- It is a Scherl and Roth violin with two labels on the inside indicator that it was handmade in West Germany in 1984, modeled after Antonius Stradivarius violins and then adjusted in Cleveland, OH. Serial number is 44465. It seems like a. I have a violin and am interested in wondering how much it is worth.
- Ernst Heinrich Roth (1877–1948), also often referred to as Ernst Heinrich Roth I to distinguish him from later family members of the same name, was a German luthier and master of a large and successful violin-making workshop in the East German town of Markneukirchen, near the current border with the Czech Republic.He was the most important and distinguished figure in a whole dynasty of Roth.
- That is the closer to the year of copy 1927 for a strad model, the better there were Ruggeri copies that were smaller and sort of made for women and are not quite as good, and there were some guerneri models also, but still most of the pre war Roths were nice enough instrumentsthe problem tends to be that they are thick and heavy, especially in the ribs, so if the top has been regraduated.
Instruments that were originally made under the Ohio Band Instrument Company name used a different serial number sequence than those produced by F.A. Reynolds. Initially this included the Regent models and later the Roth line. This separate sequence was maintained for the Roth model line after Scherl & Roth took over Reynolds operations in 1946 and reached just over 95,000 horns made by 1961.
Note that after c.1952, this sequence specifically applies to the Roth model instruments and not all instruments marked “Made by Roth-Reynolds”. For other model lines, see the Reynolds serial number sequence.
When RMC-Reynolds introduced the Medalist line in 1961, they evidently continued using this secondary serial number sequence, adding another 50,000 horns before the company bankrupted and was sold in 1964. There is some crossover in the serial numbers of late Roth models and early Medalist production, presumably as Reynolds used up existing inventory of Roth production.
| Serial No. | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1936 | Production estimated at 3750 instruments/year for 1936-52. |
| 7500 | 1938 | |
| 15000 | 1940 | |
| 22500 | 1942 | SN 22877 first recorded Roth instrument (cornet). |
| 30000 | 1944 | |
| 37500 | 1946 | Scherl & Roth buys Ohio Band (w/FA Reynolds). |
| 45000 | 1948 | Roth “Tone Tempered” produced with nickel-silver bell flare; SNs 45xxx-53xxx. |
| 52500 | 1950 | SN 52811 last recorded “Regent” model horn (with exception of silver clarinet, which was produced well into the 1950s); SN 55696 last recorded “Roth” horn made by Ohio Band; Roth SNs 55xxx-60xxx are branded “Made by F.A. Reynolds”. |
| 60000 | 1952 | Begin use of “Roth-Reynolds” name. Please note that this serial number sequence applies to the Roth *model line* and NOT to other instruments marked Roth-Reynolds that were made between 1952-1961. See the primary Reynolds serial number table for other Roth-Reynolds instruments. |
| 70000 | Mid-1950s | |
| 80000 | 1959 | SN 79xxx trumpet corresponds to 1959 Roth-Reynolds catalog illustration, not 1958 catalog. |
| 90000 | 1960 | SN 89695 with October 1959 warranty card. SN 98xxx last known “Roth” brand horn. |
| 95000 | 1961 | Medalist instruments were manufactured for RMC/Reynolds by EK Blessing (Elkhart, IN). Early Medalist SNs range from 96897-137359. Medalist serial numbers were reset at 200000 and sequenced with the rest of Reynolds’ instruments after the manufacturing moves to Abilene and Fullerton in 1964. |
| 110000 | 1962 | |
| 125000 | 1963 | |
| 140000 | 1963-64 |
Roth Violin
It is a Scherl and Roth violin with two labels on the inside indicator that it was handmade in West Germany in 1984, modeled after Antonius Stradivarius violins and then adjusted in Cleveland, OH.
Using serial numbers to identify the exact production dates of Reynolds instruments is inherently inaccurate given the lack of published records to corroborate with. Except for a fragment of Reynolds’ production data from 1964-1979 that is preserved in the Allied Band Supply catalog, I am not aware of any surviving official serial number records for Reynolds brass instruments.
As such, the serial number lists compiled below have been based on the visual observation of engraving patterns and other instrument details that I’ve cross-referenced against catalog illustrations and other available historical information. I believe that, while exact dates may never be able to be accurately verified for a specific serial number, the general progression of these lists is defensible and represents Reynolds instruments through the company’s history.
