The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I have had this piece for some time now but never really knew what the story was on it. It looks like some type of weight for a cylinder reproducer and if you look at the pictures there are 3 very small recessed screws that were obviously meant to screw into the bottom of possibly a diamond reproducer. I don't have one to dry fit but have any members encountered one of these.

I suspect it might be an add on to create a louder volume when playing a cylinder but if that's the case,,, I would think it would eventually destroy the cylinder.

Any comments would be appreciated

blizz

I'm reasonably certain that you have the additional screw-on weight that was used on the very rare and short-lived Diamond D reproducer. These were only supplied with the Amberol 60 and 80, neither of which was made in significant quantity and most of which were exported.

Frow shows the Diamond D, and a similar setup for the Diamond B, starting on p. 324 of of his Edison cylinder book.

It is a Diamond D weight. I have seen one Diamond D over the years. It was on an Amberola 80 at Stantons years ago. Many of the people there did not know what it was and thought it was a made-up machine. Your example is in extremely nice condition for 90 year old potmetal.

Jim

Thanks for the input everyone.. I have owned a couple Amberolas in the past and I suspect it may have been been one of the (X) models which I see were available with the Diamond B reproducer.. Most likely removed during a cleanup of one of these machines and put aside and forgotten like a lot of stuff I've been doing lately. LOL sucks getting old

Blizz

PS If anyone has a use for it,,, throw me an offer because I'm sure I'll never use it.. comes with the original 3 recessed screws,,

blizz

PM sent.

Mike Sorter

wanted to let everyone know the reproducer weight sold very quickly..

blizz

I have an original Diamond D reproducer with one of these weights attached. I installed it on my Amberola 75 so I could play some of my 5000 series records. I have to warn anyone wanting to use a Diamond D with this weight that they do damage to the records. The extra weight is very hard on the records. It is also very hard to get one of these reproducers to operate properly on a machine as the pot metal components have usually grown and warped to some extent throwing everything off. I will say however that I restored an Amberola 8o years ago with a diamond D reproducer and got it to sound nearly as good as a Diamond disc machine. But I still wouldn't play any valuable Blue Amberols on it.