The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I have collected and restored phonographs since 1970. Over the years, I have only seen a few Mobley reproducers.

I have just posted one on ebay. I don't know how to include a picture in this forum. If you want to see some pictures, look at my listing on ebay.

The Mobley Reproducer is very hard to find and is very collectable. It is a modification to the Edison Automatic Reproducer.  It is basically an automatic reproducer with a tailweight added.  It also had a new top plate added with a domed sound chamber instead of the Edison flat plate.  You see this design feature on many of the later Edison reproducers.  It also replaced the Edison diaphragm with a metal one.  Again, a feature that Edison put in his later reproducers.   To me it appears that Edison did not invent many of the features that were incorporated in his later reproducers but took / stole them from Mobley.  The Edison Automatic Reproducer was improved in 1900 and the transitional was developed in 1900 and released in 1901. The Edison Model C reproducer was developed in 1901. Edison may have gotten the idea of the hanging weight from Mobley. Mobley created various weights which he added to existing manufacturer's reproducers. The oval weight on this reproducer is very similar in appearance the Edison Model C tailweight which came out shortly after Mobley was sued out of business by Edison. Mobley made improvements on the automatic and early B and Edison took Mobley to court, but later Edison incorporated these improvements, a hanging weight and domed top.

Mobley reproducers are indeed rare.

Peter Weber was actually the guy who was designing most of the Edison reproducers and recorders of the era (right up into the first Edison Disc reproducers). Weber's designs began to incorporate internal weights and domed tube plates (see U.S. Patents Nos. 698,602 and 744,266) but I've never located a design for what became the Model C Reproducer. The Model H and K (both patented by Weber) are there, but not the C. I wonder if the tail weight first employed by Mobley was "given" to Edison as damages in the legal proceedings?

George P.

Here is a picture comparison of my Edison Automatic, Mobley Automatic, and Blackman Automatic reproducers. I personally like the look of the Mobley the best. What is your preference? I think the Blackman plays the best and is what I use to play all my brown wax cylinders.

Rich Gordon

Weren 't these design for brown wax? If so, wouldn't the damage records?

Yes, these modifications were designed to coax more volume from brown wax. The additional weight will cause more wear on the cylinder, but since a ball stylus is still employed, the additional wear should not be significant. I'd prefer using one of these modifications rather than a Model C on brown wax.

Personally, I don't play my brown wax very often with anything. That's what tape/digital recording is for...

George P.

As George said I don't play the brown wax cylinders that much and I have not noticed any significant wear what so ever. The Blackman plays the best and does play cylinders a little louder and clearer. These all have ball stylus and were designed for playing early brown wax.

Rich Gordon