The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hi can anybody tell me why my Edison Gem has a wobbly playback? It's not the cylinder it's self that's the problem and both pulleys run true. It has a new stylus and I have compleatly serviced the machine. Can anyone help? Thanks Gordon.

it can be one of 4 things
1)a loose leather belt
2)the govenor needs adjusting
3) some of the gears are not properly lubricated
or 4) the spring is weak
the first 2 are the most likely
Alex

Thanks for replying. It has just been fitted with a new belt and the tentioner seems ok. I will double check the other points. Thanks for your help Gordon.

Be sure the friction pad that rides against the governor flange is well lubricated.

Don't get your hopes up on making it sound perfect. Just that very small spring is not alot to move that carriage and cylinder under the weight of the reproducer.

One other thing you might look at is the governor weights themselves. I have found weights to be up to 0.3 grams difference between lightest and heaviest. By balancing them up some flutter is reduced a bit, and it must reduce a little strain on the shaft bearings as well. I did the balancing job by carefully filing the heaviest weights. It's a tedious job, but worth it in the end.

Having said that, in my experience it is fairly difficult to make the Gem run quietly and smoothly, no matter how hard you try!

Alas a little drag anywhere in the system can likely do it. I had similar problems with an Amberola 50 that just about drove me crazy (crazier?). In any event after much adjustment, lubrication, polishing of various bits, etc., what finally made a big improvement was removing the mandral and lubricating those bearings.

Clay

If the belt is not perfectly flat at the seam where the ends are glued, i.e., one end of the belt is on top of the other end, this would have the effect of "changing" the diameter of the pulleys when this section of the belt just enters and just before it leave contact with each of the pulleys. This would change the rotation speed four times for each revolution of the belt.

Thanks for all the replies.