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https://newlondon.craigslist.org/msg/d/ ... 28932.html

Not mine. Looks to have drawer but no record boxes.

This is a late l-Door before the switch to the more conventional VV-XVI. Note the tab brake, not the bullet brake. An interesting variation.
Harvey Kravitz

I notice this one does not have the auto brake. Were these not standard on the XVI at the time?
(I have the same version, but with the auto brake.)

Bill

Lucius1958 wrote:I notice this one does not have the auto brake. Were these not standard on the XVI at the time?
(I have the same version, but with the auto brake.)

Bill

You probably have a retrofitted auto brake, one that was added after the machine was manufactured. I don't know for sure, but I think these were offered as an upgrade when they came out in 1913. The retrofitted auto brake pole is clamped around the tonearm.

Stephen

Correct, even the very first XVIs without the L-doors didn't have the auto-brake, at least mine doesn't and never did.

Sean

Mine has auto brake, the pole for auto brake isn't clamped on but part of the tone arm. Auto brake looks original as well to the machine.

picture...

oldphonographsteve wrote:

Lucius1958 wrote:I notice this one does not have the auto brake. Were these not standard on the XVI at the time?
(I have the same version, but with the auto brake.)

Bill

You probably have a retrofitted auto brake, one that was added after the machine was manufactured. I don't know for sure, but I think these were offered as an upgrade when they came out in 1913. The retrofitted auto brake pole is clamped around the tonearm.

Stephen

Thanks! Obviously the original owner was keeping up with the times...

Bill

EdisonWizard wrote:Mine has auto brake, the pole for auto brake isn't clamped on but part of the tone arm. Auto brake looks original as well to the machine.

I've seen and owned many L-doors over the years and I've never seen one with an original auto-stop. Any I have seen were the retro fit kits. My Gunmetal Oak L-door came with the kit still in the box inside the drawer. The owner bought it, but never installed. Furthermore, why would the first non L-door XVIs only have a manual brake if earlier L-doors had the auto-stop, that doesn't follow VTMCo logic. Edison, perhaps, but Victor was usually consistent. Yours may have had the entire tonearm changed, you never know what some of these machines went through over the decades.

Sean

OrthoSean wrote:

EdisonWizard wrote:Mine has auto brake, the pole for auto brake isn't clamped on but part of the tone arm. Auto brake looks original as well to the machine.

I've seen and owned many L-doors over the years and I've never seen one with an original auto-stop. Any I have seen were the retro fit kits. My Gunmetal Oak L-door came with the kit still in the box inside the drawer. The owner bought it, but never installed. Furthermore, why would the first non L-door XVIs only have a manual brake if earlier L-doors had the auto-stop, that doesn't follow VTMCo logic. Edison, perhaps, but Victor was usually consistent. Yours may have had the entire tonearm changed, you never know what some of these machines went through over the decades.

Sean

I agree, your tonearm was replaced with a newer one.