The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Two questions: (1) neglecting the late model Victor MS (pre-IV), did all Victor MS models deploy a flat=handled crank and record clamp? More generally (2), what year did Victor abandon the record clamp?

I have three fancy cased Victor MS machines in my collection. But before you give me any grief , all are quite different. The front mount has a record hold down with flat crank as does the rigid arm rear mount. The tapered arm MS does not have the record hold down but it does have the flat crank. So the discontinuation of the record hold down came somewhere towards the end of the rigid arm era or early in the tapered arm era. Hope this helps you. Of course this assumes all three are in the same configuration that they left the factory.

Jerry B.

Thanks, that's a help. I was looking at MS pictures and ran across one that sold in 2012 for a pretty good sum. It had a tapered arm and looked completely original. What confused me (still does) was that it had a round crank in the right place, not a flat one. Wrong crank suggests to me wrong motor. But the escutcheon was in the right place. No picture of the motor.

I guess I'll hold judgement on the round crank until I saw how far out it protruded. If it was an original slotted crank that was out the appropriate distance I'd be happy with it and consider it correct. The late Victor MS in the IV style case usually has the round crank.

Jerry B.

Here's a picture. Sold in 2012 with a hammer price of $1500. Round crank.

That's not a Victor crank on the MS pictured.

George P.

I agree with George. Jerry B.

Thanks, Jerry. Thanks, George P. Maybe one day I will own an MS.

Also, beware of rear mount MS's that began life as front mounts. When that's been done, it confuses the whole record clamp issue as well.

From my experience, if it had a Pre-Dog Tag, it had a Record Hold-Down.

Bob S.