The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hello, all

I have a friend that inherited some phonograph items. One of the group looks to be a complete disassembled Victor Z. I have never owned a Victor. Can anyone offer any advice such as:

1. What are the parts they should have to put it together
2. What is value assuming it is in working condition
3. Any general cautions on assembly
4. Any good videos or guides to owning/assembling/operating a Z?

I can ask them for more pictures but so far only sent them the summary info from victor-victrola....

Thanks for ANY advice!!

Here is a complete Victor Z - look at the picture and you can see what you're missing...
The cabinet on yours looks nice and the horn looks great - don't mess with either of them, just find the parts you need and add them...

1. What are the parts they should have to put it together See above picture.

2. What is value assuming it is in working condition That depends on how accurately it is put back together with original (not reproduction) parts.

3. Any general cautions on assembly No, just don't screw anything up.

4. Any good videos or guides to owning/assembling/operating a Z? Put it together, wind it up, put an early shellac 78 rpm record on it (no vinyl, no Edison Diamond Discs, use steel needles and change them after each play.

I don’t think this Z has the correct platter or brake, unless they were changed during the brief run of the Z, by Victor.

I can’t quite make out his s/n but it looks like in the 50k or maybe 60k region, so late in the run it could easily have happened. Here is the detail, from mine. The platter is tapered underneath and the brake acts upward on the platter’s underside.

My Z is serial #50610. It's confusing but I think the Z serial numbers were mixed in with Victor I numbers. My machine does not have the beveled underside of the turntable.

Jerry Blais

That beveled turntable and brake were also found on the early Victor I.

- Bill

Any progress on your restoration?

Jerry

PinnacleReproducer wrote:Hello, all

I have a friend that inherited some phonograph items. One of the group looks to be a complete disassembled Victor Z. I have never owned a Victor. Can anyone offer any advice such as:

1. What are the parts they should have to put it together
2. What is value assuming it is in working condition
3. Any general cautions on assembly
4. Any good videos or guides to owning/assembling/operating a Z?

I can ask them for more pictures but so far only sent them the summary info from victor-victrola....

Thanks for ANY advice!!

The horn pictured is a reproduction, but the elbow is correct & original. Turntable is wrong, as others state, and therefore the brake is too. The case has been refinished. My advice would be to seek out a better example.

My Z, serial #50,xxx, has the straight sided turntable (without beveled underside) and a typical cannon brake. I would like to see a photo of the top board without the turntable. If there are no additional screw holes it would suggest the straight sided turntable and brake are correct for the machine in question. Did anyone reproduce a threaded horn or is the elbow epoxied in place?

Jerry

Jerry B. wrote:My Z, serial #50,xxx, has the straight sided turntable (without beveled underside) and a typical cannon brake. I would like to see a photo of the top board without the turntable. If there are no additional screw holes it would suggest the straight sided turntable and brake are correct for the machine in question. Did anyone reproduce a threaded horn or is the elbow epoxied in place?

Jerry

Wow, never saw the later type turntable on a Z. You're correct of course, a better look at the top board would tell us. As for the horn, I don't believe a screw-in style has been reproduced, so I'm not sure how it could be attached. Blowing up the photo of it seems to show an odd transition from horn to elbow. Looks like the horn just ends, (as a leather elbow style horn would), and the elbow looks as if it's just laying on top. I am certain however that it's a repro horn.