Victrola 8-35 (1928) forgotten son of Credenza?

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HisMastersVoice
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Re: Victrola 8-35 (1928) forgotten son of Credenza?

Post by HisMastersVoice »

Cody K wrote:Both the OP's and HMV's machines seem to have a good, age-appropriate warm sheen to the finish. Did you have to do much to restore that?
No restoration, it's just been well cared for for the last 85 years. Other than an annual (if that) coating of Howard's Feed-N-Wax, I've done nothing to the finish.

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beaumonde
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Re: Victrola 8-35 (1928) forgotten son of Credenza?

Post by beaumonde »

I am also in the "love my 8-35" camp. Next to my Radiola 47, I find it to be my finest sounding vintage phonograph (definitely the finest sounding of the acoustic ones). Interesting that my auditory impressions are somewhat different than Marc's and Garret's. I find the bass and mid-range to both be superior to those of my 8-30. Of course we are all listening on different sound boxes. Parenthetically, I will note my impressions that not all my orthophonic reproducers sound equally well or consistent on my 8-35 and 8-30. The antique bronze potmetal one that I received on the 8-35 (a replacement, I was told, by Matt Brown, who sold it to me) sounds best on the 8-35, and a little "blasty" on the 8-30. The unrestored brass ortho that is on my 8-30 (also not the original, of course) sounds best on that machine. My HMV 5A sounds as good as either on the respective phonographs. Perhaps these differences, when present, are due to the different acoustic properties of the wood and metal horns?

These are the original albums to my 8-35. Although the edges of the spines are fragile on a few of them, the innards are quite nice and intact, but still I have never had the courage to keep records in them.

By the way, you've never heard anything like it before if you've not heard the first side of the Mengelberg/NYP-SO Victor set of "Ein Heldenleben" on the 8-35!

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Adam

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Re: Victrola 8-35 (1928) forgotten son of Credenza?

Post by Edisone »

Garret wrote:The horn photo reminds me of a certain west coast collector who checked for air leaks in his 8-35 horn by running water through it with his garden hose!
Like so: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0Gq5wkBkm8

(he also did it with the earliest HMV changer) ... I seem to recall using water to check a portable Brunswick's metal horn, or maybe it was a Linguaphone portable ...

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Cody K
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Re: Victrola 8-35 (1928) forgotten son of Credenza?

Post by Cody K »

All three of the machines in this thread are exceptionally nice, with such good original looks! I wonder if these stayed in place, in the house, not the basement or attic, because they're such a nicely-designed piece of furniture that could look appropriate in living rooms/dens of the 'thirties, 'forties, and beyond? The Credenza couldn't really do that -- it's kind of a Norma Desmond, it looks like the 'twenties.

I think I've only seen one 8-35, and that was years ago. You don't see them around much, so to some extent, out of sight, out of mind. I really appreciate the spotlight this thread puts on them.
"Gosh darn a Billiken anyhow."- Uncle Josh Weathersby

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OrthoSean
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Re: Victrola 8-35 (1928) forgotten son of Credenza?

Post by OrthoSean »

I was lucky enough to find one locally maybe five years back, also complete with it's albums. I was thrilled to get it. They really are great machines and I enjoy being able to to comparisons with it and my Credenza. Certain records certainly do sound better in my ears on the 8-35 while others have a better bottom end on the Credenza, but both are machines I'll never part with. The photos I'm adding here are actually the original eBay photos of my 8-35. I posted a thread about mine elsewhere here after I'd gotten it home and cleaned it up. Certainly a "survivor" machine that didn't spend much time, if any, in bad conditions!

Sean
Attachments
8-35 3.jpg
8-35 2.jpg
8-35 1.jpg

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FloridaClay
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Re: Victrola 8-35 (1928) forgotten son of Credenza?

Post by FloridaClay »

They really are beautiful when complete.

And thanks for the photos Sean. I wasn't aware of the nifty drawers at the top before seeing them.

I wonder if there is anything someone could do to stabilize the albums to keep them from continuing to deteriorate?

Clay
Arthur W. J. G. Ord-Hume's Laws of Collecting
1. Space will expand to accommodate an infinite number of possessions, regardless of their size.
2. Shortage of finance, however dire, will never prevent the acquisition of a desired object, however improbable its cost.

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OrthoSean
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Re: Victrola 8-35 (1928) forgotten son of Credenza?

Post by OrthoSean »

The drawers are a neat little feature. My drawers were stuffed with record catalogs from 1928-1934, all German Victor catalogs and there was a spare "new" replacement sounbox still in the box in the other drawer with some tins and needle packs. The machine came with well over 500 records from that era, most of them German and very clean, to boot. I ended up selling a number of the records through a guy who runs record auctions to offset some of my investment, but I discovered some really nice things while playing through them. As for the albums, as HMV said a few posts back, the albums seem to fall apart if you look at them the wrong way. I've actually taken mine out of my machine, boxed them up and replaced them with a nice matching set of 40s ones that have nice decorative spines on them. Not the same exactly, but at least I can use them and the correct ones are safely packed away for now.

Sean

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gemering
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Re: Victrola 8-35 (1928) forgotten son of Credenza?

Post by gemering »

I can't take all of those beautiful photos!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:
Now I have to find an 8-35!!!!! :lol:
Any sellers out there???? :D
Gene

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chem_jv
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Re: Victrola 8-35 (1928) forgotten son of Credenza?

Post by chem_jv »

I'll join the choir in singing the praises of the VE 8-35X. My neighbors across the street get to listen to it as well when I use a loud needle and have the windows open, they have told me on more than one occasion. I drove to Tulsa to get mine, only to find out that it originally started life just across the river from Saint Louis. For as complete as my machine is, with lots of extra ephemera, sadly the record albums have been lost to history.
P5133739 copy.jpg
P5133736 copy.jpg

Edisone
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Re: Victrola 8-35 (1928) forgotten son of Credenza?

Post by Edisone »

Wow, I didn't know they were using "stroboscopic discs" in the 1920s! It wouldn't have worked on my side of town, which had only 25cycle current until the late 1930s.

I see that you also have a radio speaker attachment; have you ever tried it? I use one on my Edison Baby Console, via a Radiola 27. Can also use a 8ohm / 1000 ohm audio transformer to connect a more modern audio source. Tinny, but clear. Too bad there's nothing on AM radio worth hearing!
chem_jv wrote:I'll join the choir in singing the praises of the VE 8-35X.

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