The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

chunnybh wrote: Wed Mar 01, 2023 3:58 am

compression ring looks to have unusual knurling, and also appears to be unplated brass. Could it be a replacement?

Could be, but I doubt it. What has happened here is that the ring must have ceased to the body and someone used an unprotected tool to force it and has also sheared the knurling away unevenly so now it looks different at different parts of the ring. The lighting in the pic also makes it look different.
The ring is smaller than usual and is the same as the Meltrope I.
And, yes! Wild did use leather to "tune" the Meltrope III

chunnybh wrote: Wed Mar 01, 2023 7:50 pm I do have one somewhere. I'll hunt it out. I do remember pics on the forum but I suppose they have vanished.