Question about HMV 5B refurb

[SteveM]

I had this refurb done a few years ago by Peter Wall and never really looked at it too close until now. Despite the fact that it took 9 months and he returned it with two screws missing, isn’t it odd how the needle bar is shoved right into the middle of the diaphragm hole? Ever seen anything like it? It does sound ok, but, maybe it could sound better? He did replace the diaphragm, though, which was all I was really looking for.

[epigramophone]

Did your repairer fit a genuine HMV 5B diaphragm? It should look like this :

[SteveM]

It does indeed look to be a genuine 5B diaphragm. Spider gluing possibly a little heavy handed. I was just thrilled to get it back without holes, it was like Swiss cheese.

I have another I was gonna send to Wyatt. Might be making it a 2 pack.

[OrthoFan]

It looks like Peter replaced the original two-prong foot with a tiny solid rod. Perhaps the original connector was broken or corroded to the point where it could not be used?

Whether this would impact the sound quality, I don't know. I do know that the original coupling used just a "whisper" of solder. I acquired a "restored" 5a sound box as a replacement for a damaged No. 16 sound box fitted to an HMV 102 portable I used to own. In that case, the original two-prong foot was attached with a bead of solder the size of a small pea. It sounded fine, except for loud passages, where it made a "burping" noise. I had it re-soldered before I sold the gramophone. (I regretted selling it, but the case, inside and out, had become a penicillin factory thanks to San Francisco's perpetually damp climate and the fact that the building I live in is full of mold spores.)

I'd definitely have Wyatt check it out.

OrthoFan

[Inigo]

It seems to be missing the intermediate spider, to which the needlebar should be soldered through very pliant prongs, shaped like a two prong fork. The spider legs attached then to the first high crown ridge on the diaphragm. This repair has gone in a conventional fashion, attaching a thick stiff rod to the center of the diaphragm, no spider at all! The spider is vital in the design, for it is an intermediate step in the filter circuit. Better you'd have it properly restored by a professional who knows well this type of soundbox, very similar to the Victor orthophonic.

[JerryVan]

It seems to be missing the intermediate spider, to which the needlebar should be soldered through very pliant prongs, shaped like a two prong fork. The spider legs attached then to the first high crown ridge on the diaphragm. This repair has gone in a conventional fashion, attaching a thick stiff rod to the center of the diaphragm, no spider at all! The spider is vital in the design, for it is an intermediate step in the filter circuit. Better you'd have it properly restored by a professional who knows well this type of soundbox, very similar to the Victor orthophonic.

The spider is there and clearly visible to my eye.

[OrthoFan]

It seems to be missing the intermediate spider, to which the needlebar should be soldered through very pliant prongs, shaped like a two prong fork. The spider legs attached then to the first high crown ridge on the diaphragm. This repair has gone in a conventional fashion, attaching a thick stiff rod to the center of the diaphragm, no spider at all! The spider is vital in the design, for it is an intermediate step in the filter circuit. Better you'd have it properly restored by a professional who knows well this type of soundbox, very similar to the Victor orthophonic.

The spider is there and clearly visible to my eye.

Yes, you can see one of the "legs" in the photo the OP provided:

As I noted above, the two-prong connector has been replaced with a solid rod.

Interestingly, I've been told that the last Orthophonic sound boxes produced by RCA-Victor for the 2-65 portable dispensed with the spider.

OrthoFan

[Inigo]

Ah, yes. It's there!

[OrthoFan]

I was able to locate an image of the diaphragm which was modified during the production of the 2-65 portable --

FROM -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmcdUd83PxE -- profiling the 2-65

OrthoFan
(It sounds like a mini-Credenza! I'd swap my chrome-plated unbranded Paillard portable -- https://www.picclickimg.com/d/l400/pict ... ograph.jpg -- in a heartbeat for that one, and throw in a hundred bucks!)

[Inigo]

Don't do that, a Paillard portable sounds very good, and this one of yours longer looks pretty!
You'd better go hunting for a 2-65, another machine.