Exhibition Question

[phonojim]

The other day, I came across a Victor Exhibition which has flat tension springs on the needle bar rather than the commonly found ones which curve up toward the screw heads. I have owned and restored a large number of Exhibitions over the years but I don't remember having seen these springs before. This reproducer has a triangle needle chuck, with early style tension screws and locknuts. The serial number is 243995. Has anyone else seen anything like this? Could they have possibly been aftermarket replacements?
This reproducer also has a different frequency range than other Exhibitions, being somewhat lacking in the high end. I have restored it; the diaphragm is good, the tubing is from Ron Sitko, same as in my others and I have adjusted it the same way I have my other Exhibitions. It seems that the springs are the only possibility left.

[jboger]

I've had some recent experience with an early Exhibition soundbox that has those same flat springs, round-head screws, and ferruled tension nuts. As you point out, these are early. These screws and nuts are not interchangeable with the later flat-head screws and nuts. I would say these round-head screws, flat springs, and ferruled nuts are original to your soundbox because the flat-head screws won't fit. If the needle bar had a round needle hole, I would say that it too is original to the soundbox. But because it has a triangular hole, my best guess is that it is a Victor product, just recycled from a later soundbox. You don't show it, but I'll hazard a guess that the three screws on the back of the soundbox differ from the later soundbox, which again leads me to think that everything is original to the soundbox except the stylus. Find a round hole stylus and then your in business.

[phonojim]

You are correct about the rear screws - they are countersunk with slightly rounded heads. It's interesting because I have an Exhibition with a round needle hole, one with a lever chuck and a long throat, all with rounded springs. I've had more of these things go through my hands over the last 50 years that it's hard to remember what I've seen and what I haven't. The next time I go to Stanton's Auction, hopefully this April, I'll take my camera and see if I can document any more of these. I would like to listen to more of them because out of the dozen or so that I currently own, only this one sounds different. The rest all sound the same with only minor differences.

Thanks for your input.

Jim

[phonogfp]

Keep in mind that after the fiber needles were introduced, Victor sold replacement triangular needle chucks to retro-fit earlier sound boxes to play fiber needles.

I suspect many dealers installed these replacement needle chucks on early sound boxes.

George P.