US Opera Cylinder Phonograph

[SonnyPhono]

Is the flexible tone arm all metal or does it / did it have a lining?

I was told that the tone arms for these machines were coated on the inside with a thin layer of rubber or similar flexible material to keep the system as air tight as possible. The tone arm on the machine I have has some sort of material inside, but it appears to have hardened over time as it's hard to the touch. Here is a picture of the tone arm while I was cleaning it. I black material around the end of the large side of the tone arm is the same material that coats the inside.

[m0xiemama]

I was wondering when you'd post some of your current projects. Lovely machine....and that Vic III isn't so bad either.

[SonnyPhono]

I was wondering when you'd post some of your current projects. Lovely machine....and that Vic III isn't so bad either.

Thanks! I will go ahead and start a thread about my Vic III since it is finished too. I have some questions about it that hopefully someone on the board can help with.

[Valecnik]

Sonny, you not only have a US Opera there but an oak one at that! Well worth the restoration. They must be extremely rare in oak.

The horn does look a little small on the machine though, but definitely a US horn. Did it come with that or did you pick it up separately? I've seen a few, a very few, oak music master horns with the US fitting on the end at Union. It would really be an impressive combination.

You might also talk to Ron Sitko about the possiblity of making up some reproducers if you can supply hiim with an original.