Phonoland

Complete instructions here -- http://chestofbooks.com/crafts/popular- ... phone.html

FROM: Amateur Work Magazine Vol. 6 -- 1907, Draper Publishing Company -- http://chestofbooks.com/crafts/popular- ... index.html

(Obviously, the Exhibition Sound Box was the inspiration for this one.)

Joe_DS,

What a great read. Thanks for sharing that. I got a kick out some of the other article too, like to to build a cart to haul out you ash barrel.

Regards,
J.

Thanks David for the post.

This is kind of interesting to me as I've just finished experimenting with an Exhibition s/box to see how well I could get it to play. It has inspired me to look at revamping an Exhibition from scratch with possible modifications. I'm looking for a cheap wreck to modify!

I've just changed the rubber isolator on the back of an Exhibition with an experimental replacement made from a VERY soft compound rubber. The difference in sound was awe inspiring. I had to get my girlfriend to audition two records to make sure that I wasn't hearing things. She confirmed my thoughts - the ultra soft rubber isolator gives the s/box much more compliance on the tone-arm. I thought this would result in a negative sonic change; it doesn't, the volume is significantly louder, the surface noise diminished considerably and the richness of sound so much more tangible.

I'm elated! And all i've done is ditch a "standard" Sitko or Badman replacement isolator. Now i want to change all my Exhibitions again!

Back to "tweaking" I go with another idea. I'll keep you all posted.

Steve

Steve,

How soft is the isolator you made? (I know it's essentially a stupid question Ha Ha Ha! Trying to quantitatively describe softness here-with me ) Have you ever tried a Rocky Mountain isolator. I've want to try one of those for a long time, I've heard very good things about them. I'm wondering if you and they are on the same track? Is your isolator so soft as to allow serious play on the taper? For example does the Sound-Box sag a bit when the taper is lifted?

Regards,
J.

John

Okay, levels of hardness, here we go!......

The rubber I'm using on this "experiment" is really very soft and when the s/box is attached to the tone-arm you can easily flex it by using just your thumb and forefinger on the edge of the bezel. It is very easily compressible. I don't necessarily believe it is very practical or even durable in the long-term but my immediate priority is to obtain the best sonic improvements from the humble Exhibition.

I haven't tried Rocky Mountain's products but the isolators I am comparing this to are from Ron Sitko in the USA and Keith Badman in the UK. Both the latter types are very similar in my view although Keith does manage to recess the brass insert slightly which is also very important and key to isolating the mechanical fixing from the s/box back. Sitko's isolators (at least the few I have had from him) seem to have the brass insert flush with the rubber which is not really very appropriate. Somewhere there is a long thread about this one issue on OTVMMB!

Regards,

Steve