The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

My prayers to the phonograph gods have finally been answered, and this Monday I got my hands on an early EMG 2 Spring soundbox. This very much counts as a minor Christmas miracle in my books!

I gave it a service that evening, and after a bit of further tinkering here it sings;

- Whistle While You Work - Freddie Rich: https://youtu.be/ke26wh8nOcw
- Kirsten Flagstad, Che Faro Senza Euridice https://youtu.be/OXB1XJmhokU


Lots of fun to be had over the Christmas break playing with it!

Wishing everyone a very merry Christmas, and may all your phonograph wishes come true Here's to a better new year for all

Well done Ahmed, both videos sound absolutely first class. You will never be unemployed in the tuning business ! You will hear your records this Christmas like you have never heard them before. Your better New Year has already started..........

Thank you so much for your kind words Graham! Wishing you and yours a very merry Christmas

Nice Christmas, and enjoy your music as good as ever! It brings peace of heart and joy, which we must share with all others...!

Hi Ahmed-I am envious of your new acquisition. Very nice! At present the sound on youtube on my computer is lacking so I will sort it hopefully, then listen to your two entries with pleasure.
without spoiling your thread, or making a new entry, I am sending you a picture of another soundbox, seldom found, supposedly fitted with a "varnished silk diaphragm" It was presented to me by my good friend "epigramophone" and I hope soon to give it the once over with new gaskets and back insulator.The back of the box is unusually offset.

A fantastic result, and what an amazing find!

Just a small point of interest, did you leave the central damping pad between the pivot bar and the needle bar? All the EMG enthusiasts I know remove them, myself included (although presumably there was some reason why they were sometimes fitted).

Many thanks all! I sat listening to it last night, hearing things in the records that I've not heard before. A joy to listen to (..and very much spoiled my other machines!)

@Old Country Chemist: Congrats on the Astra soundbox, keen to hear what you think of it! I've got an example that's identical apart from being branded "Astra Electric". Not the best example, but does have a nice sound to it albeit lacking a bit in treble

@ Orchorsol; the first thing I thought when I saw the spacer padding is it's got to go. I think it'll only act to dampen the movement of the needle bar, thus taking away from the sound reproduction. I assume its effect would be a somewhat reduced volume and toned down response on the high end perhaps. I will fiddle about with it one of those days to see what it does!

Have a merry Christmas one and all

Great videos, the sound was very well captured, and the soundbox evidently adapts itself perfectly to the EMG. Happy Holidays!

Hi Ahmed-Thank you very much for posting the picture of your "Astra Electric"soundbox. I noticed that it looks identical. Interestingly enough, it has the same patent number. I wonder if the manufacturers just changed the name to "Electric" to help sales!
Now regarding the rubber packing piece that was between the stylus plate and body on your early EMG soundbox. Probably added to condition it against undue vibrations set up in the soundbox that may have appeared on the type of records played with it. The rubber that used to be added was a soft material, "sorbo" rubber, and was also made in ball shape to be able to fit onto the bottom of legs on table model gramophones, if they were placed on top of a cabinet, whether to stop legs scratching or to cut out excess vibrations from the gramophone, I do not know.
In the mid 1930s, Expert Gramophones produced a "Dynamic" soundbox, which had the insulating rubbers added. I have never seen one, but the EMG guru, Frank James says they were made.
I always add the rubber as I think it helps reduce too much sharpness on certain violin and flute records, but I am probably in the minority!

The Astra soundbox (sold by The Gramophone Exchange) was supplied optionally with an offset outlet for fitting to gooseneck tone-arms - the large diameter otherwise would not fit in front of the T-joint.

The Dartan Patent diaphragm is difficult to assess, because as with all composite diaphragms, you just don't know how its nature may have changed over the last 100 years or so.