Rare Or Unusual Sound Boxes / Reproducers

[gramophone78]

I don't think we have ever had a thread pertaining to rare or unusual sound boxes. I'm sure many of us have one or two lying around that are rarely seen.
There are many period modified sound boxes as well as homemade modifications.Lets see what you have.

I will start by showing in close up and detail a rarely seen Devineau Biophone sound box.

This sound box was actually part of an attachment.

The Devineau attachment allowed a Cylinder machine owner the ability to play disc records.
To date, there is only one complete attachment known. The owner, Rene, has been kind enough to make a wonderful YouTube video of this attachment working.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89EfhuiJaeI

There are now two "loose" reproducers known. This is one of them.
Mr. Devineau was quite the character. His attachment was only on the market for a short time in 1907. Mr. Devineau (a city clerk for Cleveland Ohio) was caught embezzling from the city coffers and to avoid charges,fled to Holland and lived there his remaining years.

I was able to make an adapter and tried the reproducer. It actually sounds quite good considering it has a fiber diaphragm sealed with a wax ring.

https://youtu.be/U7nKaW8nD5g

[Curt A]

Wayne, compared to that, what would be rare or unusual??? Rene should consider getting the parts duplicated, since the Biophone would interest a lot of collectors - if they knew about it. I would love to have a replica...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89EfhuiJaeI

[outune]

I have two reproducers that I would love to get some info/opinions on. Both are unusual.

The first may be a homemade modification. At first appearance it looks like normal Victor Exhibition--triangular needle hole, etc. However, diaphragm has been painted black on the inside-- When I took it apart I didn't see the usual face with "Exhibition" and other wording. In stead is a "U" shaped channel. Pictures will explain better than I can. Please take a look and give me your best guess or information. Thanks--

The second reproducer came on a Victor Junior I purchased many years ago. At first look I thought it was a Columbia long-throat-- However-- Please take a look at the needle bar and how it is attached. The bar appears to be an Exhibition bar--triangular hole. It fits 'perfectly' on the housing-- No evidence that the reproducer ever had the block that held the Columbia needle bar. There are two screws on either side of the chuck that protrude through the curved bar mount and are threaded into the housing. There is a small coil spring under the head of each screw.. The needle bar is set into a groove cut into the rim of the housing.

I'd appreciate any and all thoughts on these two mystery reproducers.

Thanks-

Brad Abell

[gramophone78]

I have two reproducers that I would love to get some info/opinions on. Both are unusual.

The first may be a homemade modification. At first appearance it looks like normal Victor Exhibition--triangular needle hole, etc. However, diaphragm has been painted black on the inside-- When I took it apart I didn't see the usual face with "Exhibition" and other wording. In stead is a "U" shaped channel. Pictures will explain better than I can. Please take a look and give me your best guess or information. Thanks--

The second reproducer came on a Victor Junior I purchased many years ago. At first look I thought it was a Columbia long-throat-- However-- Please take a look at the needle bar and how it is attached. The bar appears to be an Exhibition bar--triangular hole. It fits 'perfectly' on the housing-- No evidence that the reproducer ever had the block that held the Columbia needle bar. There are two screws on either side of the chuck that protrude through the curved bar mount and are threaded into the housing. There is a small coil spring under the head of each screw.. The needle bar is set into a groove cut into the rim of the housing.

I'd appreciate any and all thoughts on these two mystery reproducers.

Thanks-

Brad Abell

Brad, I was hoping a member could help identify these two unusual reproducers. The first one sure looks like an Exhibition. Yet, as you mentioned, there are some very different features.

I have a question....is there a serial number on the back body (as seen on Exhibitions)..?.

I wonder if it is a prototype that got out or maybe a European knock-off..??.

[outune]

On the back of the "exhibition" reproducer is the serial number 705557A. I assume that is in line with the usual serial numbers. I'm guessing a skilled DIY'er reamed out the "u" shaped channel as an experiment to add fullness to the sound. The work is very well done.
Now that I have it out again, I'll rebuild it and compare it to a normal exhibition and see if I can pick up any differences in the sound quality.

Brad Abell

[Phonofreak]

Brad, The longthroat reproducer is actually a modified Columbia. The mounting block to attach the needlebar is missing. The needle bar on this is from a Victor exhibition. The needlebar was tweaked to for the Columbia. As you can see, the base of the needlebar was bent to fit the reproducer. It's hard to tell, but it looks like the mount tabs on the needlebar have been trimmed. It looks like this was done many years ago by a dealer, repairman, or owner to upgrade the reproducer to use fiber needles. Or, maybe the original needlebar broke, and this is a replacement. I did a repair for someone who had a reproducer like this. I had spare parts to return the reproducer to original. It's a cool reproducer, and a neat example of a "make do" repair.
Harvey Kravitz