It's a bear!

Circa 1946 Standard (bell-tuning) Trombone
Bore: .485”-.500” (12.3 mm-12.7 mm)
Bell: 7½” (190.5 mm)

The tuning-in-bell Standard model had a short production run and is something of a puzzle. I've never seen a catalog photo of one, and (possibly owing to the complexities of resuming production after the end of WWII) Olds seems to have tinkered with the design a bit. Some have round inner slides, others have duo-octagonal inner slides. Some have conventional three-piece braces, others have braces of the same "flared at one end" design seen later on the Studio model, and still others have a curious three-lobed cross-section that some refer to as "serpentine".

Based on the minimal serial number data I've been able to gather, the original TIS Standard model was dropped in the late 1930's (the highest serial in my index is 8794) and the bell-tuning version appeared sometime in the very late 1930's or very early 1940's (some examples are "US" marked, indicating that they were produced under government contract). This particular horn carries a serial number in the high 15,000's, dating it to approximately 1946, and has duo-octagonal tubes. Befitting a professional-grade instrument (one notch below the Super), many of the trim and wear parts (including the braces, ferrules, cork barrels, and oversleeves) are nickel silver. The balance of the horn appears to be yellow brass, with significant darkening to either the lacquer or underlying brass (the neckpipe shows the actual color of the material).

As to the genesis of the bell-tuning Standard? Well, except for the model name on the bell, this horn is indistinguishable from the Self-Balancing model. My theory is that Olds had one model (the TIS Standard) was pretty much obsolete, and another model (the Self-Balancing) that was still fairly current, but had an awkward name. By dropping the TIS Standard from the line and giving its name to the former Self-Balancing, Olds solved both problems.

Update (11-1-2012): A 1939 Olds catalog has surfaced (viewable here on Olds Central) which helps clarify the origin of the bell-tuning Standard. In the 1939 catalog, there are two Standard models. The TIS design that began as simple "the Olds trombone" and was later dubbed the "Standard" is listed as the "Standard Original" while the Self-Balancing has become the "Standard Self-Balancing". The two models share a single catalog page - but the copy clearly states that: 'if not otherwise specified, the Self-Balancing model will be shipped when the "Standard Grade" trombone is ordered." Clearly, the venerable TIS design was on its way out.

Overall View	Bell Engraving	Slide Braces	Bell Section Braces
	End Crook