The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hi all, just found this forum thought I would introduce myself. I just got my 2nd machine. It's a Rishell. Made right here in pa. Got it at a real good price, though it does need some work.
Right off the bat, I will have to replace the speaker cloth. Someone tried a diy upgrade and made it worse.
I will also have to rebuild the sound box I believe. The sound is really really low. I am sure it will need it anyways. I will have to tune it, first time I ever had to do either one. I think the sound box is a Pathé variety. Not too sure though.
Any suggestions or help will be appreciated

Hello kozzy, and welcome to the TMF. You will find all the help you need here for your repairs and questions.
I have a sound box like yours, and I have found that the two screws on the front that hold the needle bar pivots can't be too tight because it will dampen the vibration from the needle. They need to be just tight enough to prevent buzzing from the needle bar.
Welcome, Mike

Welcome to the forum...

Your reproducer is a generic type that I have not seen before, but should be easy to rebuild. The screws on the front will release the needle bar and the ring that holds the diaphragm in place. To rebuild, you need to obtain gasket material to replace the hard rubber gasket around the mica diaphragm. Ron Sitko is the guy to get that gasket material from and he is listed under links. It's an easy fix, you just need to cut it carefully, so no gap is present when the rubber joins. There is a gasket on top of the mica and below, so two pieces are needed. Be careful removing the mica, so it doesn't get damaged if it's in good shape - there is a tiny screw holding the needle bar to the center of the mica, so don't lose it. If you don't have to, don't remove the screw - just lift the mica out with the needle bar attached and replace it the same way. Clean the mica with soap and water before replacing it and you are done. This rebuild should improve your sound a great deal.

Kozzy, welcome to the Forum and to a wonderfully addictive hobby.

Clay

Nice machine - Rishell was a minor brand but the company was a builder of quality furniture - so the cases are usually well built. I see on your machine even the inside of the case has nice oak grain. It should clean up very well.

Rishell also had a record label around 1917- not often found