The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I have owned several of these little machines over the years and I have often thought if there was any reasoning to the different types of reproducers that were used. I have always tried to keep the reproducer with the same machines but who knows if I did that to perfection. So I decided to carefully remove the reproducers I currently have and put them alongside their machine's serial numbers and here is what I came up with. So, now I am more confused than before. Note all of the different knurling styles and throat lengths. Some have a retaining ring for the diaphragm. Also note the only 2 alike are the 4th and 5th one down but the 4th one has an extra weight since it is in a coin op BS. The top one is close to the 3rd one down but the later one has a retaining ring. This is crazy. Even more important, are they all correct? Forget about the bottom one, it's not an Eagle, but it is D-1 which was available on the later machines. Let's hear what's in your Eagle.
Joe

I too have wondered about the variations seen in these "Eagle" reproducers. I put quotes around "Eagle" because unless we find one of these machines in the wild, unmolested, there's a good chance the reproducer may not be original to the machine. What's the difference between an Eagle reproducer and that found on an early AT? Beats me. Admittedly, I haven't put any effort into trying to understand this, nor what's correct for the various models such as the A, AT, B, C, or AA.

I just bought a very late BX (429xxx with a 1906 Milan decal on the rear of the lid) in the wild which came with a D-2 reproducer. This makes sense, and there's no reason to believe that reproducer didn't come with the Eagle.

George P.

No Eagle: but the reproducer on my AT #214331 (c. 1899) is pretty much the same as the third from the top.

Single milled ring and screw bezel: since I found this machine with a frozen carriage, I am reasonably sure that it is the original reproducer.

Bill