The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

While repairing an Edison Fireside B for a friend I found it had a two minute reproducer which I could not find any reference to it any of my phonograph books.

The Fireside is a four minute machine with a carriage arm designed for a Diamond Model B Reproducer, which would be appropriate as the machine used to have a bracket for a rear mounted cygnet horn.

The reproducer is the size of an Edison Automatic and had pot metal ring to mount the reproducer in the carriage arm (see attached photos).

Any ideas what this is?

This appears to be an Edison Ediphone reproducer with a reducer ring. The reducer rings allowed the model C, H, K reproducers to be used in the horizontal position with the large "eye" Edison horizontal carriages such as those found on the later Standard, Home and Fireside models. In this instance, it appears that someone found an Ediphone reproducer which fits the reducer ring. The Ediphone reproducer probably has a short throat making attachment to a horn a bit awkward. The stylus on the reproducer pictured does not appear to be consistent with one that should be used on four minute cylinders.

Doug

There was another thread looking at the Ediphone/Dictaphone reproducers a while back which is linked here.

Thanks guys, interesting how someone would go through that much effort to put a 2 minute reproducer (ediphone) on a 4 minute machine.

Bruce

After a few decades working as a watchmaker specializing in vintage wristwatches I never cease to be amazed by the things people have come up with over the years by way of 'repairs'. It very often defies all imagination.

Perhaps some of these cases were examples of the old "necessity is the mother of invention" idea. 50-60 years ago, there were no reproduction parts, and nowhere near the easy networking among collectors that we enjoy today. It may often have been a case of "this or nothing" and the ingenuity and determination to find a way to make it work. Just my two cents.

Jerry K

Notice a regular doorknob 2 minute stylus.