Expert 2-Spring soundbox on UK eBay.

[Watanabehi]

Here are three photos of my Expert 2-spring soundboxs with the holes on the stylus.

[poodling around]

Here are three photos of my Expert 2-spring soundboxs with the holes on the stylus.

Aha. Very interesting indeed.

Thank you for the photographs and information.

[Steve]

I have the exact same soundbox with large aluminium chuck. The one in Ebay is completely genuine, if optimistically priced.

Its the best soundbox I own. To my ears its much better than the "Dynamic" 4 spring.

[physicist]

To my ears its much better than the "Dynamic" 4 spring.

It's not the first time I've seen a comment like this. Is it possible that the "Dynamic" that you heard was just poorly tuned?
Has anybody tried taking the extra 2 springs off a 4 spring Expert soundbox for a direct comparison?

[Steve]

To my ears its much better than the "Dynamic" 4 spring.

It's not the first time I've seen a comment like this. Is it possible that the "Dynamic" that you heard was just poorly tuned?
Has anybody tried taking the extra 2 springs off a 4 spring Expert soundbox for a direct comparison?

No, I have six of them, all rebuilt by me and not one of them is better than my two spring. I believe the 2 extra springs hinder the compliance of the stylus bar. I have seen a couple of 4 spring EMG soundboxes with the two cross springs removed, presumably for this reason.

[Orchorsol]

I think there's a huge "horses for courses" thing about this and I find I can barely generalise at all. If I really had to pick one soundbox above them all (several each of EMG & Expert 2-spring & 4-spring, leaving aside the earlier type EMGs, and all in a good state of tune) it would be one of the Expert 4-springs. But it varies massively depending on records/recordings. Typically a 2-spring will sound great with jazz, vocal, solo instrumental or small chamber ensembles, although for me, lacking somewhat in extended treble response - but on most orchestral material they sound a bit incoherent and blurry. That seems to be where the extra, gentle control of the 4-springs comes in. I remember changing to a 4-spring at Graham's whilst listening to a lush record of Delius, and suddenly everything came into focus - stunningly. But the 4-springs can tend to lack a little weight in the bass, again relatively speaking. Individual taste in that tonal balance is yet another factor; we're all different.

Add that to even more randomness in which combinations of soundbox, machine, room, positioning etc sound best with different records (even of similar material) and it's endlessly labyrinthine, often unpredictable. And all part of the fun!

[kirtley2012]

I think there's a huge "horses for courses" thing about this and I find I can barely generalise at all. If I really had to pick one soundbox above them all (several each of EMG & Expert 2-spring & 4-spring, leaving aside the earlier type EMGs, and all in a good state of tune) it would be one of the Expert 4-springs. But it varies massively depending on records/recordings. Typically a 2-spring will sound great with jazz, vocal, solo instrumental or small chamber ensembles, although for me, lacking somewhat in extended treble response - but on most orchestral material they sound a bit incoherent and blurry. That seems to be where the extra, gentle control of the 4-springs comes in. I remember changing to a 4-spring at Graham's whilst listening to a lush record of Delius, and suddenly everything came into focus - stunningly. But the 4-springs can tend to lack a little weight in the bass, again relatively speaking. Individual taste in that tonal balance is yet another factor; we're all different.

Add that to even more randomness in which combinations of soundbox, machine, room, positioning etc sound best with different records (even of similar material) and it's endlessly labyrinthine, often unpredictable. And all part of the fun!

I’d agree that one of my Expert 4 springs is my favourite soundbox, but I’ve never had a 2 spring of my own, only heard other peoples on various wonderful machines ( my mind goes back to a visit to Ian Maxted in 2019 when we used one of Ian’s 2 springs to compare his All Range and Xb Oversize, a wonderful day that was!) so I’ve not had too much of a direct comparison, but I hold this particular Expert 4 spring very highly indeed, but some day I will get a 2 spring and if it blows this 4 spring out the water, I shall be very pleased!

[chunnybh]

Yes, my both two-spring EMGinn Expert soundboxes have aluminum triangular needle sockets like the one on ebay, if I understand what you mean.

Here are the two chucks. I have only ever seen the first one. Are you saying your two 2-spring Expert soundboxes have the second chuck?.

[emgcr]

Here are a couple of Expert two-spring soundboxes in my possession which have one of each type of chuck/needle holder. Both have the two holes drilled and threaded in the platform. I am not sure of their purpose but might be a carry-over from the earlier Exhibition design which would seem to be extremely strange in the nineteen-thirties ? Answers on a postcard please.........................!

I am unsure of the purpose of the splining or ribbing---possibly only cosmetic as either serve no practical function that I can see. I do also have a second example of the ribbed holder on the right but in that case the Expert logo is inscribed on the guard strip.

[alang]

Could it be that the "platform" piece was a third party part that they simply bought as is from a catalog and that's why it has the two additional threaded holes?

Andreas