CL - Goldendale, WA - Oak Victrola VV-XI Rare??

[CDBPDX]

Not sure I've ever seen an oak Victrola XI before...

http://portland.craigslist.org/grg/atq/5527312848.html

Looks pretty neat!

Cliff

P.S. - It might be a VV-X?

[CDBPDX]

Guess they're not rare - just found another:

http://salem.craigslist.org/atq/5528753525.html

I've led a sheltered life...

Cliff

[De Soto Frank]

Cliff,

I have one, from around 1918.

The majority of XI uprights that I have seen are alligatored red mahogany.

I found mine in a local antique shop that does a lot of estate clean-outs... they said it was in an attic, and it was black inside and out with coal / attic dust, and one spring was broken.

When I got it home and cleaned-up, the finish was in surprisingly decent condition, and with the motor repaired and the #2 reproducer rebuilt, it plays very nicely. It is my only oak Victrola, but it really put me on to Golden Oak as my preference for finish.

Since getting mine, most of the oak XI's I have seen, seem to be later models, with the "fat arm", #2 reproducer, and "speedometer" speed control.


An easy way to tell an X from an XI is to look at the record storage doors: the X doors have a scallop at the bottom, and no exposed bottom cabinet rail.

The Doors on an XI are flat across the bottom, and there is an exposed, scalloped rail connecting the bottom of the front legs.

The XI is also slightly larger than an X, but that's difficult to judges unless they're side-by-side.


Thanks for sharing the pics !

Frank

[Henry]

Of the two XI photos in Cliff's post, the first shows the later cabinet style, the second the earlier. My XI is the earlier, one of the last before the switch to the second style (1917). And yes, it's "alligatored red mahogany," as Frank says.

[De Soto Frank]

Henry,

What are the key differences between the early and late style XI ?


( I tried to find them between the two ads, but couldn't do it...)


Frank

[CDBPDX]

Henry,

What are the key differences between the early and late style XI ?


( I tried to find them between the two ads, but couldn't do it...)


Frank

The most obvious difference between the earlier and later XI cabinets is the carving at the top of the front corners. The early ones have sort of a half-moon shaped carving, the later ones pretty much are topped with a knob like carving.

The half moon carvings are pretty evident on the 2nd machine. The first machine does not have them. Sort of looks like an X except for the size, as mentioned previously.

Cliff

[52089]

An easy way to tell an X from an XI is to look at the record storage doors: the X doors have a scallop at the bottom, and no exposed bottom cabinet rail.

The Doors on an XI are flat across the bottom, and there is an exposed, scalloped rail connecting the bottom of the front legs.

The XI is also slightly larger than an X, but that's difficult to judges unless they're side-by-side.

Frank

Another easy way to tell them apart is that the XI has a lid lock and the X does not.

[De Soto Frank]

Henry,

What are the key differences between the early and late style XI ?


( I tried to find them between the two ads, but couldn't do it...)


Frank

The most obvious difference between the earlier and later XI cabinets is the carving at the top of the front corners. The early ones have sort of a half-moon shaped carving, the later ones pretty much are topped with a knob like carving.

The half moon carvings are pretty evident on the 2nd machine. The first machine does not have them. Sort of looks like an X except for the size, as mentioned previously.

Cliff

I looked again, and I think I spotted the half-moon / oval detail at the top of the front legs on the earlier cabinet.

Is the lid any taller on the earlier version ?

Frank