Scherl & Roth Viola
This primary Reynolds serial number sequence dates from 1936-1979 and includes all Reynolds instruments with the following exceptions:
Scherl And Roth R20e4
- Any instrument marked “Made by Ohio Band Instrument Co.” (includes Regent, Roth, Paramount, etc.)
- All Roth model instruments (including those marked “made by F.A. Reynolds” or “made by Roth-Reynolds”). All other model instruments marked “made by Roth-Reynolds” are included in the serial number table on this page.
- All Medalist instruments made between 1961 and 1964 (SNs below 200000).
For these exceptions, please see the “Ohio Band” serial number list.
Roth Violin Models
| Serial No. | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1936 | F.A. Reynolds name first used in commerce in February 1936. |
| 1800 | 1938 | |
| 3600 | 1940 | Many instruments with SNs 4xxx-21xxx with the “US” bell engraving and/or documented wartime purchase. |
| 5400 | 1942 | |
| 7200 | 1944 | |
| 9000 | 1946 | F.A. Reynolds Co. becomes a division of Scherl & Roth by mid-1946. |
| 16000 | 1948 | The Contempora brand was introduced in late 1949 according to U.S. trademark applications; the earliest recorded Contempora instrument is SN 20076 (trumpet). |
| 23000 | 1950 | |
| 30000 | 1952 | Instruments start to be branded “Made by Roth-Reynolds” instead of “Made by F.A. Reynolds”. |
| 35000 | c.1954 | |
| 40000 | 1956 | Reynolds “Hi-Fi” cornet introduced 1955-56 (39243 lowest serial number recorded). Contempora trumpet SN 41902 purchased June 1956. |
| 45000 | 1957 | |
| 50000 | 1958 | Chambers Model horn delivered Fall 1958; 52xxx lowest serial number recorded. |
| 55000 | 1959 | Argenta brand introduced 1959; 545xx lowest serial number recorded. “Hi-Fi” trumpet and trombone introduced. |
| 60000 | 1961 | Most instruments between SN 60000-79000 bear the RMC shield, corresponding to the 1961-1963 period that Richards Music owned Reynolds. |
| 65000 | 1962 | |
| 70000 | 1963 | |
| 75000 | 196x | |
| 80000 | 1964 | Serial numbers after 79000 appear to be made in Abilene (see “Reynolds: 1964-1979”) with Cleveland-made parts. |
| 85000 | 1964 | SN 85459 last known Reynolds serial number with Cleveland-made parts. |
| 200000 | Nov. 1964 | Serial numbers for Reynolds instruments were reset in 1964 after the company moved from Cleveland to Abilene, Texas. The new sequence started with 200,000 and was used for all instruments until 1977. |
| 210000 | Nov. 1965 | |
| 220000 | Oct. 1966 | |
| 230000 | Jul. 1967 | |
| 235000 | May 1968 | |
| 250000 | Nov. 1969 | |
| 260000 | Apr. 1971 | By 1971, all Reynolds instruments are produced in Fullerton and are marked with “Made in USA”. |
| 270000 | Aug. 1972 | |
| 280000 | Oct. 1973 | |
| 290000 | Jun. 1974 | |
| 300000 | Sep. 1975 | |
| 310000 | Aug. 1976 | SN 314587 (Oct. 1977) |
| A00001 | Oct. 1977 | In October 1977, Reynolds and Olds used a joint serial number sequence that started with the letter “A”. Fewer than 50,000 instruments were made before the company ceased operations in July 1979. |
| A05000 | Dec. 1977 | A05266 (Dec. 1977); A06741 (Jan. 1978) |
| A10000 | Early 1978 | A10066 (Jan); A12537 (Feb); A16496 (Apr); A18163 (May). |
| A20000 | Mid 1978 | A20876 (Jun); A24470 (Jul); A24706 (Aug); A28375 (Sep). |
| A30000 | Late 1978 | A31565 (Oct); A34616 (Nov); A37470 (Dec) |
| A40000 | Early 1979 | A40550 (Jan); Production ceased July 1979. |