Diamond Disc reproducer types - illustrated
Posted: Sun Apr 22, 2018 10:20 pm
Following a recent conversation on the board, it occurred to me that I had not seen the major types of Diamond Disc reproducers illustrated together, at least not that I can recall. (Frow shows them in his Diamond Disk book, but his comments and layout are not clear.)
I am attaching top and side views of the 3 major types of reproducers used on standard Diamond discs. From left to right, these are the original or "Standard", "Dance", and "New Standard", also called the "Edisonic".
The initial version had a solid top and a relatively narrow weight. There are several variations, primarily in the way the stylus bar is held onto the weight. This was the only type of reproducer available from 1912 or so until about 1926. There was no real need to give this a specific name because there was only one type offered for sale. It was standard equipment on all models until 1926-ish.
The next version, chronologically, is the Dance, which came out in roughly 1926. This was designed with a spring-loaded diaphragm and stylus bar to provide better tracking and volume than the old reproducer. The weight was also made wider and heavier. This is the only reproducer with the screw-top flange, which was necessary due to the spring-loaded diaphragm top. When this came out, some literature then referred to the old reproducer as the "Standard" reproducer. I am not aware of any machine that offered the Dance as standard equipment. As far as I can tell, it was only available as an upgrade or accessory. These seem to be harder to find than the other types.
After the Dance came the "New Standard". This also has a spring-loaded stylus bar, but there is no top flange or spring-loaded diaphagm. There are two major versions of the weight, one of which has the weight roughly the same width as the reproducer top (like the Dance), and the other with a more "squared off" weight (shown in the attached pictures). This reproducer was standard equipment on the "Edisonic" Beethoven and Schubert models and therefore is frequently referred to as the Edisonic reproducer. It is also is frequently found on the long play consoles (but not always). It's not clear to me whether or not the Edisonic replaced the Dance or supplemented it, but given the amount that the Edisonic "borrows" from the Dance, I would think it was intended as a replacement.
By coincidence, the reproducers shown are also in different original finishes. From left to right they are nickel, gold, and gun metal. The "standard" reproducer is also available in oxidized bronze, but these are only standard for the model A-150.
Of course there is also the Long Play reproducer, but that was not intended for the regular Diamond Discs.
I am attaching top and side views of the 3 major types of reproducers used on standard Diamond discs. From left to right, these are the original or "Standard", "Dance", and "New Standard", also called the "Edisonic".
The initial version had a solid top and a relatively narrow weight. There are several variations, primarily in the way the stylus bar is held onto the weight. This was the only type of reproducer available from 1912 or so until about 1926. There was no real need to give this a specific name because there was only one type offered for sale. It was standard equipment on all models until 1926-ish.
The next version, chronologically, is the Dance, which came out in roughly 1926. This was designed with a spring-loaded diaphragm and stylus bar to provide better tracking and volume than the old reproducer. The weight was also made wider and heavier. This is the only reproducer with the screw-top flange, which was necessary due to the spring-loaded diaphragm top. When this came out, some literature then referred to the old reproducer as the "Standard" reproducer. I am not aware of any machine that offered the Dance as standard equipment. As far as I can tell, it was only available as an upgrade or accessory. These seem to be harder to find than the other types.
After the Dance came the "New Standard". This also has a spring-loaded stylus bar, but there is no top flange or spring-loaded diaphagm. There are two major versions of the weight, one of which has the weight roughly the same width as the reproducer top (like the Dance), and the other with a more "squared off" weight (shown in the attached pictures). This reproducer was standard equipment on the "Edisonic" Beethoven and Schubert models and therefore is frequently referred to as the Edisonic reproducer. It is also is frequently found on the long play consoles (but not always). It's not clear to me whether or not the Edisonic replaced the Dance or supplemented it, but given the amount that the Edisonic "borrows" from the Dance, I would think it was intended as a replacement.
By coincidence, the reproducers shown are also in different original finishes. From left to right they are nickel, gold, and gun metal. The "standard" reproducer is also available in oxidized bronze, but these are only standard for the model A-150.
Of course there is also the Long Play reproducer, but that was not intended for the regular Diamond Discs.
