Edison GEM Cylinder Phono-When Is the Reproducer Upside-Down

[CDBPDX]

Just got an Edison Gem in the shoppe today. Seems it was not functioning. Pretty much all that was wrong was the mandrel and carriage feed gears were heavily gunked up, a fairly easy fix.

This one seems to be a little different than others I've seen - Model C, etc. The reproducer was installed what seemed to me to be upside down, that is the stylus was at the lead end of the cylinder rotation facing into the rotation of the cylinder. Is that the way it's supposed to be? Other Edison cylinder player reproducers are mounted facing away from the cylinder rotation with the stylus at the trail end of the rotation. Hope this makes sense.

Problem is, if it is mounted like a Model C, the word REPRODUCER stamped into the top is upside down.

When is a reproducer upside down? Haven't actually played it yet either way.

Thanks! Cliff

[CDBPDX]

More pics - I was also under the impression Gem housings were thin metal, this is heavy pot metal. Are they all like that?

And it is very noisy. The governor was pretty loose so I tightened it up a bit and that helped, still noisy.

Haven't actually had the opportunity to put my hands on a Gem before now...

[gramophone78]

More pics - I was also under the impression Gem housings were thin metal, this is heavy pot metal. Are they all like that?

Gem bodies are not pot metal. They are cast iron. They are like a VW bug.....noisy.

[Lucius1958]

It seems more likely that the reproducer should be positioned in the same way as others - I don't think any exception was made for the Gem…

Bill

[phonogfp]

Try removing the two small flat head screws on the underside, turn the weight 180 degrees, and reinstall the screws.

George P.

[CDBPDX]

Try removing the two small flat head screws on the underside, turn the weight 180 degrees, and reinstall the screws.

George P.

That was my first impression, that the weight had been reinstalled upside down. Cliff

[CDBPDX]

Also, what model is this reproducer? Is it made specifically for the Gem? I noticed the little G stamped on the underside. Cliff

[CDBPDX]

I want to clean and grease the spring but it seems like the spring will explode if I just remove the gear box. I was thinking maybe I should wind the spring up enough to clear the sides of the case then stick a couple rubber 'brakes' under the belt pulley to prevent it from unwinding when I disconnect the governor. After the gear box is removed, I could remove the rubber brakes and let it unwind by hand. Whaddya think, folks?

[PeterF]

You don't show the case or provide the serial number, but this is the early Gem reproducer, which fits the Gem-only carriage. They are found on "branded case" Gems for sure, but I don't have my reference materials handy to know how they might extend to the later models. I also don't happen to know if this was the initial configuration, on the earlier/original "drip-pan" Gem.

Your reproducer appears to have been disassembled (and perhaps rebuilt) and the top and bottom installed 180 degrees out of sync upon reassembly. This reproducer had a glass diaphragm originally, so see if you can peer inside and detect whether it still does. If it plays well, don't mess with it - who cares if the writing is upside down? Glass diaphragms are expensive.

Note that this stylus is for brown wax cylinders and not black wax - all 2-minute only, of course.

You can't easily interchange a newer Gem carriage onto this in order to use B or C reproducers on the machine. The feedscrew and half nut have a different pitch than later Gems. You can interchange the halfnuts to make it work, though. But best to leave it in its funky original configuration, of course.

As for cleaning and lubing the spring, why risk damage to any components by uncoiling it? It's all exposed, so just de-gunk it as-is if you really must.

Gems are cute but kind of crappy. It's really not going to become much quieter or smoother, no matter what you do. I strongly suggest you just do a good cosmetic cleanup, de-gunk the works if they really need it, then re-lube. Disassembly isn't necessary and likely to make things worse since as you say you've got no experience.

(Getting a copy of the Frow book on Edison cylinder machines would help a lot on these sorts of questions, by the way.)

Would you please show us the machine and its case, and provide the serial number?

[miker2001]

Here is the serial number.