The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Your comment was absolutely taken as it was meant to be. I think at Home Depot, the knobs you'll find are all too large in diameter to work well. But good luck in your search..

Here's what I found last year at the Home Depot for my Schubert. I hadn't thought of swapping something out at my place of employment after hours.

Bob,

Those look pretty good. Unfortunately, my Home Depot had nothing that was even remotely close.

About the frame on the lid's underside:

Is it just to strengthen the lid (I don't see why they'd need to do that) or could it be intended to block needle-talk? I'm pretty sure that both Edisonic machines were meant to be played with the lid closed. Every Edisonic repro I've had or heard has the same annoying problem: the weight RINGS like a tiny bell, even when the only sound from the record is surface noise. I have 3 Edisonics (repros, not machines) and I haven't used them for years, because that noise drives me nuts!

I have mentioned this ringing sound in earlier posts. It's caused by the little spring in the front of the needle bar. The Edisonic reproducer retained this spring from the earlier Dance design which had this front spring as well as another spring fastened to the top of the diaphragm link. Both springs were bad ideas that mostly allowed Edison to be granted yet another patent for dubious claims. Contrary to the claims (I have read the patent), the springs don't do anything useful. Remove these springs and you shouldn't experience the ringing anymore. The extra tracking weight of the Edisonic without the springs and with a good new diaphragm will give you the best sound you can get from an Edison DD reproducer. The extra weight helps reduce mistracking distortion which was a problem with the earlier designs with the smaller weights.

I own several examples of both the Dance and New Service, and all have been rebuilt by myself and I must confess that I have not heard this phenomenon in any of them. I have also done a fair number of rebuilds of these Reproducers for customers over the years and none have mentioned this problem. I always used the original Edison diaphragms and replaced the cork gaskets if necessary.
As far as the spring loaded stylus not having any effect on volume, I find this a dubious claim as well.
I have done tests with and w/o the spring attached and found the volume much increased when connected.
After 80+ years, we can only guess as to what these originally sounded from the factory due to age and deterioration of the original diaphragm. I certainly don't put much stock in these cheap cereal box or soap box diaphragms with dental floss affixed.

Edisone wrote:About the frame on the lid's underside:

Is it just to strengthen the lid (I don't see why they'd need to do that) or could it be intended to block needle-talk? I'm pretty sure that both Edisonic machines were meant to be played with the lid closed. Every Edisonic repro I've had or heard has the same annoying problem: the weight RINGS like a tiny bell, even when the only sound from the record is surface noise. I have 3 Edisonics (repros, not machines) and I haven't used them for years, because that noise drives me nuts!

I believe the coffered lid was an attempt to direct all of the sound out through the grille opening. And yes, the machines were meant to be played with the lid closed. Only the last newly designed acoustic machines had this addition, IE; the New Edison machines and The two Edisonics.
If you don't desire your New Standard (Edisonic) Reproducers any longer, I would be more then happy to take them off your hands for a reasonable price.

Bill

Amberola 1-A wrote:If you don't desire your New Standard (Edisonic) Reproducers any longer, I would be more then happy to take them off your hands for a reasonable price.

Bill

I'll remove the little spring and see if that solves the problem