Columbia 211 Z

[Columbia78]

Perhaps the gaskets, since they are dry and hard, have shrunk and this causes the diaphragm to be further back in the body. The needle bar, since it is on pivots, would pivot inward in regard to this shrinkage and would cause the needle to be at the current angle. This could also be the body, being made of pot metal, has swollen. I'm thinking this could be helped by choosing gaskets strategically.

Based on the current gasket size, you could see if any of the new parts available on Ebay would fit. Like the white Exhibition gaskets, the red Victrola No. 2 gaskets, the Orthophonic gaskets, or the Victrola No.4 gaskets.

I attempted to rebuild an American generic reproducer (made of pot metal of course) and ran into the same problem once I replaced the gaskets with the white Exhibition material.

Question. Are there ball bearings? Or just the crappy pivots? (some of the American made generic reproducers have pivot screws, but they just rest against a cylindrical needle bar with no cut out for the pivots to PIVOT in! It's ridiculous!)

I didn't take apart the pivots to see if there are ball bearings. All I did was take the cover off to inspect the inside. Not sure what to expect with this one, it's English, but a lower quality soundbox than the better Columbia ones.

[Phono48]

Without wishing to be rude, it has to be said that this machine and it's HMV equivalent, the 88, were just about the cheapest and flimsiest gramophones that the Hayes factory ever produced. Every part was made down to a price, the tiny motor, the undersize turntable, the arm with no ball bearings, etc. The soundboxes, however, were reasonably decent sounding, if somewhat crude. It's easy to replace the gaskets, just take the cover off, carefully remove the top gasket, and swivel the needle bar, with attached diaphragm, up until the bottom gasket is revealed. You must be very careful, though, as sometimes the gaskets will be stuck to the diaphragm and also the body of the soundbox, and rough handling will result in the diaphragm being torn. The white gasket used for the HMV Exhibition is fine as replacements.

[Columbia78]

Without wishing to be rude, it has to be said that this machine and it's HMV equivalent, the 88, were just about the cheapest and flimsiest gramophones that the Hayes factory ever produced. Every part was made down to a price, the tiny motor, the undersize turntable, the arm with no ball bearings, etc. The soundboxes, however, were reasonably decent sounding, if somewhat crude. It's easy to replace the gaskets, just take the cover off, carefully remove the top gasket, and swivel the needle bar, with attached diaphragm, up until the bottom gasket is revealed. You must be very careful, though, as sometimes the gaskets will be stuck to the diaphragm and also the body of the soundbox, and rough handling will result in the diaphragm being torn. The white gasket used for the HMV Exhibition is fine as replacements.

No, that's not rude at all! I understand the limitations of this machine, but I'd like to see it working as well as it can at this point. I will probably do as you said. I've done this with a couple others before. I may, in fact, still have some Victor Exhibition gasket material here somewhere.