1923 Rexoport soundbox

[Sir_Lunchalot]

G'day everyone!

This is my first time posting here, so I hope that I have the right section.

I have, for a few years now, owned a 1923 Rexoport portable that is in very good condition. The oak case is immaculate, and the motor runs perfectly too. I have never really used it much apart from an occasional play of a few records.

Unfortunately, I don't currently have any acoustically recorded records to play on it (my oldest record is 1926), so I have been playing entirely electric recordings on it. I don't know if it's the fact that the soundbox was designed for acoustic records, or perhaps that the soundbox needs servicing, but when I play many records the soundbox seems to struggle at certain points. An example is when playing my oldest record, a 1926 HMV of Paul Whiteman playing "When The Red, Red Robin Goes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along". In the busier parts of the song, the sound sometimes gains a harmonic-sounding vibration, like a buzzing that interferes with the song's clarity. This "buzzing" is present in the louder parts of many of my records. Is this a sign of a dodgy diaphragm, or just that the record is too complex for the reproducer? I am getting an acoustic recording to conduct my own experiments, but I still thought that I'd ask.

If my soundbox did need a service, for example to replace the diaphragm or what look like rubber gaskets, how would I go about this?

By the way, the soundbox that is fitted is a Rexonola 'Concert' type.

I hope that some of you may have the answers to my questions. I'd be glad to have any input, as I'd love to get the best from my gramophone.

Thanks,
William Smith

[Inigo]

Hello and welcome. Here you'll find lots of help and fun, many interesting things gramophone related, etc.
Your soundbox. You need to disassemble the soundbox. Probably the rubber gaskets are all old and hardened and need replacement for new, supple ones. The diaphragm, if mica, could also be tired, or delaminated, but many times these have survived well if treated with care.
Some photos of your soundbox, front and back, would be very useful for us to guide you along the process of overhauling it. This before going any further. There are many types of soundboxes and infinite variations of these, so we need to see first how to disassemble it without damaging anything.
You may also watch the YouTube videos of our colleague mrrgstuff, as he has some about soundbox overhauling. Here:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WY713RYV8LM
And here
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DNVFgSQrAjY&t=83s
There are of course many others...
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UvH4JfX8QjU

[Sir_Lunchalot]

Hello and welcome. Here you'll find lots of help and fun, many interesting things gramophone related, etc.
Your soundbox. You need to disassemble the soundbox. Probably the rubber gaskets are all old and hardened and need replacement for new, supple ones. The diaphragm, if mica, could also be tired, or delaminated, but many times these have survived well if treated with care.
Some photos of your soundbox, front and back, would be very useful for us to guide you along the process of overhauling it. This before going any further. There are many types of soundboxes and infinite variations of these, so we need to see first how to disassemble it without damaging anything.
You may also watch the YouTube videos of our colleague mrrgstuff, as he has some about soundbox overhauling. Here:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WY713RYV8LM
And here
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DNVFgSQrAjY&t=83s
There are of course many others...
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UvH4JfX8QjU

Hello Inigo, I’m sorry that it’s taken me this long to reply.

Thanks for all of the information. I have ordered an acoustic recording so that I can test that on the gramophone, but until that arrives I have decided to wait. The links were very helpful, and have helped me to figure out what the job will entail. When I decide to have a go at replacing the gaskets, I’ll make sure to get advice here first.

Thanks,
William

[Curt A]

Rebuilding your reproducer (replacing gaskets) is a necessary step in servicing your machine. No amount of testing will amount to anything without this first step. The original rubber gets as hard as stone after 100 yrs.
The symptoms you describe are a normal result of the loss of cushioning for the diaphragm, allowing it to vibrate.

Don't wait, order some Victor type gasket material (white rubber tubing that is cut to fit as needed). This is an easy job.

[JerryVan]

Curt's advice is worth taking. However, you were also asked to post a picture of your reproducer. Doing so will give us an idea of what particular challenges you may face. For instance, the reproducer may be made of pot metal, which can degrade tremendously over time and may not be a candidate for a rebuild. In those cases, trying to work on it may do more harm than good. If you want our help, you'll need to give us more to work with.

[Sir_Lunchalot]

Thanks for your replies. I’m sorry, it seems that I wasn’t particularly clear. At the time I posted my initial questions, I didn’t foresee that I was going to become quite busy. That’s the reason that I have had to put the project on hold, you see. You can rest assured that I will post pictures of the soundbox here the first chance that I get. In the meantime, it will have to wait I suppose. I may be able to take some tomorrow, time permitting, and if I do I will put them up here when I can.

Thanks for the advice,
William

[JerryVan]

Thanks for your replies. I’m sorry, it seems that I wasn’t particularly clear. At the time I posted my initial questions, I didn’t foresee that I was going to become quite busy. That’s the reason that I have had to put the project on hold, you see. You can rest assured that I will post pictures of the soundbox here the first chance that I get. In the meantime, it will have to wait I suppose. I may be able to take some tomorrow, time permitting, and if I do I will put them up here when I can.

Thanks for the advice,
William

No problem. We've all been there.

[Sir_Lunchalot]

Well, it took me a while, but I've finally got around to having a proper look at the gramophone and taking some pictures. I actually clean forgot about it, which I feel a bit bad about!

Anyway, here are some pictures (finally!) of the gramophone in question:

[JerryVan]

Your reproducer appears to be in great overall condition, but will need to have the gaskets replaced.

[Sir_Lunchalot]

Your reproducer appears to be in great overall condition, but will need to have the gaskets replaced.

Ok, I'll get straight onto it this time! I suppose it's simple enough to do? I'll probably need a bit of guidance, as I want to preserve the diaphragm at all costs.

I had a look on the web, and found some promising looking gasket material: https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/15413877834 ... xPYZSEUSAU
Do you think that would cut it? If so, I'll get some right away.