The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

So, it looks like tomorrow I'm going to pick up the Granada I talked about in a previous thread. I was going to get it last week, but she ran into some complications, which delayed us all for a week. Now, in the photos she shows me, the Orthophonic reproducer looks fine. I don't know if it's brass or pot metal, but the machine was a early 1926 model, IIRC.

If it's pot metal, and in bad shape, I have an Orthophonic reproducer here that is in bad shape, but the housing is 95+% mint. There are o signs of damage to the piece itself, and the nickel plating is nearly perfect.

Is there any way to swap the good guts out of the Orthophonic on the machine, into the good housing of the one I have? I'm sure there is, but I've tried disassembling the one I have and the "pivots" prevent the needle bar from being removed. Do you have to "punch" this piece out?


Also, how do I remove the needle bar from the diaphragm? I can't see any solder, as well as any way to get a soldering iron in there to loosen the solder that may be in there.

This is all dependent on the shape of the reproducer on the machine, and if it's in good shape, I'll be keeping it, then listing mine on eBay. I just want to know my options if worse come to worse.

How does one rebuild a Orthophonic? I'm guessing just new ball bearings and the thin black gaskets, right?

Here is something that I leave for the pros. A good #5 is worth what little bit that it cost to have done correctly. I send mine to Walt Sommers.

I agree with Spin on this one. Even if you have done extensive reproducer repair, an Ortho is completely different from virtually everything else. Wait and see what you get. You may not need to do anything with it. I have seen many potmetal Orthos that look horrible yet have excellent sound, but will crumble if you try to take them apart. The best thing to do in that case is leave them alone. You won't know what you have until you play a record with it.

Since I do my own work, I can't personally recommend any rebuilders, so you will have to get that info from others.

Jim

It may not look like it, but the spider is soldered to the diaphragm, and from memory to the needle bar.
I dont know if this link will be of help, but I tend to agree with Jim, in that you probably should leave a pot metal example well alone if it sounds acceptable, or to someone like Walt, but I think even Walt would tell you there are no guarantees that a seemingly good pot metal casting isn't going crack & crumble if you attempt to do them up.

http://www.gracyk.com/orthosound.shtml

The spider legs have tabs which fit into slots in the diaphragm and are bent over to lock them in place then sealed with either wax or shellac, not sure which. The spider is aluminum with an eyelet, probably brass, in the center. The needlebar is soldered to this eyelet.

Jim