The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I just won this on eBay and wondered if anyone knows anything about it...

I was also one of the bidders. Thought it was a pretty cool item. Congrats!

Curt and I discussed this over the phone. Here are my observations. It looks like a New Columbia reproducer from the mid 20's. The brass plate looks like an aftermarket accessory. When you look through the hole,where the needlebar goes through, you'll see a mica diaphragm. There are a few possibilities. First, a customer would either send it to the Henry Thompson factory for a retrofit, done at a dealer, repair shop, or did it himself. Or, The Thompson Company made a copy of the Columbia reproducer and sold it to the general public. If anyone else can chime in, I sure would be interested. Anyway, it's a really cool and unusual reproducer.
Harvey Kravitz

Here's another one, in a box but a generic reproducer...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CONCERT-TONE-DI ... SwB09YNiKj

Interesting material Harry used for the diaphragm. I guess it's what you use when making a reproducer into a "sounding device". -bill