The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Does anyone have a spare long Orthophonic tone-arm? Specifically, I’m looking for one with an overhang bracket and post-recall crook. Based on pictures and measurements that I’ve been able to find on the forum, I believe that these tone-arms are roughly 9.5 to 10 inches long from the back pivot to the front of the crook opening, were used on the 8-35 and some 8-12s, and typically have an antique bronze finish (although I did find one picture of a gold post-recall crook somewhere on the forum). In case my description is a little vague, I’ve included a rough sketch of a pre-recall arm and a post-recall arm; the proportions aren’t exact, but it does show, roughly, the difference between the two arms. I’ve also included a photograph of the particular type of tone-arm that I’m looking for, as posted by chem_jv in the topic viewtopic.php?f=2&t=8690—note the loosely-bent crook; that and the length are the important elements.

I want the arm for use in a (semi) homemade exponential-horn phonograph that I’m designing, so it doesn’t need to look like new, as long as it is functional—no major corrosion in the pivots, nothing obviously bent or dented, and nothing warped. The exception is the bracket; as they usually turn up broken (or break at the slightest suggestion), I’m planning on buying a new replacement, so it doesn’t matter if it’s crumbling.

Thank you for looking!

- Ethan

Ethan,

I will look in my stash down at my workshop today and let you know if I find one. I think the correction was accomplished in the crook arm, but I have never compared this and will today. Others may know this for sure and chime in. Meanwhile here are some photos of a corrected arm on my VE8-35X with a reproducer on the tonearm and a ruler showing the different angles and a length.

Carlton Smith
Indianapolis, IN
Electrolaman 64

Thanks for looking!—and thanks for the measurements; as you can probably tell, I haven’t been able to find much but pictorial information on most of the different types of Orthophonic tone-arms, although I had also read that the only difference between corrected and uncorrected arms is in the crook.

- Ethan

I happened to stray into the British Ebay by accident to-day, where I came across an HMV tone-arm of the sort used on the smaller re-entrants—it’s shorter than the long Orthophonic arms, but has better tracking alignment and no pot metal bracket, so it should work better for my purpose.

- Ethan