The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

So I bought this Machine. And it baffles me. It looks quite "right". No extra holes, everything looks kind of "stock". the black is kind of strange and realistically not original . The Horn is substantial and floating. The Soundbox is a No. 4 (i assume later addition)
It looks like a Victrola IX, but not really, if you look closer. The veneer at the top is completely off an beneath it looks to be mahogany.
It could be a HMV Model 8 - but not really.
I found some pictures of a similar machines, but then the Motor/speedcontrol/break looks like nothing I have ever seen.

Also, to make matters worse there is some scribbling under the tonearm board which looks like a 76 (??) and a IX. But it could be upside down.

Please help me out here. I really would like to restore this, and I don't know where to go next.

Below also a picture that comes close but i`m scratching my head here.

Could someone have dropped an incorrect motor board and motor into a regular VV-IX or HMV?

Andreas

absolutely, but which replacement to get? Get the black finish of? I need to know if I should get my HMV decals or my Victrola decals

To me it does not look like a replacement motor, actually all parts look correctly installed. The machine could be an imitation of the HMV. There were some made in Switzerland that followed the HMV table top model, but with different parts like this. Apart from the arm, that looks similar to an HMV, the other parts - turntable, speed control, motor - are not HMV. I have seen this motor in German/Swiss machines. And the black paint COULD be original, from the photos it looks like even the bottom of the plinth is black. Other arguments for the originality are that the HMV 108 has its number 108 carved on the internal horn, which does not seem to be the case with your machine, and that the lid stay on the 108 is on the left, not the right side.

From the pictures, it looks like an original black lacquer finish...

I think its a Deutsche Grammophon model from a time after the start of World War 1 when DGAG was separated from HMV, and was not getting HMV / Victor Parts. Slowly therefore as HMV / Victor parts ran out, they were using German (Polyphonwerke?) motors in their machines?

The finish looks original to me.

I believe that Sidewinder is right... the penciled in letters look like old German handwriting...

man, I can't believe how awesome this forum is

Sidewinder is right! With the new information i found, what I believe is, the right one!
Also, I had a look at the motorboard-side of the motor and I found a P W, could really be Polyphon Werke.


Thank you so much guys!