The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

As you may have inferred from some of my occasional questions as of late, I am in the process of putting an oak C19 Diamond Disc machine back into good order. I have discovered (or rather George Vollema did when he rebuilt it for me) that is has the “New Standard”/“Edisonic” reproducer. The machine's serial number is 140,237. I was wondering whether it came with that reproducer by that far into the run, or whether it was a post-purchase upgrade later.

Thoughts on that?

Clay

Quoting from Frow's Diamond Disc book, page 201:
The next type was a re-designing of the 1915 Standard reproducer, and from introduction in March 1927 was called the New Standard Reproducer. Immediately it was allocated to the Long Playing Consoles for standard records. Option to exchange their old standard reproducers-in antique finish-for the new, was given at once to owners who had earlier bought the Long Playing Consoles, and in April this offer was extended to all who owned any Edison disc phonograph with the earlier standard models, although in this case a charge was made. The New Standard Reproducer continued as such until the first months of 1929 when it was re-named the Edisonic.
Earlier in describing the C-19 Frow mentions that this model was available until August 1927.
I suppose if your machine is this late, it may have left the store with the New Standard Reproducer, but likely at extra cost.
Bob

barnettrp21122 wrote:Quoting from Frow's Diamond Disc book, page 201:
The next type was a re-designing of the 1915 Standard reproducer, and from introduction in March 1927 was called the New Standard Reproducer. Immediately it was allocated to the Long Playing Consoles for standard records. Option to exchange their old standard reproducers-in antique finish-for the new, was given at once to owners who had earlier bought the Long Playing Consoles, and in April this offer was extended to all who owned any Edison disc phonograph with the earlier standard models, although in this case a charge was made. The New Standard Reproducer continued as such until the first months of 1929 when it was re-named the Edisonic.
Earlier in describing the C-19 Frow mentions that this model was available until August 1927.
I suppose if your machine is this late, it may have left the store with the New Standard Reproducer, but likely at extra cost.
Bob

Excellent information! I have a question myself that you may be able to answer: Why do you mainly see the Dance reproducer from 1926 with a larger weight then the first New Standard/Edisonics which had the smaller square weight? Did Edison think that with the removal of the extra spring less weight would be required (and then later found that more weight was still needed)?

Quoting further from Frow:
[The Edisonic] reproducer had the slightly more robust build of the Dance Reproducer, but the diaphragm cup was soft-soldered to the tube in the conventional way instead of there being a flange. The New Standard/Edisonic had a spring loading, but only on the stylus bar, and was loud, but not as strident as the Dance Reproducer, and claimed to give 2 ½ times the output of the standard reproducer. Weights of two outline shapes are known, that with straight sides appearing to be the earlier. After a while an extra open annular weight was screwed to the top face of the main weight to add more pressure on the record. The second and last weight shape seems to have the fully rounded sides, and is an ounce or so heavier than the earlier straight sided model. It is this last model that seems to be found most commonly. Additionally all New Standard/Edisonic reproducers had heavier diaphragms with a thicker cork centre.

I'm sure there could be a lot of discussion as to how effective any of these modifications were in real use. I prefer the sound of a nice standard reproducer over my Dance and Edisonic ones in most cases.
Bob