Featured Phonograph No.134 - Victor Victrola VV-XII

[Jerry B.]

Very nice. I could count on one hand the number of these I’ve seeni in oak. It’s definitely a keeper. Jerry B.

[DGPros]

Love the Oak myself, but had to settle on the Mahogany with matching cabinet. This is in the last 4-500 made I believe. I too was surprised how good it actually sounds.

You call that settling?

My tongue was firmly planted in cheek

[Silvertone]

I am curious what the rationale was behind the XII's design. The table model XI was exactly contemporary, was it not? It must have used the same (or similar) motor; yet it has a larger horn opening...

The table model VV-XI was introduced when the VV-XII was discontinued. It was intended to be a lower cost replacement for the XII, so they aren't contemporaries.

Years ago I was wondering if these were a special run made for Lyon & Healy in Chicago. I still don't know for sure.

My oak VV-XII has a decal from The Southern California Music Company (a Victor distributor), so they were not for Lyon & Healy exclusively. I too have seen only a handful of oak XIIs, so they are not at all common. All the ones that I have seen have been the later style with the fretwork, and apparently they were offered in all of the standard oak finishes. There was a Flemish Oak XII at Union a while ago, which had unfortunately been sprayed with black paint on the outside. If it were untouched, I would have bought it in a flash.

[phonogfp]

My oak VV-XII has a decal from The Southern California Music Company (a Victor distributor), so they were not for Lyon & Healy exclusively.

Thanks for that information Bob! There's a thought I can now lay to rest...

George P.

[Mr Grumpy]

While my XII doesn't have a dealer tag or decal, it does have the usual Berliner tag common with Victor machines sold in Canada.

[rvwenger]

Picked up my VV-XII today. It is in amazing shape and ready for a good cleaning and motor / reproducer rebuild. This came from an estate in which the family was clearing out all of dads stuff. They were just happy to have it gone. Came with a nice pile of record which I need to sort out.

Any history to go with it?

No, the family had no history, just that dad purchased it a long time ago.


Anyone have a spare foot for this ?.

[phonogfp]

I was wasting some time on the Shorpy site this afternoon, when I stumbled upon this image. The Victrola XII is oak, and sitting unsold in a shop in April 1914.

Click on the image twice to enlarge it.

George P.

[melvind]

Wow George, what a great image. Not only a new oak XII, but the Victor banner and a portion of one of the rarest Victor advertising posters ever hanging behind and above it. Wonderful!