F.A. Reynolds
| F.A. Reynolds | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Foster Adolph Reynolds |
| Born |
December 29, 1884 United States |
| Died | July 18, 1960 (aged 75) Fullerton, California, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Instrument designer |
Foster Adolph Reynolds (December 29, 1884 - July 18, 1960) was an American brass instrument designer and manufacturer.
Reynolds began as an apprentice with the Brass band instrument manufacturer J.W. York. At York he learned brass band instrument design in a tradition that traced its lineage back through James York, the company’s founder to the company where he learned the craft, the Boston Musical Instrument Company, which in turn had been formed by the union of the E.G. Wright Company (est. 1841) and Graves & Co which had been making instruments since the 1820s and the advent of valved brass instruments.
In 1904, Reynolds left the York company to take a position with the H.N. White company, the maker of “King” instruments. There he transitioned from craftsman to shop superintendent. Reynolds worked for 30 years in Cleveland at King rising far in the company.
In 1936, Reynolds founded the F.A. Reynolds Company to manufacture his own line of band instruments. Reynolds gained a reputation for superior workmanship and the acoustical properties of the instruments. Reynolds spent 10 years with his company, developing successful lines of cornets, trumpets, baritone horns, French horns, and bass trombones among others. The company realized significant sales of instruments to the United States Armed Forces during the Second World War. At the age of 61, Reynolds sold the company to Scherl & Roth in 1946.
While at F.A. Reynolds, he teamed with other notable brass men of the day to work on the Martin Committee trumpet in 1939. He also Established the Ohio Band Instrument Company concurrently owned by himself, his brother Harper and Max Scherl of Scherl & Roth. This spin-off company became wholly owned by Scherl & Roth at the same time they purchased F.A. Reynolds.
...
Wikipedia