The tone arm and reproducer are from an RCA portable machine. Ron L
-----Original Message----- From: phono-l-boun...@oldcrank.org [mailto:phono-l-boun...@oldcrank.org] On Behalf Of Chris Kocsis Sent: Saturday, October 24, 2009 10:38 PM To: Antique Phonograph List Subject: [Phono-L] Questions about a General Phonograph Model E I got this cute little machine at an auction and have some basic questions I hope you can help me with. I've posted photos to Photobucket: http://s664.photobucket.com/albums/vv10/chrisk33/ 1) Does this look like the original tone arm? 2) How about the sound box -- see closeup -- It seems to say RCA and V in a deco style. Do those letters together mean that it was made no earlier than 1929 (the RCA and Victor merger)? Could it possibly be the one that was supplied on this machine? 3) The sound box is not fastened to the tone arm very rigidly. There is a cylindrical red rubber seal (hard and cracking now, don't know if it was ever flexible) in between and the sound box can be twisted a little, both sideways (on the axis of the tonearm) and vertically, changing the angle that the needle makes with the line of the groove. Should the needle be slanted at all sideways with respect to the record surface, or would anything other than 90 degrees be tracking error? How about the rake of the needle longitudinally in the groove? All the phonographs I've seen with one-use needles seem to have the needle at an angle, such as 35 minutes past the hour if the sound box were a clock. What is this ideal angle? 4) Lastly, much of the (nickel or chrome?) finish is corroded and pitted -- on the turntable edge, on/off switch, the needle cups -- can you recommend someone to restore these, or from your experience should I attempt to polish and plate them myself as suggested in "The Compleat Talking Machine"? Thank you! Chris _______________________________________________ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org _______________________________________________ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org
