Help With Unusual Large Floor Model Davis Corner Phonograph

[FellowCollector]

I've owned this very scarce (likely their largest?) floor model Davis corner phonograph for more than 20 years. It has sat in our garage collecting dust for nearly all of that time. Recently my wife has given me marching orders to clean up the garage and I was finally able to uncover this phonograph that has been buried behind tons of early records, phonograph parts and other phonographs.

The reason it has never been in our home is that it is missing the tonearm and reproducer which is truly unique to this unusual model.

I would appreciate some feedback from members here on how to go about making a tonearm for this.

Since the horn and the tonearm opening are definitely fiber (much like an Edison Amberola 1A horn) I'm thinking that a curved paper mache tonearm would work. In other words, one that sort of looks like a steer horn (a curved cone shape).

But then a second problem exists: the tonearm has to connect to the horn opening (seen below) with some sort of rotating swivel joint so that the tonearm is free to follow the record grooves.

Several years ago I was able to contact the owner of the only other known (to me anyway!) complete example of one of these large floor model Davis phonographs. I asked if he would send me pictures of his tonearm, one of which is seen below along with pictures of my Davis that is missing the tonearm/reproducer.

The reproducer is not a concern but making up the tonearm and finding a swivel joint (about 3 inches in diameter) would be the vital piece I need to get this lovely machine playing again. The 2-spring motor (Swiss made) works just fine.

If you have any experience with making a hollow curved 'steer horn' of paper mache or whatever else that can be used for a tonearm on this please feel free to send me a PM or post a comment here.

Please excuse the dust inside the phonograph. I've not done anything to it but snap some pics.

Thanks,
Doug