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What Victor is this?

Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2017 7:59 pm
by Bruce
A local collector has come across this beauty nearby, possessed by the grand daughter of the original owner.

The id plate refers to E352 but I have not been able to find any reference to this model.

Any ideas?

Bruce

Re: What Victor is this?

Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2017 8:51 pm
by EarlH
I think the "E" would mean Electrola so that much makes sense. It's interesting that they didn't want a Radio/Electrola if they were going to spend money on a customized cabinet. Sure is nice looking. It looks like the chassis you see in the RE series in the late 20's early 30's.

Re: What Victor is this?

Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 1:43 am
by Lucius1958
Custom/period model cabinet? Looks like an Adam style.

Bill

Re: What Victor is this?

Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 10:40 am
by JerryVan
What a great cabinet!

Has something been changed or swapped out here? Looks like the motor board is not wide enough, leaving a gap on the left. Missing a record bin? The missing screws make me wonder as well.

Re: What Victor is this?

Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 1:13 pm
by Victrola-Monkey
I think that could at least in part be a E-35, though I don't know why the ID has E-352 and I have never seen a picture of one. The E-35 (phonograph) and the R-32 (radio) were the non-combo versions of the RE-45 and RE-75. The fact that door and its wrap around design, plus the metal hold-down threads used to secure the cabinet in the original crate tells me it's a Victor design. Clearly the light and the motor board indicate a non-original situation. The Electrola logo is Victor and not RCA Victor, right? Maybe this is a prototype or a Special model. Sure like to see what a E-35 looks like. Here's the others:

Re: What Victor is this?

Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 1:58 pm
by Skihawx
Here is what an E-135 looks like. Not sure I ever saw or heard of an E-35.

Re: What Victor is this?

Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 5:48 pm
by Victrola-Monkey
From the RCA Service Data Manual:

Re: What Victor is this?

Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 11:14 pm
by Skihawx
I am not sure there ever was an E-35. The only reference I have ever seen is in the RCA red books which may have inadvertently listed the E-135 as the E-35. The schematic listed as an E-35 matches the E-135. The old notes in at the RCA consumer electronics facility did list the E-135 but did not list an E-35. And the E-135 which does exist was not included in the Red books. Until some other reference to the E-35 surfaces I would argue that the Red books were done sometime in the early 1930's and the schematic for the E-35 was really the E-135 and incorrectly listed in the 1923-1928 book. Where the R-32/RE-45 did not show up until the 1929-1930 book.

The cabinet of Electrola shown above looks like it was based on an R-52 design. I have seen this pattern on the doors of this cabinet somewhere but I can't remember where. What is interesting is that the cable coming out of the amp does not match the E-135 cable. It would be interesting to know if there is a load resistor on this E-352 sample.

Re: What Victor is this?

Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 11:14 pm
by Lucius1958
JerryVan wrote:What a great cabinet!

Has something been changed or swapped out here? Looks like the motor board is not wide enough, leaving a gap on the left. Missing a record bin? The missing screws make me wonder as well.
Is it missing a grille as well? That speaker cloth looks rather naked for an art case like this.

Bill

Re: What Victor is this?

Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2017 1:34 am
by alaine bastow
The number on the electrola should be E152 not E352