questionable credenza on ebay - originally electric?

[brianu]

this auction just ended, and I was curious to see it sell for the price it did given the incorrect reproducer and, more so, what appears to be a major alteration - with the wind-up motor swapped out for an electric motor, but the crank hole AND crank still there.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0342774907

it's a nice early two-door example, but I'm wondering whether the buyer closely read the auction description?

[estott]

This has been discussed. It seems it always was electric- Victor sent out some of the early electric motor varieties in cabinets with plugged and veneered over crank holes. It seems that some former owner decided to install a crank for cosmetic reasons- it's unfortunate but the seller didn't conceal the fact.. Having a portable orthophonic reproducer on it is not unusual and shouldn't make much if any difference in the sound.

[brianu]

This has been discussed. It seems it always was electric- Victor sent out some of the early electric motor varieties in cabinets with plugged and veneered over crank holes. It seems that some former owner decided to install a crank for cosmetic reasons- it's unfortunate but the seller didn't conceal the fact.. Having a portable orthophonic reproducer on it is not unusual and shouldn't make much if any difference in the sound.

discussed where? and was it recently?

and you're right, the portable ortho reproducer shouldn't make much difference in terms of sound, but that doesn't change the fact that it's not original to the machine - either way, I was mainly remarking on the motor issue... and to that end, I never realized it was common to install a crank on an electric machine simply for looks (and especially if the crank hole already had been factory sealed)... I've never heard or read of such a practice.

[phonophan79]

discussed in this thread
http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... rthophonic

[brianu]

discussed in this thread
http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... rthophonic

thanks, but I've read that thread, and I just skimmed through it again. it touches on this credenza and someone remarks about how some of the unused wind-up cabinets had the crank holes filled before being factory fitted with an electric motor. but I'd still like to know whether that's true - is it in any of the literature? I just wasn't aware of the perfectionists at victor doing such things.

[estott]

I suspect some idiot who owned it within the last 30 years thought "An old-time Victrola looks more antique with a wind-up crank" and proceeded to equip it with one.

[bbphonoguy]

I kinda have to agree with "brianu". I've never heard of a victrola with an electric motor leaving the factory with a plugged crank hole. Victor had been offering optional electric motors for years already. It seems logical that they would be prepared to have electric motors in their 1925 credenzas.

I know that as a customer, if I bought a high end machine like this brand new, and it came with some sort of obvious makeshift like a plugged hole I would return it.

I'll bet that this machine was just electrified sometime in the 40's by some home do-it-yourself handyman.

[estott]

I'll bet that this machine was just electrified sometime in the 40's by some home do-it-yourself handyman.

The plate says it's a Credenza-X which would indicate it left the factory as an electric, unless you are suggesting the plate has been altered or switched.

[bbphonoguy]

I'll bet that this machine was just electrified sometime in the 40's by some home do-it-yourself handyman.

The plate says it's a Credenza-X which would indicate it left the factory as an electric, unless you are suggesting the plate has been altered or switched.

Sheesh!! Then all I can say is it makes no sense! I still don't believe that Victor would be so unprepared as to not have cabinets waiting to receive electric motors (as I already stated, they had been doing this for years, and leaving the crank hole out would be a very easy step), and I can't believe that someone buying this new would have been satisfied with spending extra for a electric motor so that he could have a patch on the side of the cabinet. Having worked in the antique biz, I would have to say yes, someone may have cobbled this together. It happens A LOT.

[brianu]

thanks walt. I'm also interested by your take on the induction disc motors in general. I had always been told that they were favorable to the other variety and built so well that nothing ever really goes wrong with them... am I wrong in thinking that?