The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Some mornings I wonder why I get out of bed. So, this morning I made a few adjustments to my Expert soundbox, and it was playing like a champ on my Expert Senior. I played a Sousa march, and felt like I was being blasted out of the room. Well, I decided to make one more adjustment. I made a small turn of the screw for one spring. I then made another small turn to the other spring. Tink! One of the springs split in half. Does anyone know of a source for replacements? Otherwise, know anyone that might be able to make us a bunch of these, so that I can slowly sell mine when everyone else's springs start to rust?

Tell you what. Who is interested in these springs if I have some made? I have a possible order of 100, and we would need to make at least several hundred to break even.

Garret

I had 500 Exhibiton springs made 10 years ago and still haven't sold them all ! how many EMG soundboxes were made ?

I would be interested, subject to price, but please make sure the specification is as per original---good quality spring steel of the correct section with the right heat treatment etc. As you have discovered, they do rust and break so I would think you might well get your money back. There are plenty of soundboxes around and people would be well advised to keep spares. Unfortunately, Expert springs are of a different design.

Garret, your soundbox pictured with the broken spring is an EMG, not an Expert.

I would definitely buy a number of spare springs for either or both types, but as Graham says, the metallurgy will need attending to.

Gentlemen,

Thank you for your response. Do we know how EMG made these springs, and what sort of heat treatment was employed? Alternatively, perhaps the sample could be sent to a metallurgy lab for testing?

Garret

When I bought my EMG MkX, the soundbox, which was the original EMG four spring, had recently been overhauled by the legendary George Overstall.
He evidently had the same problem in sourcing replacements, two of which were needed, and solved the problem by fashioning them out of piano wire. The basic shape was exactly similar, and the contact point was made by clipping the wire at an angle. These funtioned extremely well, and as far as I know are still in place after nearly 40 years.
May not be the ultimate solution to the problem, but it is certainly a very useful temporary expedient.

clipper wrote:When I bought my EMG MkX, the soundbox, which was the original EMG four spring, had recently been overhauled by the legendary George Overstall.
He evidently had the same problem in sourcing replacements, two of which were needed, and solved the problem by fashioning them out of piano wire.

What an idea! Would it be possible to see a picture?

Sad to say that the EMG is in Hertford, and I am here in Northern France, so photos would be difficult, as the present owner does not use a computer.
However, when I am next in England I will endeavour to secure some pics

Please know that a materials science professor at Virginia Tech, a noted research university on the U.S. East Coast, has offered to test and analyze the composition of the metal in these springs as a project for two of his graduate students. This should serve as a good starting point for remanufacturing. This is a slow process, but these springs will be remanufactured - eventually. Please check periodically for further updates.

Best Wishes,

Garret