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I recently received four Edison Diamond Discs as a gift. Will a Brunswick Ultona mount on to my Columbia portable, and if so, where can I get one. Also, what is the price range for a working ultona or other reproducer that will play DDs on my Grafonola portable?

I don't think an Ultona will fit and I'm not sure what, if any would. Do you have any Victor machines? There are several varieties of reproducers that will fit on Victors to play diamond discs. Claarvox comes to mind but there are others.

Unfortunately no victors, is there any way to jerry rig a way to fit an ultona?

GrafonolaG50 wrote:Unfortunately no victors, is there any way to jerry rig a way to fit an ultona?

Not that I'm aware of. Maybe someone else could comment.

Here's a very good solution on Craigslist near you. I recognize you are a junior collector and it could be beyond your means but if you could swing it, a very good deal I think.

http://stlouis.craigslist.org/atq/4402790838.html

I've seen an entire ultona arm mounted on a portable- it would function if it was not too long, but at the very least you'd be drilling extra holes in the motor board.

Although the Ultona will play Edison Discs, it's not the best tool for the job. I'd recommend an inexpensive Edison Disc Phonograph. If you lived close to me I could set you up with a good S-19 for $150. They're out there: vigilance and patience.

George P.

phonogfp wrote:Although the Ultona will play Edison Discs, it's not the best tool for the job. I'd recommend an inexpensive Edison Disc Phonograph. If you lived close to me I could set you up with a good S-19 for $150. They're out there: vigilance and patience.

George P.

Playing Edison discs on anything besides an Edison is going wear out your records more quickly. Why? The Edison machine pulls its reproducer across the record with a feedscrew, so the record grooves are not obliged to pull the greater mass of a reproducer and tonearm. The Brunswick reproducers and tonearms are particularly massive, by the way. Also, no substitute plays Edison discs with a better sound than the reproducer designed for them, particularly when it has been properly rebuilt and adjusted with new gaskets. That is my personal opinion after playing them 45+ years!

VintageTechnologies wrote:

phonogfp wrote:Although the Ultona will play Edison Discs, it's not the best tool for the job. I'd recommend an inexpensive Edison Disc Phonograph. If you lived close to me I could set you up with a good S-19 for $150. They're out there: vigilance and patience.

George P.

Playing Edison discs on anything besides an Edison is going wear out your records more quickly. Why? The Edison machine pulls its reproducer across the record with a feedscrew, so the record grooves are not obliged to pull the greater mass of a reproducer and tonearm. The Brunswick reproducers and tonearms are particularly massive, by the way. Also, no substitute plays Edison discs with a better sound than the reproducer designed for them, particularly when it has been properly rebuilt and adjusted with new gaskets. That is my personal opinion after playing them 45+ years!

No disagreement there. The IDEAL solution would be an Edison machine. With an S-19 and appropriate extra reproducer you could also play 78s and Pathé discs.

That Brunswick on CL is a good deal - really worth picking-up. Even if it's not the ideal machine for playing Diamond Discs, it IS a swell machine for regular lateral-cut records.

The oak is an especially nice finish...

De Soto Frank