The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

here's one (not mine):
https://www.ebay.com/itm/195707882620?h ... SweyRkODah

Thank you! I did see that one. Hoping for a nickel one that needs less work.

Others might want to chime in, but from my experience the Improved Concert reproducer was really not an improvement to the sound quality over an Exhibition.

I have thru the years rebuilt three or four of these, and to my ears, a well tuned Exhibition has always sounded better.
I believe that the problem lies in the design of the rigid pin that you have to line up when re-installing the needle bar.
This makes the needle bar too rigid, so that you don't get the full flexing of the diaphragm like you do on the Victrola #2 reproducer, (even though it has the same size mica diaphragm).
Probably why it was so short lived?

Bob S.

Well than maybe I must rethink my purchase.
The No. 2 I find is very loud and with the machines I would play them on it’s not a great fit for me or my situation. My XXV came in with a No. 2 and I was almost blown away like Marty and Doc Brown’s electric guitar amplifier the first time I played it…all set.
I wanted try something different and possibly better than the Exhibition but maybe that’s not the case.

Flying Dutchman wrote: Thu Apr 20, 2023 5:22 am Well than maybe I must rethink my purchase.
The No. 2 I find is very loud and with the machines I would play them on it’s not a great fit for me or my situation. My XXV came in with a No. 2 and I was almost blown away like Marty and Doc Brown’s electric guitar amplifier the first time I played it…all set.
I wanted try something different and possibly better than the Exhibition but maybe that’s not the case.

Have you tried using soft tone needles to tame things down a bit?

I play an Improved Concert every so often. I find its sound surprisingly good, given its rigid needle bar fulcrum. I haven't really compared it to a No. 2 however.

Yes I’ve tried and continue to use soft tone needles. With the loud tone needles I’ve tried it sometimes seems like the sound “tops out” and only becomes noise at some point.
I would certainly like to try one out to see if there is any difference.