EMG/Expert/Brunswick Ultona adaptors.

[emgcr]

Some years ago I made a few adaptors to enable an EMG to play a multi-purpose twin-head Brunswick Ultona soundbox and thus Hill and Dale records. This Brunswick creation is an item of great genius in my opinion, even incorporating a counterweight. All types of shellac records can be played---lateral-cut and Edison/Pathé vertical-cut by simply twisting the soundbox to the appropriate position. Here is one in action playing an Edison Diamond Disc:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNj7w3bcI1c Edison. "I want to be happy". Foxtrot from "No No Nanette".

I was asked recently by a friend if I could do the same for the Expert system. This is not so easy as the tonearm for the Experts Senior/Junior/Minor (All Range is half an inch longer) which are all identical was designed differently in “goose neck” form compared to the EMG’s "swan’s-neck”. By definition, this means that to achieve a similar facility it is necessary for the sound to traverse, not one, but two right-angles. I was unsure how well this might work but keen to find out.

On an Expert, the goose-neck is threaded (⅝” X 26 TPI) into the tonearm which has a mounting section at right angles to the main part of the tonearm. One of the reasons this was done was to allow the incorporation of a Quincke tube (see discussed elsewhere). However, in the EMG system, the swinging swan’s neck is tubular without thread and simply pushes straight in without a right-angled section. The Expert adaptor also has to be internally threaded (½” X 26 TPI) to accommodate the Quincke tube. Here is the result on an Expert Junior compared to an EMG Xa :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMzTXRNJlbY “The flapper wife”. Expert Junior in carpeted room. 25” horn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl_3dpypGtk “The flapper wife”. EMG 10a in room with wooden floor. 28” horn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15bDNJajc6U “Everything is hotsy totsy now”. Expert Junior in carpeted room. 25" horn.

I am pleased with the result and wonder what others might think ? I have always found it amazing (but counterintuitive) that sound seems to negotiate right-angled bends without too much degradation and this is an interesting demonstration of that fact I think. Percy Wilson pointed to his findings that the quality of sound was relatively unaffected at small diameters of tonearm.

[CarlosV]

Great work, Graham! The Edison records sound very good both on the Expert and on the EMG. The Brunswick Ultona is indeed very ingeniously designed.

[emgcr]

Many thanks Carlos and apologies for the poor visuals---quite dark in my home and with an old camera---but it is the sound that we are after isn't it ?

[Orchorsol]

Fantastic Graham - and having heard the results in person, I can attest they are stunningly good through a large EMG. I agree, what a brilliant piece of ingenuity, to have all three different playing modes specifically provided for. As are the adapters - chapeau!

I'm reminded to try and find my Ultona head which is currently lost in storage. It's one of what seems to be a minority which have a different diameter where the adapter would fit.

[epigramophone]

I have always found it amazing (but counterintuitive) that sound seems to negotiate right-angled bends without too much degradation and this is an interesting demonstration of that fact I think. Percy Wilson pointed to his findings that the quality of sound was relatively unaffected at small diameters of tonearm.

Perhaps these impressive results explain why the Columbia Plano-Reflex system, which was based on the dubious claim that sound waves behave in the same way as light beams, works as well as it does.

[Watanabehi]

Some years ago I made a few adaptors to enable an EMG to play a multi-purpose twin-head Brunswick Ultona soundbox and thus Hill and Dale records. This Brunswick creation is an item of great genius in my opinion, even incorporating a counterweight. All types of shellac records can be played---lateral-cut and Edison/Pathé vertical-cut by simply twisting the soundbox to the appropriate position. Here is one in action playing an Edison Diamond Disc:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNj7w3bcI1c Edison. "I want to be happy". Foxtrot from "No No Nanette".

I was asked recently by a friend if I could do the same for the Expert system. This is not so easy as the tonearm for the Experts Senior/Junior/Minor (All Range is half an inch longer) which are all identical was designed differently in “goose neck” form compared to the EMG’s "swan’s-neck”. By definition, this means that to achieve a similar facility it is necessary for the sound to traverse, not one, but two right-angles. I was unsure how well this might work but keen to find out.

On an Expert, the goose-neck is threaded (⅝” X 26 TPI) into the tonearm which has a mounting section at right angles to the main part of the tonearm. One of the reasons this was done was to allow the incorporation of a Quincke tube (see discussed elsewhere). However, in the EMG system, the swinging swan’s neck is tubular without thread and simply pushes straight in without a right-angled section. The Expert adaptor also has to be internally threaded (½” X 26 TPI) to accommodate the Quincke tube. Here is the result on an Expert Junior compared to an EMG Xa :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMzTXRNJlbY “The flapper wife”. Expert Junior in carpeted room. 25” horn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl_3dpypGtk “The flapper wife”. EMG 10a in room with wooden floor. 28” horn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15bDNJajc6U “Everything is hotsy totsy now”. Expert Junior in carpeted room. 25" horn.

I am pleased with the result and wonder what others might think ? I have always found it amazing (but counterintuitive) that sound seems to negotiate right-angled bends without too much degradation and this is an interesting demonstration of that fact I think. Percy Wilson pointed to his findings that the quality of sound was relatively unaffected at small diameters of tonearm.

Just Fantastic!!