Survey: number 10 reproducers

[gramophoneshane]

They certainly are a work of art.
I cant help but wonder if had they made these from gold plated aluminium, if they might have been more successful being much easier on records.

[hillndalefan]

The only No. 10 I ever saw [or heard] was on a Victor VI in Ernest Allen's collection. It played quite well, and didn't seem to hurt the record as it did so. I agree, that as pretty as it is, I'm just as happy with an Exhibition or Victrola No. 2. Bob Ault

[bbphonoguy]

So...why is this the No. 10 reproducer (by the way, I thought that Victor referred to these as "soundboxes"?)? Are there Nos. 1-9 as well?

[OrthoFan]

So...why is this the No. 10 reproducer (by the way, I thought that Victor referred to these as "soundboxes"?)? Are there Nos. 1-9 as well?

This is from the Victor Data Book (Baumbach):

Victor No. 10 Sound Box -- For a short period, the elaborately engraved Victor No. 10 Sound Box was sold on the Victor VI. The name of this sound box was derived from the price $10, which was twice what the company charged for an Exhibition or Concert Sound Box. Very few of these sound boxes have survived, suggesting that the public did not find the added expense worthwhile. There are reports of these sound boxes being found on early Victrolas, so it is possible that the sound box was still in stock and available for ordering as late as 1906.
P. 61

[gramophone78]

Well,I think it could be possiable that a early Victrola could have had one.However,I think it was a gold concert that they could have.Basically the same but,not as fancy.Interesting note on mine.I found it in a "parts" drawer in a mans stuff down in Mexico in it's case.You never know what is hiding "out"...or rather "in" there!!! .Also,In the pic from Starkton it looks like the inner disc was removed and a full concert mica was put in.Just as the one Arron Cramer had.I guess the people that decided to keep theirs on the machine,looked at that as an up grade.If you remove the disc then the mica has a good size hole ⅛" in it.Therefore you would have had to change it too.It would sound much better.Maybe,I should try that on mine......just kidding!!!!.

[Steve Stephens]

I was given one by a collector (I never knew why he gave it to me) about 40 years ago and sold it in the 1990s (don't remember the price). Serial number was either 35 or 335 if memory serves me right. At the time I had it I didn't know a thing about it other than they are very rare.

[gramophone78]

Can you remember if it had the case???.I hope you did'nt give it away!!! .

[Uncle Vanya]

The early Pooley "Flat top" Victrola that Bo Brook sold through Stanton's a ew years ago was quite original, coming from its original house.
It had all paperwork, including a sales slip indicating the purchase of a No. 10 reproducer. The machine (which has a serial number in the low three digits) fetched around $2000.00, and the reproducer, in its original box, sold for around $5,000, as I recall