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Edison Standard what is needed to play 2 minute cylinders

Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2014 10:33 am
by soundgen
Help please Edison Standard what is needed to play 2 minute cylinders on this machine , it appears to be an early base with a later works and is this fitted with a Diamond B reproducer for playing blue Amberolas ?

What would be needed to adapt this to play 2 minute wax cylinders . would an O reproducer fit ? Or a C with some sort of spacer ?

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Re: Edison Standard what is needed to play 2 minute cylinder

Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2014 10:56 am
by alang
It seems to have all the gearing to play 2 and 4 minuted cylinders. You could use an O reproducer to play both 2 and 4 minuted wax cylinders. Unfortunately O reproducers usually cost quite a bit ($300-500). Cheaper would be to get a model C reproducer with an adapter ring to fit the larger carriage. These adapter rings frequently sell on eBay for around $40, a model C around $80-120. Even getting an H and a C to play both 2 and 4 minute wax cylinders still might be cheaper and easier than finding a model O.

Here is a link to an Edison reproducer guide: http://www.edisonshop.com/reproducers/ducer.html

Good luck!
Andreas

Re: Edison Standard what is needed to play 2 minute cylinder

Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2014 1:13 pm
by Bob
You can also switch back to the original style carraige and use a C reproducer. Like this one.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/EDISON-STANDARD ... 2ecedc3b20

Re: Edison Standard what is needed to play 2 minute cylinder

Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2014 1:47 pm
by soundgen
Bob wrote:You can also switch back to the original style carraige and use a C reproducer. Like this one.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/EDISON-STANDARD ... 2ecedc3b20
Would it fit this top works , are they totally interchangeable ?

Re: Edison Standard what is needed to play 2 minute cylinder

Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2014 2:56 pm
by FloridaClay
soundgen wrote:
Bob wrote:You can also switch back to the original style carraige and use a C reproducer. Like this one.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/EDISON-STANDARD ... 2ecedc3b20
Would it fit this top works , are they totally interchangeable ?
Yes, it should fit. I just recently went in the opposite direction with my Standard D, getting a horizontal carriage and Diamond B to replace the standard carriage for better sound with my indestructible 2 minutes and Blue Amberols. It is easy to go from one to the other by loosing the lock screw on the rod the carriage runs along, slipping to rod partially out and switching the carriages.

You might possibly need a little adapter of some sort if you are using a cygnet horn. Not sure about that. I had to get a little adapter to use my flower horn with the horizontal carriage to compensate for the different angel at which to horn mounts. If you are using a flower horn, you can just slip off the horizontal carriage adopter.

Clay

Re: Edison Standard what is needed to play 2 minute cylinder

Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2014 5:50 pm
by phonojim
Since the machine is already set up with 2/4 minute gearing and a horizontal carriage, your best bet would be to bite the financial bullet and buy a good O reproducer if you can possibly do it. Consider also that if you buy a restored C and H plus an angled carriage you will have paid at least $250 - 300 dollars already. Not that far from the cost of a good O.
The other aspect of this is sound quality and loudness. The O will easily outperform any small diaphragm reproducer in this respect. Plus it will give you the advantage of easy interchangeability which is also worth quite a bit in terms of convenience.
Just my thoughts.

Jim

Re: Edison Standard what is needed to play 2 minute cylinder

Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2014 8:35 pm
by long_island_phono
Given the banner decal on a notably tall case whose topworks is lacking an external speed control you definitely have the first iteration of the Model B Standard, produced between late 1905 and the summer of 1906, when the decal switch was made.

The 2/4 minute gearing in combination with the Diamond B came out in 1912, with the introduction of the celluloid Blue Amberol cylinders. Your machine may very well have been equipped with the 2/4 minute gearing before this time but was upgraded again by the owner when Blue Amberols came on the market.

In any case, you can play 2-minute cylinders with your machine and with great fidelity, however ONLY celluloid 2-minute cylinders as the Diamond B will destroy anything else, as you probably already know.

If this was my machine and wanted it to play 2-minute wax, I'd probably go ahead and look for a decent Model O. Your machine was probably set-up with an Edison crane (check the bottom for a crane foot bracket or bracket screw holes and check front top lip of case for a upper crane rod bracket slot or bracket marks) or some other case-mounted horn support, given what I have seen with these upgraded Standards, however a floor crane may also have been used. That would be a primary concern for me as a Model O is not worth utilizing unless it's with a nice exponential horn, in my opinion.

In any case, I'd recommend getting what is most appropriate for the situation you desire, whether it be an adapter ring and a C and H with a 14" horn or the O and an exponential piece.



-Jake

Re: Edison Standard what is needed to play 2 minute cylinder

Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2014 10:50 pm
by retro92
long_island_phono wrote: In any case, I'd recommend getting what is most appropriate for the situation you desire, whether it be an adapter ring and a C and H with a 14" horn or the O and an exponential piece.



-Jake
I have the same situation with my Fireside (it has a horizontal carriage and Diamond B reproducer). Am thinking of buying a C Reproducer but was not aware that a spacer/adapter would be necessary. I brought my machine with me to my university flat and had to leave the cygnet horn at home, so have ordered a 14" horn and 45 degree elbow for it.

I found this adapter on ebay but according to the description it has expanded and no longer fits into the carriage. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Edison-Cylinder ... 5afcb952cc

Are the adapters very difficult to find?

Scott

Re: Edison Standard what is needed to play 2 minute cylinder

Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2014 11:10 pm
by Lucius1958
retro92 wrote: I have the same situation with my Fireside (it has a horizontal carriage and Diamond B reproducer). Am thinking of buying a C Reproducer but was not aware that a spacer/adapter would be necessary. I brought my machine with me to my university flat and had to leave the cygnet horn at home, so have ordered a 14" horn and 45 degree elbow for it.

I found this adapter on ebay but according to the description it has expanded and no longer fits into the carriage. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Edison-Cylinder ... 5afcb952cc

Are the adapters very difficult to find?

Scott
I do not know about the availability of these adapters, but the eBay example can always be turned down to fit (or, if you do not have access to a lathe, some careful work with a file will do the trick).

Bill

Re: Edison Standard what is needed to play 2 minute cylinder

Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2014 11:45 am
by 52089
I have the same situation with my Fireside (it has a horizontal carriage and Diamond B reproducer). Am thinking of buying a C Reproducer but was not aware that a spacer/adapter would be necessary. I brought my machine with me to my university flat and had to leave the cygnet horn at home, so have ordered a 14" horn and 45 degree elbow for it.
If your Fireside has a horizontal carriage, it's probably a Model B, which is not geared to play 2 minute cylinders, in which case a Model C reproducer won't do you any good. The Fireside Model A was a 2/4 machine, but the Model B was 4 minute only. The ID plate on your machine will tell you which one you have.