Strange Victor VV-XVI

[tomwil]

Saw this on that auction site.

At first glance, it looked alright, but then the pics tell a different story. Like the wind-up motor board installed in an electric cabinet. And, the tone arm polished to a glittering copper finish.

Looks like it got withdrawn before being sold.

[brianu]

that's definitely a weird machine. and the id plate seems off as well... I can barely make out the VV-XVI - but shouldn't it be VE for an electric? and there's no close-up of the crank escutcheon, so you can't really tell whether someone drilled a hole for a crank motor and then installed it. weird.

but the seller probably just got a buy it now offer and sold it off ebay to avoid the fees.

[Brad]

There was an article in a recent ITG (I recall) that covered this very topic. The hypothesis is that Victor had extra VE cabinets and used them for some wind up machines.

[Henry]

The nameplate seems to be an early(?) style, not at all like the familiar style as seen on my 1917 VV-XI, and certainly not appropriate for an electric drive. Plus it's mounted in a very unusual place on the motorboard. Definitely something fishy about it---and Kutztown ain't on the water. (BTW, as an item of possible interest, "Kutztown" is pronounced to rhyme with "puts down," not "cuts down"; it's a college town about 20 miles west of me, very "Dutchy," with a real nice brew pub on the thriving main street. Years ago there was a shop on Main Street with a lot of old phonographs and an old guy who owned the place, but by the time I became aware of its existence the place was closed, although I could see through the big front window that there was still some stock inside. This was around the time [1980] that I got my XI. I often wondered about the history of that place---anybody know??)

[tomwil]

Don't know anything about that shop in Kutztown, but I wish I did. It sounds very similar to a shop in Railroad, PA just off the NCRR trail that was full of antique phonographs, but was unfortunately closed permanently when I discovered it. It had a picture window full of Victor phonographs!

I still make it to Kutztown twice a year for the Kutztown Antique Radio Show, which usually has some antique phonographs. Quite a show, and I love the auctions!

[tomwil]

You must be referring to "Antique Sounds" in Railroad owned by Skip Kahl ...

Walt, thanks so much for letting me know about the shop. Since the weather has gotten nicer, I'll be on that trail soon, and will definitely stop by the shop. I am so glad it is open again ... ought to be a real treat!

[Valecnik]

Sure looks to me like somebody found a gutted VEXVI and dropped a spring motor top works into it. There are many things missing too. The wooden barriers between the battery storage area and the record storage have been removed. You can see some good detailed pictures of a complete VEXVI on my website.

http://www.bojo.cz/phonograph/victortalk.html

[brianu]

Sure looks to me like somebody found a gutted VEXVI and dropped a spring motor top works into it. There are many things missing too. The wooden barriers between the battery storage area and the record storage have been removed. You can see some good detailed pictures of a complete VEXVI on my website.

http://www.bojo.cz/phonograph/victortalk.html

actually it just occurred to me that that oddly large id plate is actually covering the hole where the bulb socket would have been for the light that would have illuminated the playing area. so I too would go with the gutted electric, with wind-up gear installed later.