The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Here is a Brunswick 120 Upright I recieved as a Christmas gift several years ago. It had a broken counter balance pivot arm, no Edison stylus, no Pathé stylus, and one broken mainspring out of four. I took a chance and fixed the spring by riveting it together, it's been years now and is still holding. I rebuilt the lateral side of the reproducer so I could at least play 78's. Fixed the counter balance arm with copper from the plumming aisle. The sound was dissapointing so it stood in the corner unused. Finally bought another counter balance arm online and re-rebuilt the lateral side discovering that, a lot of sound was escaping out of my repaired pivot and I had not adjusted the needle bar correctly and now had ecxellent sound with plenty of volume. Another two year project to find a usable diamond and sapphire and finally have both sides of the Ultona working perfectly. Had to make a homemade link for the diamond also. This phono is now used a lot, and at my five and one half foot stature it is the perfect height for stoop free winding and playing; it is quite tall. All in all this Brunswick system works very well and Edison DD's play very nicely through the Ultona and wooden Brunswick horn. Maybe the original advertising had it right when they said it was " All Phonographs In One". With everything right, this could be the only phono one needs. Just my thoughts. Mike

Nicely done! Looks really good! I hope my 207 will be complete and function like yours eventually. The brass looks really upscale and classy.

Very nice machine ! I rather like the design of the grille...

"All Phonographs in One"

So how does it do with cylinders?

Bill

Pathé Actuelle also tried to be the phonograph for all records with its swivel tone arm that could play lateral 78s, hill and dale records like Pathé, and even Edison DD's if you had the jeweled stylus.

Bill,
Imagine the interesting machine you would have if they managed to throw in a cylinder mechanism also some how!
Mike

Suggestion for Brunswick Ultona owners: the patent indicates that the tone arm base was designed to hold a small amount of heavy oil, in order to seal air leaks at the joint. Mine does exactly that, but it is a brass arm so you'd need to determine for yourself if a pot-metal arm will hold oil.

I once had heavy grease packed in that 'trough', but it was so sticky that it impeded the swing of the arm! However, 85/140 weight gear oil works fine.

Very cool! Don't you just love it when you can get it to work?? CDB

I have the same machine and its by far my favorite for listening to most standard and Pathé records.. Is your arm pot metal, many of them are.. I also wondered if the arm is still free to move the arm forward the inch to play edison records using the correct tracking.. From the photo it looks like it might be not forward? The sound on edisons is good, but not quite like a good edison machine to my ear. I find the larger diameter reproducer increases the overall tone of the records.. I think its why we see many of the latter type machines using a larger diaphragm. I know many like the small Exhibition Victor but I would take the larger Brunswick for quality of sound.

Larry

Edisone,
I currently have my tone arm base packed with auto grease, it is a pot metal arm. Thanks for the tip, I plan on removing the grease and try out the oil instead.

CDP,
Yes!! This project in particular is very rewarding. I found rebuilding the Ultona the most challenging out of any other sound box or reproducer. I did two more since this one.

larryh
Hi Larry, my tone arm is pot metal, and all the parts are moving freely so it can be adjusted for the different records. In the pics, the arm is pulled all the way out for Edison play back. I couldn't help but wonder if your True Tone diaphragm would work in the Edison side of the Ultona, have you ever made one and tryed it?

Thanks to all for your kind comments. Mike