A modern Limited Edition copy of the excellent Electro-magnetic Cylinder Phonograph Reproducer Designed & Patented by Adrian Sykes in December 1935. Built to basically replace the Edison Diamond "B" mechanical reproducer with paper & cork diaphragm, to allow Electrical Amplification that had become standard with disc records in this period.
This 90th Anniversary edition ELECTROGRAPH has been created, staying faithful to the Original mechanism & dimensions of the Sykes design & keeping to the "spirit of things" An Original ELECTROGRAPH was used as the reference to re-create this Interesting Device.
This listing is for the ELECTRO-MAGNETIC top-works ONLY & Like the Sykes Patented device, will require a Period, Edison Diamond "B" lower weighted section & Stylus bar complete if you intend to use this to Electrically amplify a Cylinder record on an Edison Cylinder phonograph.
The Sykes design was designed for use with a Horizontal carriage (please see last image) the type with a 4 minute gearing to play the "Blue Amberol" Celluloid Cylinders.
WHAT-IS-INCLUDED= Electro-magnetic top-works + a pure Nickel connecting wire.
WHAT-IS-NOT-INCLUDED= Original Edison Diamond "B" lower weight section & Stylus bar.
(Please see images for exactly what is Included in this listing & what is needed to complete the Electric Reproducer)
This top-works has been Designed & produced in small numbers in good faith & the responsibility to add a Period Edison lower weighted section from an Original Edison Diamond "B" mechanical reproducer correctly, rests solely with the purchaser.
***** Please note that if you do not have the experience to do this, it's Important to have this work carried out by a professional with a sound working knowledge of Edison Cylinder Phonographs & their reproducers.*****
A stylus bar wire link is included with the ELECTRO-MAGNETIC top works. The top of this wire link has a formed loop that hangs through the hole in the reed next to the adjustable coil inner pole piece & this wire link will need to be adjusted to form the stylus tail loop & then cut to the correct length so that the stylus hangs at the correct angle, prior to use in the same way that an Edison Diamond "B" Stylus tail attaches to it's mechanical Diaphragm via a cord & metal loop
( A Stylus attached to the wire link is shown in the images as an example, but is not included) .
.Like the Sykes Original, this reproducer has 2 points of adjustment, the inner pole piece is variable to adjust the air gap between the metal reed & the coil extending inner pole piece, this is adjusted with a small watchmakers screwdriver through the hole in the top of the cover.
the 2nd point of adjustment is by way of the 2 clamping screws that hold the rear of the metal reed firmly between 2 sheets of natural India rubber to vary the pressure applied.
^^^The material that the Electrograph body is made from is softer than the Bakelite that Sykes used. This does not affect the performance in any way but great care should be employed when attaching the Electrograph to a horizontal carriage to locate exactly the carriage locating steel pin with the slot on the Electrograph skirt & very light pressure should be applied to the pinching screw on the Carriage, to avoid any scuffing or marking of the Electrograph.^^^^
I have tested this copy against an Original Sykes Electrograph from the 1930's plugged directly into a guitar amplifier & also through a Direct Interface & into a DSLR external Microphone socket......the performance of the copy is pleasing.
To hear one of these 90th Anniversary copies of the ELECTROGRAPH in action, recorded through a Direct Interface as mentioned above, please go to youtube & type into the search=
There is a 2nd videoon the same youtube channel that shows the prototype mechanism that was built at the beginning of this project as well as the Original Sykes Electrograph for comparison. I hope this is of interest.
***Images on the green background shows the process of adding A typical Diamond "B" lower weight / Stylus assembly to the Electric top section , I used this particular Diamond "B" weight, which a previous owner had lightened for some reason as it shows the connection to the reed via the wire link clearly***.
Thanks for looking