Victrola Consolette

[Dischoard]

This came up recently about 1 hour from my house. Original price started at $400 and then it dropped to $200. It was one of the very earliest models before some of the upgrades were made (cloth covered horn, 12" platter, double spring motor) and I wasn't entirely interested so I offered half knowing how the price of all of these things have come down so much. Now I feel a little bad because this thing was kept in beautiful shape. It's just that that never happens! They're always trashed and in need of a ton of work.

https://youtu.be/3dv7L3VO18A

It came with a batch of Orthophonic records in as nice a shape as it is. The pot-metal reproducer shows very little signs of wear (I did open the bearing covers and give a little jolt of WD-40) aside from needing a new rear rubber bushing (hard as a rock) though the whole thing is amazingly air tight. I was surprised at how tiny this machine is. I was able to carry it into the house and up some stairs to our sun room without any assistance.

Anybody have one of these things? I know it lacks the folded horn but I'm used to a Victor Exhibition and a Victor 2... the sound on this thing is amazing! I've got my eye out for a Credenza, I think that'll be my holy grail. In the meantime this'll be a fun thing to play on. Even came with a tin of Tungs-tone needles.

[AZ*]

I think you did well. Congratulations on your purchase. While I don't have a Consolette, my first Orthophonic machine purchased over 50 years ago is the slightly larger 4-7 with folded horn. It also has a very good sound for a smallish machine. I still have it, even after acquiring multiple larger Orthophonics including several Credenzas. There are some TMF members who are big fans of the Consolette and may chime in.

Enjoy!

[light-o-matic]

Congratulations - those are great little machines.

[52089]

I've had a few different Consolettes over the years. They are great performers for their size, especially with a properly rebuilt reproducer. I once bought one where the reproducer had a dislodged spider, so it played but buzzed like crazy. I brought my own own, near perfect reproducer for testing purposes, and once I used that, the owner wasn't sure she wanted to sell it anymore! She just thought that buzzing was how it was "supposed to " sound.

The original Consolette, like yours, has the slight drawback of having a single spring motor, whereas the later ones all have double spring motors. You probably won't notice a significant improvement with any other 4-series Orthophonic, but the 8-series machines will give you a bit more bass. I use my 8-9 all the time. You should be able to find a Credenza/8-30 for sale without too much trouble when you're ready.

Congrats and welcome to the Orthophonic "club"!

[Dischoard]

Thanks! I have been looking out for an 8-30 for about a month or so but suffer from "not-living-close-enough-to-California" to really make a move on any. The kicker is that a beautiful one came up for auction here in Vt in 2019 at a local auction house eliciting only one bid and going for $200. I know because the auction is archived online just to tease me

[Phono-Phan]

Very nice Consolette. I had a 4-3 years ago. I have a nice Brunswick Seville now. They push out a lot of sound for a little machine. Congrats!!!
Ken

[CharliePhono]

Howdy. I have a 4-3 and it is a fantastic little performer. Wyatt Marcus (MicaMonster on the forum) rebuilt the reproducer, and I never cease to be amazed at the sound these little guys can put out.

Incidentally, I'm a former VT resident, Dischoard; I used to live in the NEK (only a Vermonter would know what that is ).

Have fun with your "new" machine!

Charlie

[OrthoFan]

I had the one of the first Consolette models to be equipped with a two spring motor--it still had the old style tonearm support without the overhang--and I also remember that it was a fantastic performer for its size. (My 4-40 has considerably more bass response--especially noticeable on pipe organ recordings--but then its tone chamber is about 60 inches from sound box to the horn's mouth, according to measurements I've taken.)

What I really liked about the Consolette was that it played acoustically recorded records Very well, compared to some of the large Orthophonic models. It's one of the few Victrolas I regret selling.

OrthoFan

[chunnybh]

I bought one of these about 10 years ago in the UK. It apparently came to the UK via Mexico.
Lovely little machine. My kids had it in their bedroom for years.
Does anyone know how many of these were made and can they be dated from the serial number?.

[52089]

I bought one of these about 10 years ago in the UK. It apparently came to the UK via Mexico.
Lovely little machine. My kids had it in their bedroom for years.
Does anyone know how many of these were made and can they be dated from the serial number?.

The Victor-Victrola site has info on all Victor models. Here's the page for the Consolette/4-3
http://www.victor-victrola.com/4-3.htm