Vitaphone Issues

[startgroove]

This Model 12 has a couple of things about it I'm not sure of. Maybe someone can advise? The first one is the way it cranks. The tension on the crank builds quickly to the point where it takes a lot of energy to wind. It feels like about 4 or 5 times as much as say, a Victrola. I'm afraid to wind it to the end for fear it may be too short a spring, or maybe the wrong spring. Also, in the photo, you can see that a Pathé style needle rests way beyond the center of the record, by about ⅜ inch. When a lateral play needle is installed that distanced increases. Someone told me the tone arm may be assembled incorrectly. Any ideas how to deal with these issues? Cheers, Russie

[mcgravy]

Hi Startgroove,

I have a Model 15 and it is hard to crank but I've never had any trouble with winding it pretty tight. Your tone arm looks like it might be just a little longer than mine but not sure. It looks to me like it is assembled right. I've included some pictures of mine for reference. Nice wooden horn on yours.

[Victrolacollector]

I am intrigued by the Vitaphone. How much would one typically cost that has the outside horn?

[mcgravy]

I really can't say. I bought this one at an estate auction a couple of years ago for $100.00. I'm pretty sure that is not typical but I've never seen another one sell or for sale to compare.

[Torjazzer]

Regarding the tough winding, it does sound as if your spring has been shortened at one point. The stylus point position appears to be one of the many design/build issues with Vitaphones. If one were to consider buying a Vitaphone, I would suggest doing so but only for display . And here's the rub: they are little nightmares to work on and have a very low volume. I only bought mine because the seller was going to turn it into a record box! After about two months of aggravation, I gave up trying to get the slightest whimper out of the thing.

[startgroove]

Vitaphones don't come up that often, but a few that I know of have been on Ebay in the last ten years. One was an internal horn model similar is style to a Victrola VI. It was a model 18. It sold for a couple hundred. The other one was a horn model in poor condition, and sold for $1347. Yet another one sold at the Union Show a couple of years ago for under $1000. I think it was an internal horn model 40, similar to a Victrola X. The unusual features of the Vitaphones are the fixed diaphragm at the back of the tone-arm (likely designed to circumvent Victor patents) and they play either vertical or lateral cut recordings, by changing the tiny cable near the diaphragm. For more information see http://keithwright.ca/CAPP/Vitaphone/vitaphone.html
Cheers, Russie

[startgroove]

To confirm the low volume point; My model 12 had unusually low volume when I first acquired it. After some study, I realized the cables at the base of the diaphragm were strung wrong. Upon disassembly, I found hardened rubber rings in the diaphragm. After replacing the diaphragm O rings, the cables, and correctly stringing the cables, the volume increased considerably. However, currently its volume is about ⅔ to ¾ that of my Victor III. Cheers, Russie

[mcgravy]

I had the same experience with mine. Once I replaced the O rings it was much improved. I think it does rather well owing to the smaller horn. It doesn't appear that the spring barrel on mine was ever opened, so I don't think the spring has been shortened, but it is a rather small single spring.

[Edisone]

I have a little floor model (50?) with the horn-in-lid design. By disconnecting the lid stay & the leaky "plumbing" from reproducer, I can attach an Edison cygnet horn. Lateral band records sound great - highs are a bit muffled, but so is scratch, and a round, fat tone comes out of the big cygnet horn. It's at least as loud as my other acoustic machines when played this way, but the leaky fittings and crummy little lid horn are completely inadequate.