The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hello,
A year ago I bought an Edison oak Opera. After comparing the sound quality with my Amberola 75 I realized that when I played a cylinder on the Opera that the voices of the artists sounded as if they had a subtle but discernible warble. I adjusted and oiled all that I could but the problem was never solved. Thanks to the two articles on this Forum about the Edison Opera rebuilt and the Amberola V repair I have found the cause of the problem. I had a broken flutter spring. I had checked this before but had not noticed that the spring had broken off right close to the center shaft on both sides. I bought the correct thickness of spring rod from our local hobby store and replaced the flutter spring. Now my cylinders sound fantastic!!! That is why I love this Forum.
Pete

Isn't it great to make a good machine sound even better with such a simple repair?
I'm sure you'll be playing a lot of cylinders in the next day or two!
Bob

And as a result of this post and others in the Amberola V thread, I checked my flutter springs on both Opera motors I have here. Both are entact and working properly, (springing back to center when you move the mandrel).

I had fought the same battle with my Opera and finally discovered the same thing; the wire looked intact but was sheared on both sides right at the shaft. I replace it with the correct size music wire from an autoharp but I still don't get much if any "spring back". Is there "springier" wire?

pianolist wrote:I had fought the same battle with my Opera and finally discovered the same thing; the wire looked intact but was sheared on both sides right at the shaft. I replace it with the correct size music wire from an autoharp but I still don't get much if any "spring back". Is there "springier" wire?

I suppose the springiness could depend on temper as well as thickness. You should use the thickest spring wire that will fit in the hole. I used a digital caliper to measure the original broken wire at .022 inch. Since I could not find an exact replacement, I used .020" (actually miked at .0205") "music wire" found at a local R/C airplane hobby shop. Someone else has used guitar wire, but I don't know the thickness he used. You should see some "spring back" when you release the mandrel, even if it seems feeble.