Silvertone phonograph master barely no noise coming out ?

I bought a silvertone phonograph off eBay and I knew there was troubles with it but there is no sound barely coming out reproducer is a orthophonic era I'm guessing this machine is from 1926 somewhere around that era please let me know what some issues could be thanks

Is this the one you got?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Silvertone-Mast ... 7675.l2557



If that's the case, then the tonearm and sound box are not original to this model. They look to be from kiddie phonographs produced in the late 1940s/early 1950s. Also, the sound box's diaphragm appears to be damaged, which would account for the poor volume:



JDS

Ya that's the one I got hopefully it doesn't become a pain thanks for letting me know man appretaite it I do belive the reproducer and the tone arm soundbox are orignal but I do agree on the reproducer being crappy lol it doesn't seem to be that bad of a machine though but like I said I agree with you on the reproducer I'm gonna fix that once I get it the thing is though that it has rivited holes on the reproducer I don't really like that design so once I get it I'm going to drill out the rivited holes and re insert the new screws and bolts thanks for your advice

I hope this machine wasn't a flop in the long run I wanted a good machine to play some of my rock and roll 78s hopefully it is all orignal now I'm just getting worried lol

Here's a photo, culled from a youtube video, showing what the original tonearm should look like --



If you look carefully at the base of the tonearm fitted to the one you have, you'll see that the screws don't line up with the original holes --



I used to have that same, exact model, which was from about 1927. The reproducer, or sound box, which was about the size of a Victor #4 sound box, was fitted with a mica diaphragm. It actually sounded pretty good, once restored, but because of the short horn, didn't have much of a range, compared to the more deluxe models that were fitted with correctly shaped exponential horns that circled around the turntable, exiting at the back of the machine, such as this one:



(I've been looking for an all original version of the model you have to show you what it should look like, but none appears online at this time.)

For what you paid for it, you did pretty well. If you don't want to go through the trouble of finding the correct replacement parts, and other restoration work, you could always flip it (re-sell it) and will probably get back what you spent.

As for playing rock-n-roll era 78s, I know of a few collectors who do play them on acoustic style gramophones, but it's VERY hard on the records--and they know this up front. The 78s made during the 1950s were designed only to be played on electrically amplified phonographs. That's because many were pressed in vinyl, and others were made of a smooth surfaced shellac type compound that can not stand up to the weight of the acoustic tonearms, or resistance of the sound box's needle-bar. At best, you'll get a couple of plays out of each record before the groove is gouged or worn through.

Joe

So is this machine worth saving because I really wanted it for playing rock and roll records 78s what kind of motor does it have in it I've heard they have Thorens motor my buddy said they have fiver gears in them ? Thanks

I just added to my post above while you were posting.

I'm not sure who manufactured the motor used in these late 1920s Sears phonographs, or if the ones from this era were fitted with fiber gears. (That's not too much of an issue, if they're still in good condition. You can easily spot them because they look like plastic. The important thing is NOT to grease a fiber gear. You can use powered graphite, but not oil or grease, because it can cause the fibers to soften and distort.)

As for playing rock-n-roll 78s, that would be up to you, but they would sound better on a more deluxe model, as noted above. I think if I were in your position, I'd re-sell the phonograph and try to hunt down a better model such as a Victor Orthophonic portable, or a Columbia Viva-Tonal, one of the HMV portables--something with a decent horn and well-designed sound box.

Joe

I found a similar reproducer looks Like the one you sent me idk for sure though looks close but not sure ?

That sound box is most often found on the Silvertone cabinet models sold by Sears, starting in the early teens, through about 1925. It may or may not fit the tonearm of your machine, and was definitely not designed for playing electrically recorded, later period 78s. It does do a pretty good job playing acoustically recorded records, however.

The one that came with my portable had a larger mica diaphragm and different style needle-bar pivot that was more flexible. I haven't seen anything similar online.

If the sound box you have cannot be repaired, I'd suggest you look for something similar, with an aluminum diaphragm, etc. That would be the easiest on your rock-n-roll 78s, providing it's in optimum, restored condition.

But, as a final word on my part, I still think it would be better to recoup your loses by putting that one up for sale, say on craigslist for about what you paid for it, and tracking down something a little better.

Along this line, I spotted this very nice Silvertone portable, from the late 1940s, that would probably do a good job --

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-RARE-Se ... 2c77bec421

Most likely, the sound box could use an overhaul, but it sounded pretty good in the video, though I wish he'd have played a more conventional record, such as a dance number, or whatever.

Joe

By any chance could you keep me informed if you do run Into a reproducer for this model I'd much appretaite it I'm gonna keep a eye out for one to and a tone arm thanks

omarsx2013 wrote:By any chance could you keep me informed if you do run Into a reproducer for this model I'd much appreciate it I'm gonna keep a eye out for one to and a tone arm thanks

Will do!

JDS

Thank you very much man

I may have found the original tone arm and soundbox for that silver-tone master phonograph I have 2 people that are telling me that they have them thanks for the pic of what the original looked liked it came in handy when most needed thanks joe

omarsx2013 wrote:I may have found the original tone arm and soundbox for that silver-tone master phonograph I have 2 people that are telling me that they have them thanks for the pic of what the original looked liked it came in handy when most needed thanks joe

That's great news! This was probably the most popular Sears budget portable model during the late 1920s, based on the number of examples I've seen turn up on sites such as eBay over the years, so parts should not be an issue.

If the sound box you get is as-found or all original, the rubber gaskets holding the diaphragm in place will likely be petrified, and will have to be replaced before playing any records. This is not too difficult providing you have good close-up vision and steady hands. Once the sound box is restored, you're best bet will be to track down some fiber or cactus needles. These are the easiest on late production 78s. If the records are vinyl, though, even they might cause immediate wear. (Never, ever, under any circumstance, attempt to play a vinyl 78 with a steel needle.)

If you have to do any mechanical work on the motor--cleaning, re-greasing, etc.--it's a good ideal to get a copy of "The Compleat Talking Machine," by Eric Reiss. It is extensively illustrated and walks you through most repairs. The book is available from a number of sellers, including Amazon, and is well worth the $20-25 investment.

HTH,
Joe

JDS

Yep own the book already lol thanks man yeah it took me a few days to find some of my contacts but yeah I found to people with the silver-tone soundbox one unfortunately is not the one I was looking for but the other one is a generic of the original here is a pic of what it looks like and the tone arm was included everything is included for about $120.00 so yeah I believe that's not a bad deal at all thanks again