The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

This was on a Victrola 50 portable with a Victrola No.2

I spent a good bit of time trying to figure out why a reproducer I thought had been properly rebuilt was buzzing when playing my loud military march records. It was only buzzing on certain notes, not even the loudest ones too. I looked around for obvious things that might have been rattling and didn't notice anything. Finally I narrowed down the source to the tone-arm base and realized it was actually the ball bearings that were the culprit! I removed them for a single test and played the same record by lightly guiding the reproducer across it (the arm was able to move pretty easy without the ball bearings anyway). Sure enough I heard no rattling at all, it was clean and crisp through the whole record. It turns out that a lot of those super loud notes were hitting resonate frequencies on the little ball bearings causing them to buzz like a bee. The tone-arm was secure over them too, it's not like they really had a whole lot of room to shake around.

-There really isn't anything that can be done about this; but I am happy to know it's not the reproducer buzzing. Most of my normal volume records play fine anyway, no buzzing at all. The ones that give me this problem are those crazy-loud Victor acoustic military march records. They make it feel like your heads right in the Sousaphone even from a mile away.

Just thought I would share my discovery; if your Victrola buzzes on really loud records it isn't always the reproducer at fault.

Interesting. I encountered a similar problem a few years ago. I would play one of my large cabinet gramophones and hear some buzzing. I eventually traced it to a nearby Edison machine in the same room whose diaphragm would apparently vibrate at certain frequency/volume combinations when the gramophone played. Once I stuck a towel in the horn of the Edison machine, the problem was solved. Of course I do remove the towel when playing a cylinder.

One thing to be aware of is this ring, ball bearings and where the tone arm seats to them is suppose to be sealed with grease. I'm sure after you do that your rattling or buzzing ball bearing will become silent.
Best Regards, Larry

Very interesting thread. I've had that happen too (other phonographs catching the vibrations).

Phonolair wrote:...ball bearings and where the tone arm seats to them is suppose to be sealed with grease. I'm sure after you do that your rattling or buzzing ball bearing will become silent.
Best Regards, Larry

Thanks for letting me know Larry, I had them lubricated with a light oil but didn't think of using grease. I will give that a try!

Interesting experience AZ*, maybe the other phonograph was jealous you weren't playing it?

I had them lubricated with a light oil but didn't think of using grease. I will give that a try!

Originally Victor used grease at this joint not only for lubrication, but more importantly to seal the air leak at this tone arm pivot joint.

Best Regards, Larry

AZ* wrote:Interesting. I encountered a similar problem a few years ago. I would play one of my large cabinet gramophones and hear some buzzing. I eventually traced it to a nearby Edison machine in the same room whose diaphragm would apparently vibrate at certain frequency/volume combinations when the gramophone played. Once I stuck a towel in the horn of the Edison machine, the problem was solved. Of course I do remove the towel when playing a cylinder.

I usually disconnect the reproducer if I'm playing a machine in the same room as an Edison with a large horn. It drove me mad before I figured out what was going on!