Olds Super Recording Trumpet with Original Lifton Case

Here’s an Olds Super Recording trumpet in mint condition.

The Super Recording is one of the most desirable Olds models ever made, and this is the kind of example that almost never shows up. It is all original, the engraving is crisp and clear, the finish presents beautifully, and the compression is perfect.

This horn has been cleaned, polished, and has new felts and corks. The valves are excellent, the slides are smooth, and it plays amazing.

The Super Recording was Olds’ top-level recording/studio model from the 1940s. Olds literature referred to these as the Recording Model Super trumpet but it’s commonly called the Super Recording and features a forward-balanced valve section, offset second valve, distinctive wrap, and a very efficient .460 medium-large bore, a 4 3/4” bell and the distinctive tone ring.

The offset second valve is one of the defining features of this design. Olds had used offset second valves before, but the Super Recording made that layout part of a dedicated model. The “balanced” valve block sits forward in the hand, with the second valve offset to the left. It gives the horn a unique ergonomically balanced feel compared with a conventional straight valve section.

This one also includes its original Lifton case, which is a significant part of the package. Lifton was one of the important American instrument case makers of the early and mid-20th century. The company was established in 1918, and by the early 1920s was advertising a complete line of musical instrument cases, including trumpet and cornet cases.

The case alone has real collector value, and finding a mint, all-original Super Recording with the original valuable Lifton case is not something that happens often.