Hi noob here. I bought a Edison c-19 a few months back. It needed a little work but nothing major. It came with some diamond discs. When I bought it it had an adapter to play 78s on it. When I got it home I heard something clunking around in it and found the diamond disc reproducer in the horn part. So I hooked that up and tried to play the discs. Very few worked on there and I chocked it up to the person before me using the 78 adapter on them and ruined them. Well I aquired a couple more discs and only one of them would play the others did the same thing. So I got to thinking it was my reproducer. Probably from being tossed around in there. I recently won an auction of 4 reproducers some marked brand new. Sure enough that was my problem.
That was a long introduction to my question. The reproducer that came with the c-19 is different than the ones I got at the auction. The weight pretty much is as big as the diaphragm on the original one. The ones I have from the auction are NOS. I think they are older because the weight is smaller on it. They play fine, but I wondered what the difference is sound and performance wise. Is one better than the other? Is it worth taking the stylus off one of NOS ones and putting on the original one or is it not worth the time? Thanks for any help you can give me!
In the pictures the "gold" one is the one not working. The bronze is how the other ones all look
Seems to be the worn out diamond stylus on the golden one. Just compare the point with the diamond cone in the others that work well.
The different styles of weight were because there was the standard DD reproducer, then the so called DANCE reproducer, which supposedly sounded louder and more bumpy, and finally the EDISONIC which was still better. The diaphragms and maybe other parts were also different.
As far as I know all they are interchangeable, and although only one was original to the machine, dealers sold the more modern types for machine owners to upgrade their machines.
Probably a Diamond Disc expert herein can explain better; mine is a simple, prophane explanation for basic notions on the matter.
As Inigo pointed out, the gold one is an Edisonic reproducer. The added weight was intended to improve volume and fidelity. They are more desirable. As far as I know the stylus bars should be interchangable. I would highly recommend contacting Wyatt Marcus (MicaMonster here on the Forum) for a rebuild. You very likely have at least one good stylus so new gaskets and a proper set-up should be all you need. I would also highly recommend the figure6 replacement diaphragm. You'll be amazed at how good a clean Diamond Disc can sound!!
I just wanted to echo what Chester said. The figure 6 diaphragm makes my diamond disk records sound amazing. Well worth the investment in my opinion. Finding great records that you enjoy can take time. Also, worth it.
"You can't take the phonographs nor the money with you, but the contentment the phonographs bring may well make your life better, and happier lives make the world a better place."
Thanks for the responses! So what I'm gathering is the Edisonic one is better sound wise but harder on the re-creations? The standard reproducers I have are from the Don Gfell auction and are marked new so I'm not going to upgrade those. Just mostly wondered if it was worth it to fix the Edisonic but I'll probably just keep it with the machine and use the standard ones on it.
Thanks for the record advice too. So far besides the records that came with it I've just been buying Billy Murray and WW1 song discs. It's so much more satisfying listening to them on my c-19 and Amberola 75 than Pandora and spotify!
Elaborating, Edison issued four models of disc reproducer along the line, one in two variants. The standard Edison reproducer is the one in your photo with the smaller floating weight. At first, the stylus bar was attached via a separate mounting plate screwed to the floating weight. Later, Edison changed the design to mount the stylus bar in tabs molded into the weight directly. This, in various finishes, was the company's sole reproducer model for a long time. Two other models that came later were aimed at generating greater volume. The Dance model is recognizable by having a pronounced flange over the diaphragm housing. It had the larger floating weight and two springs loading the stylus bar. It was always sold as an accessory, never as standard equipment for the machines, and was expressly intended for dance records only. The Edisonic (or "New Standard"), by contrast, came to be standard equipment once Edison went to electrical recordings; it was also available as an accessory for earlier machines, offered at a reduced price with trade-in of the earlier reproducer. It did not have the flange and had only one spring loading the stylus bar. Finally, there was a special Long Play reproducer for the Edison long-playing discs, standard equipment with the dedicated long play console phonographs and available as an accessory for other machines with an adapter gear kit. This one had a smaller, lighter floating weight and the word "long" stamped in the diaphragm housing. It was only for playing the long playing discs, which would be destroyed if played with one of the other reproducers.
The Edisonic model doesn't necessarily sound "better," but it is somewhat louder. It's preferable for the more dynamic electrically recorded Diamond Discs, should you acquire any. I'd certainly have Wyatt overhaul yours and put it into service. I'll add my voice to the chorus: he works wonders with these old devices. Whether you go with the "Figure Six" or retain the original diaphragm is a matter to discuss with him; if your diaphragm is shot, the answer is obvious, but otherwise it's a matter for you to decide. You definitely will need a new stylus, however.
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Sure enough that was my problem. 
