I don't know what you like.

I can say that, in general, the Ambassador cornets are pretty solid instruments and play well for what they are. They're a fairly open bore, blow fairly freely, in general.

What era is it from? Approximate SN?

You probably won't make any money from it, getting it fixed up, but you're not going to lose a bunch, either. A working one in decent shape is worth between $75-150, roughly. Your local shop can probably give you a good estimate on any repairs.

As far as the mold, the cleaning should help - though it might not kill it completely. The main thing with the moldy smell is that it lives in the case, mostly. If you get the horn cleaned and it's mostly mold free and you put it back in the same case, then it's going to come back in short order. I've never had any luck with de-molding cases, but I have a mold allergy and I don't bother much, and just put it in the garage until I sell or just put it in the bin.
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delano
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Joined: 18 Jan 2009
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Location: The Netherlands

PostPosted: Tue Oct 06, 2020 11:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Olds Ambassador cornet in general:

very, very sturdy
excellent valves
heavy but still responsive
good intonation
mouthpiece sensitive (like most cornets)
plays a little bit like a trumpet
sounds a little bit like a trumpet (especially with a C cup)
but also will always have a certain cornet sound
cheap

for me the ideal travel companion, does everything quite well, is indestructible,
plays well more than enough to keep your chops in form, is cheap so low risk, is ugly so nobody wants to steal it.
When necessary you can play an informal gig with it.
Though I have a wonderful 80A and the best playing horn I can imagine, an Eterna 800, I still play from time to time the Ambassador, still a good feeling and great fun, really a different thing, a corpet.

The leadpipe and the bracing will probably be an easy repair job.
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deleted_user_687c31b
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Joined: 03 Apr 1996
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 07, 2020 12:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You could list it to see how much you can get for it, and if the offers aren't high enough, then decide to keep and clean/fix it.
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mikepodorski
Regular Member


Joined: 25 Jul 2020
Posts: 34

PostPosted: Wed Oct 07, 2020 4:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

What era is it from?

'71 to '72
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OldSchoolEuph
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Joined: 07 Apr 2012
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 07, 2020 5:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Of the 3 Ambassador cornets I have messed with, including a 72, I think Delano pretty-much summed it up. I would only differ in that I find their response somewhat lacking - not totally dead, but . . . . (I might also say "a lot like a (student) trumpet" instead of "a little")
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delano
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Joined: 18 Jan 2009
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Location: The Netherlands

PostPosted: Wed Oct 07, 2020 8:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, the response maybe the weakest point. But it is a very heavy horn (it's only 17 gram lighter than my Selmer Concept TT and that's a heavy one.
In fact yesterday by writing my post I unpacked the Ambassador for the first time in some months and it was not a disappointment. It played better than I remembered. I thought the response was quite good for such a brick but what it is lacking is a fine resonance, that's for me the student side of this horn but maybe you meant the same thing.
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jondrowjf@gmail.com
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 07, 2020 8:30 am    Post subject: Ambassador Reply with quote

First I would talk to your local music tech. Find out cost of repair and chemical cleaning.Ask if they would clean the case. Then decide if it is worth it.
With an unrepaired bell on the trumpet, you won't get much money for it.
If you want to sell it and get some money back. Sell it for parts.
If the tech won't clean the case. Spray a vinegar and baking soda solution and leave overnight.lf it really bad, you may have to repeat several times.
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Beyond16
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Joined: 07 Jan 2020
Posts: 220
Location: Texas Gulf Coast

PostPosted: Wed Oct 07, 2020 6:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Crazy Finn wrote:
...As far as the mold, the cleaning should help...

I live in a hot place and have had success with sitting a smelly case outdoors in the hot sun/wind. It can take several days of that treatment though.
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jhatpro
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Joined: 17 Mar 2002
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 08, 2020 7:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fabreeze!
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huntman10
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Location: Texas South Plains

PostPosted: Thu Oct 08, 2020 7:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I live in a REALLY hot climate, and for funky smelling cases, spray them down with Febreze, and leave them fully open in my old pickup out in the sun. A car interior hear on the Texas high plains will easily excede 150 degrees. If the glue in the case doesn't fail, they usually come out fine.
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huntman10
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