The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Thank you Inigo, fascinating to hear how these sound. Keep experimenting. I remember reading you were pleased with the results from the glass diaphragm. I have some and am yet to fit one.

Thank you Carlos, I believe you mention the ‘True Tone’ diaphragm made by Larry Hollenberg which was a type of foam. I fitted one to my diamond C reproducer and was pleased with the results. I was curious to hear to how it compared to the latest Wyatt Markus diaphragm.

Because of looking strange I think for exposed faced reproducers I will stick with mica or try glass. Still it’s fascinating to hear how other materials sound.

Orchorsol wrote: Tue Sep 24, 2024 8:41 am I've bought natural rubber surgical tubing from China before but found it degraded very quickly, starting to revert (rubber technical term for crosslinking breaking down chemically) to gum and crusty sulphur within a year - very poor quality. Your mileage may differ of course! I prefer to use a known reputable type of NR tubing which I know a number of EMG enthusiasts use - the same material that's used here in the UK for vintage bicycle valves.

I am curious about ‘NR tubing’? Google seems to think it’s ‘nylon rigid’.

jamiegramo wrote: Tue Sep 24, 2024 9:11 am

Orchorsol wrote: Tue Sep 24, 2024 8:41 am I've bought natural rubber surgical tubing from China before but found it degraded very quickly, starting to revert (rubber technical term for crosslinking breaking down chemically) to gum and crusty sulphur within a year - very poor quality. Your mileage may differ of course! I prefer to use a known reputable type of NR tubing which I know a number of EMG enthusiasts use - the same material that's used here in the UK for vintage bicycle valves.

I am curious about ‘NR tubing’? Google seems to think it’s ‘nylon rigid’.

Oops, sorry Jamie! Natural Rubber. I used to be a rubber technologist in a long-distant past life and I still tend to use the abbreviations!

jamiegramo wrote: Tue Sep 24, 2024 9:00 am Thank you Inigo, fascinating to hear how these sound. Keep experimenting. I remember reading you were pleased with the results from the glass diaphragm. I have some and am yet to fit one.

Yes, that's true. It sounds slightly clearer than mica, kind of more definition, cleaner treble. Combined with supple rubber gaskets and relaxing the pressure on the back screws (like expanding the chamber one or two millimeters) it played electrical records very well.

Orchorsol wrote: Tue Sep 24, 2024 10:40 am

jamiegramo wrote: Tue Sep 24, 2024 9:11 am

Orchorsol wrote: Tue Sep 24, 2024 8:41 am I've bought natural rubber surgical tubing from China before but found it degraded very quickly, starting to revert (rubber technical term for crosslinking breaking down chemically) to gum and crusty sulphur within a year - very poor quality. Your mileage may differ of course! I prefer to use a known reputable type of NR tubing which I know a number of EMG enthusiasts use - the same material that's used here in the UK for vintage bicycle valves.

I am curious about ‘NR tubing’? Google seems to think it’s ‘nylon rigid’.

Oops, sorry Jamie! Natural Rubber. I used to be a rubber technologist in a long-distant past life and I still tend to use the abbreviations!

No need to be sorry, it’s kind of obvious now you’ve stated it. I just assumed that Natural Rubber would degrade quicker than a synthetic alternative.

Orchorsol wrote: Tue Sep 24, 2024 8:41 am I prefer to use a known reputable type of NR tubing which I know a number of EMG enthusiasts use - the same material that's used here in the UK for vintage bicycle valves.

I utilize the same tubing, made for bicycle valves. It is the much more flexible than the white tube that is commonly available, and it retains its flexibility for a long time.

Orchorsol and/or CarlosV, can you provide a link to a seller of that NR valve tubing that you fellows use?
I ordered some of what I now fear is the bad stuff from China. I will try it, but will keep an eye on it and change it if it seems to be degrading. Five one foot lengths cost less than $2 Canadian, including shipping! How do they do it?

Once it was that dear kind colleague emgcr sent me a piece of that tubing to overhaul my Meltrope III, which I used, but I don't know where did he buy it.

Hoodoo wrote: Sat Sep 28, 2024 4:31 am Orchorsol and/or CarlosV, can you provide a link to a seller of that NR valve tubing that you fellows use?
I ordered some of what I now fear is the bad stuff from China. I will try it, but will keep an eye on it and change it if it seems to be degrading. Five one foot lengths cost less than $2 Canadian, including shipping! How do they do it?

Sorry, Hoodoo, but I acquired mine from the estate of a deceased collector, that included several bundles of the tubing. I cannot tell where it was purchased, but for sure it is very durable, as it seems these tubes are at least some 50 years old, and as I wrote, are by far the most flexible among all I have tried. I would guess that a bike repair shop would carry such tubes, it may be worth a try.