Collection: Main Spring Group

Phonograph Mainsprings – The Power Behind the Music

A phonograph mainspring is the primary power source in wind-up mechanical phonographs. It is a tightly coiled strip of spring steel that stores and releases energy to rotate the turntable, enabling the playback of records without electricity.

How It Works

When you wind the crank on a phonograph, you're manually tightening the mainspring inside a spring barrel. As the spring coils tighter, it builds up tension. Once released, this tension is gradually unwound, converting stored energy into mechanical motion. The controlled release of this energy turns the gear train and, ultimately, the turntable at a steady speed—allowing the stylus to track the grooves of the record and produce consistent sound.

Why It Matters

A worn, broken, or slipping mainspring can cause:

• Inconsistent playback speed (wobble or flutter)

• Reduced playing time

• Complete failure of the phonograph to run

Replacing or restoring the mainspring ensures that your phonograph operates smoothly, preserving the authentic listening experience of early 20th-century sound technology.