The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Only recently I learned that there are converted exhibition reproducers with long throat. Everything i've seen before was rather crude, but now I saw some on ebay with serial number and pretty well made. Can anyone explain how to identify an original? Is there a serial number range that can identify original and repro?
On a related note, what do you do if the original round hole neele bar is missing or broken? Does anyone make a round hole replacement?
Thanks
Andreas

Really? Nobody able to give me any information about this?

alang wrote:Only recently I learned that there are converted exhibition reproducers with long throat. Everything i've seen before was rather crude, but now I saw some on ebay with serial number and pretty well made. Can anyone explain how to identify an original? Is there a serial number range that can identify original and repro?
On a related note, what do you do if the original round hole neele bar is missing or broken? Does anyone make a round hole replacement?
Thanks
Andreas

Like Edison Victor and HMV made update soundboxes to retrofit on earlier machines , I doubt if serial numbers would help , but crude may be an attempt to make one fit an earlier machine , well made probably original BUT pics of what you have seen on Ebay would be better , a pic is worth a 1,000 words , who said that ?

I'm not really that concerned about period upgrades, more about modern retrofits. Please see the attached pictures. The seller states that it was converted decades ago to long throat by machining the back plate on a lathe. I just don't see obvious signs for that. Maybe someone could post pictures of an original long throat back plate to show the difference?
Thanks
Andreas

That is definitely not, in my opinion, an original long throat; the seller is being upfront with you about that. I can't get a picture for you tonight, but I compared your pictures with my original and can tell you some differences to note. The first thing I noticed is that the outer edge of the dished portion is machined in two distinct steps with sharply defined edges for each. This edge is rounded on an original. You can also see where the screw holes for the rubber back mount have been filled in. Finally, there is no locating pin nor any sign of where one had been. When viewing a long throat reproducer from the rear with the needle chuck/suspension pointing down, the pin is at about the 11 o'clock point.
You don't say how much the seller is asking for it, but FYI, I paid about $200.00 for my original long throat at the last Stanton auction. If the price is low enough, you could use this one until a complete original comes along.

Hope this helps.
Jim

Here are a couple of photos of the reproducer from my E for comparison:
The locating pin is broken off on this: it should be in the 10-11 o'clock position.

BTW, the serial # is 32589.

Bill

Thanks for the replies and the pictures. I can see some of the differences now.

Is there any information available regarding serial numbers relating to features of Exhibition reproducers?

Are there any sources for replacement round hole Exhibition needle bars?

Thanks again
Andreas

Here is a photo of my long throat Exhibition showing the locating pin. Sorry, meant to post this a few days ago but couldn't get to it.

Jim

alang wrote:Thanks for the replies and the pictures. I can see some of the differences now.

Is there any information available regarding serial numbers relating to features of Exhibition reproducers?

Are there any sources for replacement round hole Exhibition needle bars?

Thanks again
Andreas

I believe the answer to both of those questions is No.

Thanks Jim and Retrograde.

Andreas