The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Really! A 1940's Red Label Columbia played on a Victor VTLA XX? I didn't even want to listen to the audio.

This is a re-finish job. And as can be seen from several other posts of other XX's on this thread, NOT a restoration-which would bring it back to the way the machine originally would have looked. Another of these scarce machines tricked out with shiny gold leaf and and maroon hued wood. They didn't know how to restore it and they don't know what to play on it...

I should have looked at the video on my desktop before chiming in, (it looked fine on my phone). Still, at least it's not a new bar or whatever. There is still a VV-XX under the bright gold and burgundy. Maybe the color is better in person.

Victor VII wrote:This is a re-finish job. And as can be seen from several other posts of other XX's on this thread, NOT a restoration-which would bring it back to the way the machine originally would have looked. Another of these scarce machines tricked out with shiny gold leaf and and maroon hued wood. They didn't know how to restore it and they don't know what to play on it...

Amen! Check out the underside of the lid at about 40 sec. into the video, and compare with the adjacent re-finish. They didn't even match the color properly. Botch job!

The tally is up to 31 possibly 32. Any more?

AR

It's been about three months since I put out the original posting for a call out of VV-XX owners just to get a general idea of how many survived, and so far the tally is up to 31-32. WOW just based on the responses from forum members as a data point, less than 35 survived.

Thanks to all of the proud VV-XX owners for responding

AR

apruizii wrote:

Thanks to all of the proud VV-XX owners for responding

AR

I think there are more than your estimate, having sold several in years gone by but I have no record of the serial #'s.

It's a pity that those responding had their machines critiqued as if in a beauty pageant. I thought the purpose of the thread was to gather serial # data, not the usual gamut of varying opinions on restorations. There are plenty of other threads that have beaten that topic to death.

Raphael

Raphael wrote: It's a pity that those responding had their machines critiqued as if in a beauty pageant. I thought the purpose of the thread was to gather serial # data, not the usual gamut of varying opinions on restorations. There are plenty of other threads that have beaten that topic to death.

Raphael

Ditto!

My dog is bigger than your dog, my car is faster than your car, my horn is bigger than your horn ...

And so it goes.

Raphael wrote:

I think there are more than your estimate, having sold several in years gone by but I have no record of the serial #'s.

I fully agree. This forum comprises only 2993 members, but it's a big world out there.

George P.

AZ* wrote:

Raphael wrote: It's a pity that those responding had their machines critiqued as if in a beauty pageant. I thought the purpose of the thread was to gather serial # data, not the usual gamut of varying opinions on restorations. There are plenty of other threads that have beaten that topic to death.

Raphael

Ditto!

My dog is bigger than your dog, my car is faster than your car, my horn is bigger than your horn ...

And so it goes.

I've commented on this before, but I very much like Bob Barnett's little quote from Teddy Roosevelt: "Comparison is the thief of joy."

There must be some piece of wisdom uttered about unsolicited criticism, but I don't know any. Our grandmothers used to say "If you don't have something nice to say, keep it zipped." Or something like that.

George P.