The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Ran into a situation I have never encountered - I was lucky to find a one-family owned 4-7, my favorite model by far. Everything is in great shape, even the potmetal reproducer and back bracket. However, I cannot remove the reproducer from the tone arm - it will not rotate or pull off and the needle bar is nearly vertical as if it was already disengaged and ready to slide off.

I don't want to force it for fear of damage, I have applied PB Blaster and gentle pressure over time, but it refuses to budge.

Has anyone else encountered this? Suggestions? Thanks in advance!

They sometimes varnish to the little elbow tube from age and or corrosion. If the blaster oil didn’t work, maybe apply heat from a hairdryer to warm it up a bit? If you can’t get it removed you can send the whole tone arm to me and I can remove it.... I have a precision heat gun (1/16” wide jet)

Hey Mica! Thanks for the advice, sorry it took me so long to respond...got tied up with work and just got back to this. 45 seconds with a hairdryer and it popped right off. Never would have thought of that, thanks a million!

And if ya want it checked out and serviced: i’m yer guy!

Now that you have it off, roll up a piece of sandpaper and sand the inside of the reproducer to remove the swollen potmetal. Then oil it and it should be able to be put back on and removed without any difficulty...

Curt, no offence meant but there is no potmetal between the rubber isolator and the tonearm. The outside of the isolator fits into the back of the reproducer and there is a brass bushing in its center which fits over the tonearm. Just clean the two parts with alcohol then lightly coat both surfaces with oil and you should be ready to go. However, after 90 or so years, the rubber in the isolator has all of the resilience of a brick, so you may want to send it to Wyatt for service.

Jim