Victor Orthophonic Victrola VE8-60E - $895 (New Baltimore)

[EarlH]

http://detroit.craigslist.org/mcb/atq/4932578314.html

This is that odd one that you can play electrically, or acoustically and uses the same cabinet as the Credenza. Wish the guy had some pictures of it up, but I did see one at Union a long time ago. They only made 3442 of them. Oh well, might be worth looking into if you want something a bit unusual. The Western Electric amplifiers in these have a lot of volume if they get rebuilt right. If it was closer to me, I'd at least go take a look at it.

[Victrola-Monkey]

Thanks Earl for the lead, I Western Unioned the seller the money and will pick up in couple months. Looking forward to determining what works and what needs repair to make it fully functional. -Wayne

[ChuckA]

Thanks Earl for the lead, I Western Unioned the seller the money and will pick up in couple months. Looking forward to determining what works and what needs repair to make it fully functional. -Wayne

Wayne,

Is this one near Detroit? If so, I looked at this last January, when he dropped the price to $599. It is missing a few parts, but with money and time you will have an 8-60. I didn't have the time.


Chuck

[De Soto Frank]

Please update us when you get it home !

( Wonder how well those Christmas LPs played on it ? )

[EarlH]

Good luck with it Wayne, it should sound great when it's done. I'm really happy with that Panatrope I have and they use the same amplifier and speaker. I wonder how they fitted that speaker in there with the horn? That would kind of interesting to see. Those 6" speakers are very powerful and will provide more than enough volume for your average sized ballroom. Get a transformer made too eliminate that ballast tube if you are going to play it much. That will get an enormous about of heat out of the cabinet and room. Especially down in Florida. Up here in Iowa, it's kind of welcome in the winter. Ha! My Panatrope really seems happier with that transformer and the tubes don't get that initial rush of electricity when it's first turned on.

[ChuckA]

Good luck with it Wayne, it should sound great when it's done. I'm really happy with that Panatrope I have and they use the same amplifier and speaker. I wonder how they fitted that speaker in there with the horn? That would kind of interesting to see. Those 6" speakers are very powerful and will provide more than enough volume for your average sized ballroom. Get a transformer made too eliminate that ballast tube if you are going to play it much. That will get an enormous about of heat out of the cabinet and room. Especially down in Florida. Up here in Iowa, it's kind of welcome in the winter. Ha! My Panatrope really seems happier with that transformer and the tubes don't get that initial rush of electricity when it's first turned on.

Earl,

It doesn't use the 6" speaker for electric reproduction. It uses the small "loudspeaker unit" that connects to a valve assembly, so you can switch between the acoustic and electric pickups to drive the ortho horn.

Chuck

[EarlH]

Chuck, I had forgotten about those horn driving units. I have one of those in a Victrola with a Radiola 20. Once it warms up out I can finish spraying the lacquer and get it put together. Do they sound pretty good? The driver in the one I have is shaped more like a huge magnetic pick-up. I know they also used some large round one's that are pot metal.

[ChuckA]

Chuck, I had forgotten about those horn driving units. I have one of those in a Victrola with a Radiola 20. Once it warms up out I can finish spraying the lacquer and get it put together. Do they sound pretty good? The driver in the one I have is shaped more like a huge magnetic pick-up. I know they also used some large round one's that are pot metal.

That's the same driver as used in the 8-60, there were some that dealers fitted the large moving coil orthophonic loudspeaker unit that was used in the 10-51 in 8-60's.

The small driver sounds OK for what it is. On the 8-60 if you want quality you play records acoustically, if you want volume play electrically.


Chuck

[EarlH]

Thanks Chuck, that's really interesting. I need to get that thing I have put together as soon as it warms up out. It uses the same diaphragm as the Orthophonic reproducer since it's a little later. So it should sound ok I am guessing. The 8-60 really is early for the technology that's for sure.

[Edisone]

The pot-metal mounting for the electric pickup looks to be destroyed, as they usually are. The gears on the horn's acoustic/electric valve are often shot, too.