The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Has anyone had this before? I received my Edison Standard A, I have cleaned it up, the motor was thoroughly degreased, re-lubed. The bed plate was caked with grease, cleaned that up and then it was off to rebuild the reproducer.

I dis-assembled the Model C reproducer, and I found a copper diaphragm in the reproducer. I cleaned the diaphragm which had alot of black gritty substance and all of the parts, as I preferred to keep the original diaphragm than replace. I installed new cork gaskets from Walt Sommers, reassembled and tested, and surprisingly the stylus looks good.

I am puzzled. This machine looks like it was not used in more than 50 years. I thought that the Standard A would have been furnished with a Model C reproducer that has a glass or mica diaphragm. I always understood that copper was used after 1905.
If a Standard A was made before 1905, would it not have had a reproducer from that period?

My Standard A with new style Banner front case also had a model C with copper diaphragm. I would contact Steve Medved with the serial number of the reproducer and ask him. He has been researching these details for years and will probable be able to give you more information. I think that Edison experimented for several years with diaphragms and that there was a multi year transition period.

Andreas

In addition to what Andreas wrote, bear in mind that the machine may well have been serviced in the teens or twenties, and the repairman may have popped in a new copper diaphragm.

There's also the possibility that someone switched out reproducers at some point.

George P.

I'm talking off the top of my head here because I don't want to go downstairs and search, but I'm pretty sure there is a small article in one of the Edison Phonograph Monthly magazines around 1910 or so where the company made plain that they would no longer furnish replacement glass reproducer diaphragms for repairs and suggested the use of copper.

Jim

Victrolacollector wrote:If a Standard A was made before 1905, would it not have had a reproducer from that period?

To amplify what George said, copper diaphragms can sound very, very good. The Edison company considered them an improvement (or at least said so publicly). Many others have come to think of them that way as well. Sometimes a restorer will chuck an original diaphragm and automatically replace with copper. I had that happen to my October 1905 model C when I sent it off for repair many years ago. The repairer didn't take me at my word when I said I wanted it as original as possible. I sent out a functioning stepped mica diaphragm and it came back copper with no explanation. Happily, a couple of years ago Steve Medved put it back right. Now it's the nicest playing reproducer I own. Additionally, reproducers did and do get swapped out all the time.

What are the serial numbers of your machine and reproducer? That might give a clue to their respective vintages. I'm glad to see that you're making progress on the Model A!

Regards,
Martin

I have preference to the Phonoboy model C polymer diaphragm or glass, I am not that fond of the copper. I would think though that stepped mica should have been in there if it was original. However a 1902 Triumph, when I rebuilt the reproducer, it had the rivets in the arm holes and said Rp'd stamped between the rivets, appeared original with dried out gaskets, and it had a copper diaphragm in it . No mice do not sound good, in reproducers, but I have seen wasps and other bugs in them when I have rebuilt them.