Mobley Attachments

[Phono+888]

I was rearranging my reproducer collection and thought I would ask a question that I haven't be able to find the answer to using the know all tool Google.

In the pictures below There are 3 different tail weight styles and if you notice on the wider tail weights bottom view they are all different...fair enough the Model B weight but I wonder were these different weight configurations done to try to avoid the Edison lawsuits?

Also all of the reproducers have Mobley diaphragms stamped accordingly but 2 are blue, 2 are red/violet color and 2 are silver colored. All have Mobley stamped near the center. What might be the significance of the different colors?

All of the Automatic Reproducers have the domed top also.

Thanks for any input.

Todd

[phonohound]

Todd;

I have been mulling around your post for some time now and I too am a reproducer collector and have the 3 different Mobley tail weights. We know for each tail weight variant there is a modiifed Automatic and Model B version. I think your questions are fair, but not sure how to answer because we'd need to see if any period documentation exists as to why Edwin Mobley used different style tail weights or colored dome tops on Automatic reproducers.

The other thing is how to know if a Mobley Automatic reproducer is 100% original or has been modified by someone over the years. For example, my Mobley Automatic with the triangular weight has a domed cover that is stamped Mobley, while yours is not. Is yours an original configuration? The only thing I am certain of is any Mobley that is marked Mobley on the Automatic dome cover or if the cover is colored with text, then it is unmodified (at least on the exterior.)

When reproducers are modified by a small-time player and so few examples exist, it may be next to impossible to know. I'm not sure of the universe size of these Mobley reproducers, but perhaps it would be nice to know what variants we have in our collections to document differences.

I'd also be curious to know if anyone has or has seen a Mobley modified recorder.

Scott

[Phono+888]

Scott,

Thanks for your pictures and input. On my early Mobley the domed top doesn't appear that it ever had the Mobley in colored text. The middle size weight had the colored text, if I remove the retaining ring it is blue underneath. The large weight on the far left has the stamp barley visible but it is present.

I've never seen on Stamped Mobley top before nor have I seen the early weight on a Model B.

It would be good to have some sort of registry for these and other modified reproducers. I'm happy to contribute.

Thanks, Todd

[Phono+888]

Here are two other Mobley related items.

The wood box came with the small / triangle weight Mobley.

The cardboard box cam with the large weight Mobley with the darker ink on the top plate.