Waltrip Wondertone

[Edisonnut90]

As we know a an the Edison Diamond Disc phonograph is capable of remarkable reproduction of its Edison Diamond Disc records. An original unrestored diaphragm is lifelike when used with new gaskets and a a good stylus. However, some have tried to replicate the diaphragm or come up with their own homebrew. I remember one particular diaphragm by the late Bob Waltrip, his "Wondertone Diaphragm" was the craze, it was not only the craze it was down right expensive, and required Mr. Waltrip to install it into the reproducer. No doubt, it did sound o.k., the diaphragm was basically stryrofoam from a egg carton.

Bob Waltrip, now deceased has left the legacy, rare restorations that cost back in the 1990's, around $50-60. Mr. Waltrip was considered by some to be a little eccentric or over-board, I remember talking to him and he acted as if he was "Mr. Edison", and that his Leveland, TX home was the Edison Labratory. Mr. Waltrips diaphragm, in my opinion was probably the best replacement for its time, but I think it was alot of hype, since then there are better diaphragms...look for one by a guy named Greg. Also, Antique Phonograph Supply company sells a nice one for around $ 28.00 each. There are plenty of options just look around

[brianu]

?

[briankeith]

I need a few Diamond Disc reproducers rebuilt as they all sound very poor, and one needs a new diamond stylus installed also. Who is the best "reproducer" person these days to rebuild these to like-new condition ??

[brianu]

if you can't locate the "guy named greg" try...

http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... f=2&t=7019

[estott]

I have a Cheney vertical soundbox with a Waltrip styrofoam rebuild- it sounds pretty good though not notably different (to my ears) than my unrestored original.

[larryh]

I have been again toying with the premise of the Waltrip design. I have been able to produce a larger sound than the version of his I have on hand. Its true that very few diaphragms capture the depth of sound that is on the records. I keep trying to make it totally perfect, but so far that eludes me. However many things are quite amazing to hear. I have been struck after a change I came up with recently by a rather airy and soaring quality which seems to make the machine come more alive than I have previously heard it. I hope I can get a few extras the I can pass along at some point for a few thoughts on the sound. I think a few people are perhaps still using a previous version I made which was reasonably good, but didn't have as much warmth or clarity of sound as this one.

Larry

[TinfoilPhono]

I have a Waltrip-restored Diamond Disc as well as a Diamond A on my School Phonograph. I don't profess to have a trained ear for the finer nuances of sound reproduction but both sound better than other reproducers of the same type that I've heard over the year. Whatever he did, he managed to get very good sound. But he was most definitely eccentric.

[David Spanovich]

Bob once told me that he was convinced that styrofoam is what Edison would have used for his DD diaphragms, had it existed in his time.

I've listened to a couple of Wondertone diamond disc reproducers, along with several of his restored Orthophonic sound boxes, and an Exhibition sound box which he restored for me about 20 years ago--all excellent.

I tried the Exhibition sound box on a Credenza once, using an adapter, and was amazed at the amount of bass that came through the horn. It wasn't as powerful as the bass produced by an Orthophonic sound box, but it was still audible. (Try that with a conventional Exhibition sound box!)

I know that Bob also experimented by installing an Orthophonic diaphragm, with spider, into a diamond disc reproducer, and he said that the results far surpassed anything he had ever done. (That was actually after he began experimenting with compressed styrofoam.) I don't know what became of that experiment, because he only mentioned it once.

DS

[Valecnik]

I paid the outrageous price, (much more than $60 I thought) to have him install a few diaphragms in a diamond A, B and a couple DDs at the time.

They were the best sounding at the time. I still have them. Compared side by side, the ones made by Greg Bogatz outperform Waltrips by far though. I have not tried the new Maeder-Whittington diaphragms but I will. From what I've seen/heard they sound pretty good too.