Brunswick Navarre soundbox or needle problem.

[JayW]

Hello. This is my first post on this forum, but I have found this forum to be a very good information resource in the past. I am hoping that someone might have some advise on an issue that I am having with my Brunswick Navarre. The machine has worked perfectly in the past, although it has been a few years since it has been played. Recently I played records and found that the soundbox was not resonating. I can hear it in the groove on the record but it does not resonate through the horn. Until I apply a little pressure to the right on the sound box and it works. The soundbox is mounted properly, the needle is new. It is as if the needle is not quite right in the groove until I apply a little pressure with my finger. Any ideas?

[Lucius1958]

Hello. This is my first post on this forum, but I have found this forum to be a very good information resource in the past. I am hoping that someone might have some advise on an issue that I am having with my Brunswick Navarre. The machine has worked perfectly in the past, although it has been a few years since it has been played. Recently I played records and found that the soundbox was not resonating. I can hear it in the groove on the record but it does not resonate through the horn. Until I apply a little pressure to the right on the sound box and it works. The soundbox is mounted properly, the needle is new. It is as if the needle is not quite right in the groove until I apply a little pressure with my finger. Any ideas?

Perhaps you could post a video showing the problem?

There might be a couple of reasons for this.

Is the sound from the horn reduced, or nonexistent? If the latter, I might suspect that the stylus bar could have become detached from the diaphragm, and the pressure may be putting it back in contact. Have you opened up the reproducer to check the connections?

Bill

[JayW]

Well you nailed it. The stylus bar has become detached from the diaphragm. This is a metal diaphragm as you can see from the attached picture. From what I have read just now on a Victor page was that I can solder it back on. And I do have a nice soldering iron, and many years ago I was very good at soldering small components and chips onto circuit boards. Maybe I still have a steady enough hand:). I appreciate any advise that you may have. I have a really simple question. Do you think the cover just slides off the soundbox? I don't want to just start pulling on things and screw something up.

[Edisone]

Looking at one of mine & a patent (1,822,540) the cover seems to be pressed onto a groove around the rim of the body. I also see that the stylus bar is soldered to a rivet, and the rivet is what actually connects to the diaphragm. (Yours may be different from the patent drawings, of course)

[RAK402]

The stylus bar being soldered to a rivet makes sense.

The diaphragm is aluminum, if memory serves, so you will not be able to solder it. I am very new to this hobby, but have been doing a lot of research and learning from all the nice folks here on the forum.

Do you have a photograph of the Navarre? I was curious as to what it looks like. I have a Seville, and have seen photographs of the Cortez, but cannot find a photo of a Navarre.

[JerryVan]

It's a common thing on those reproducers for the aluminum diaphragm to corrode around the metal rivet and eventually separate. So, if the stylus bar is still soldered to the metal rivet, and the metal rivet is loose from the diaphragm, you will not be able to just solder it all back together. I would recommend using some good epoxy for the repair. If the solder joint broke, and the stylus bar is now free from the rivet, then soldering is the answer.

Also, if your reproducer is the pot metal variety, (like Victors, some Brunswicks were pot metal and some were brass), use extreme care when removing the cover or, if possible, make the repair from the backside, through the reproducer throat.

[JayW]

[quote="RAK402"]Do you have a photograph of the Navarre? I was curious as to what it looks like.


Here are a couple of pictures of the Navarre. Thank you all for the information, you were VERY helpful. I can see that the rivet is not loose from the diaphragm, it is the case that the stylus bar has disconnected from the rivet.

[RAK402]

JayW,

Thank you very much for posting the photographs!

That is a beautiful machine-the cabinet is awesome!

Looks like the same tone arm/mechanics as the Seville?

[Phototone]

I think all of the late 1920's Brunswick models used the same tone-arm and sound box. There were variations in color of these pieces though.

[JayW]

I was able to re-attached the stylus bar to the rivet on the diaphragm by soldering it. I am attaching the before and after pictures for reference in case someone else has a similar issue. I can tell you that you need a good soldering iron with a fine tip. Also, I didn’t have any, but I believe that soldering flux would help the solder to attached quicker and better. My soldering job is less than perfect, but hey it plays great now! Thanks again! I appreciate you folks taking time to help me with this.