WANTED: TWO PEOPLE to review one of my Victrola #2 rebuilds
Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2017 11:47 am
Here's the deal:
1. For years I have been rather dissatisfied with the current parts available to rebuild Victrola #2 soundboxes. There are currently two available gasket designs that squeeze the mica diaphragms with too much pressure, killing any bass or reproduction of ambience. Just assembling a soundbox with them is a task, because it is immediately apparent to the installer that the gaskets were not really intended for the such fitment because of the excessive amount of effort required to hold the face bezel of the reproducer to the back flange before re-installing the screws. With great success I have been able to use them, by carefully cutting ONE of them in half, down the center line, thus making two gaskets Although effective, it is not elegant.
2. The composition of the Victrola #2 rubber mounting flanges is still too hard. The only solution I have found is to hand inject these out of butyl rubber and silicone. This allows enough compliance for the needle to track the record groove effectively. When the soundbox isn't properly insulated from the tone arm, we experience a situation where the sound waves become artificially higher pitched. This is because the modulations from the record are not only making the reproducer vibrate laterally, but also connect with the now added mass of the tone arm. Think of it this way.....yelling at a granite wall that is 12"x12" versus yelling at a granite wall that is 15 feet long and 12 feet tall. One will reflect more sound energy. This is why "as-found" soundboxes with hardened rubber diaphragm gaskets and hardened mounting flange gaskets sound so loud and strident. Yes, the diaphragm is vibrated by the needle, but the surplus energy......needs to be dampened
WHAT I WILL DO FOR YOU: Send me your #2 reproducer, and the "U" elbow off of the tone arm of the machine you will be playing it on. I ask for the "U" elbow because I want to make sure the reproducer flange mounts on it snug, but not requiring so much effort as to destroy the mounting flange. I will install the new gaskets, clean it up a fair bit, and install a new silicone mounting flange.
What I suspect you will experience is what my other customers experience. Slightly decreased volume, but MORE frequency response and more ambience. Soft tone needles become soft tone. Medium tone needles become medium tone needles. And Loud tone needles become loud tone needles. The #2 was an improvement over the Exhibition, yet the majority of comparisons can not be made because the majority of reproducers are rebuilt incorrectly. Play some Jazz, play some Opera. Play some Uncle Josh....IF YOU DARE!
Before trolls chime in to express their distaste of my opinions, please realize that I understand that sound reception is subjective, and very listener dependant. Some people like LOUD. I am trying to appeal to those that LISTEN. Mechanical reproducers are transducers, And will always be for the common man and home tinkerer....an empirical pursuit. Think Edison and light bulb filament.
WHAT YOU WILL DO FOR ME: Play your newly rebuilt reproducer with Soft, Medium, and Loud tone needles. Play ONLY acoustic discs with it. Which tone needle works best for you? Do you hear any more depth or color to instrumental solos of vocal solos?
First two to say "Aye Aye, Captain" get the chance.
If it isn't fun, why do it?
1. For years I have been rather dissatisfied with the current parts available to rebuild Victrola #2 soundboxes. There are currently two available gasket designs that squeeze the mica diaphragms with too much pressure, killing any bass or reproduction of ambience. Just assembling a soundbox with them is a task, because it is immediately apparent to the installer that the gaskets were not really intended for the such fitment because of the excessive amount of effort required to hold the face bezel of the reproducer to the back flange before re-installing the screws. With great success I have been able to use them, by carefully cutting ONE of them in half, down the center line, thus making two gaskets Although effective, it is not elegant.
2. The composition of the Victrola #2 rubber mounting flanges is still too hard. The only solution I have found is to hand inject these out of butyl rubber and silicone. This allows enough compliance for the needle to track the record groove effectively. When the soundbox isn't properly insulated from the tone arm, we experience a situation where the sound waves become artificially higher pitched. This is because the modulations from the record are not only making the reproducer vibrate laterally, but also connect with the now added mass of the tone arm. Think of it this way.....yelling at a granite wall that is 12"x12" versus yelling at a granite wall that is 15 feet long and 12 feet tall. One will reflect more sound energy. This is why "as-found" soundboxes with hardened rubber diaphragm gaskets and hardened mounting flange gaskets sound so loud and strident. Yes, the diaphragm is vibrated by the needle, but the surplus energy......needs to be dampened
WHAT I WILL DO FOR YOU: Send me your #2 reproducer, and the "U" elbow off of the tone arm of the machine you will be playing it on. I ask for the "U" elbow because I want to make sure the reproducer flange mounts on it snug, but not requiring so much effort as to destroy the mounting flange. I will install the new gaskets, clean it up a fair bit, and install a new silicone mounting flange.
What I suspect you will experience is what my other customers experience. Slightly decreased volume, but MORE frequency response and more ambience. Soft tone needles become soft tone. Medium tone needles become medium tone needles. And Loud tone needles become loud tone needles. The #2 was an improvement over the Exhibition, yet the majority of comparisons can not be made because the majority of reproducers are rebuilt incorrectly. Play some Jazz, play some Opera. Play some Uncle Josh....IF YOU DARE!
Before trolls chime in to express their distaste of my opinions, please realize that I understand that sound reception is subjective, and very listener dependant. Some people like LOUD. I am trying to appeal to those that LISTEN. Mechanical reproducers are transducers, And will always be for the common man and home tinkerer....an empirical pursuit. Think Edison and light bulb filament.
WHAT YOU WILL DO FOR ME: Play your newly rebuilt reproducer with Soft, Medium, and Loud tone needles. Play ONLY acoustic discs with it. Which tone needle works best for you? Do you hear any more depth or color to instrumental solos of vocal solos?
First two to say "Aye Aye, Captain" get the chance.
If it isn't fun, why do it?
