VICTROLA VV 2-55 help needed (I'm new to this)

[MarkH]

Hi everyone,

This is my first post...and I am completely, 100% new to this.

My parents gave me a VV 2-55 and a huge stack of shellac records (so heavy). This was my grandparents machine. It's been sitting for at least 60 years untouched (if not more). I rescued it (and the records) from my grandparents brooder house. Mouse droppings included. Old school, I know.

It's fully intact (there are even NOS needles). The crank and crank handle are fully present.

I cranked the spring motor a bit, and the unit spins (it even goes slower and faster when moving the speed lever).

However, when I put one of those old shellac records on it, and added one of the NOS needles, the player wouldn't spin (when I put the head down on the record...not sure what that's called). So I cranked the motor more...except once I got more tension, the spring/motor popped (or skipped), and it was loose again. So I cranked again...tighter it went, then pop! It was loose again.

I then cranked it up to the point the spring would almost pop, then I stopped, and put the needle down. I got about 1 second of amazing recorded sound from the record...then it ran out of juice.

I'm reaching out to this community to give me some tips. The player looks pretty easy to take apart (and I'm mechanically inclined). However, I don't know what I don't know - and any help would be SO appreciated!

Are there any manuals or schematics out there? Or, has anyone documented this unit? Or, is there anyone here that can give me a better understanding of the issue? I'd really like to give this a bottom-up cleaning too. But the first issue at hand is the spring unit. I've restored a few vintage motorcycles (so I appreciate the craft), but I'm really out of my element here. There are very few online videos regarding this player (most are just people playing records on a functional player). The first thing I saw was my player is missing the head unit resting cradle.

Again, any advice, help, instruction would be awesome! My hope is to get this playing for my parents. My Mom vaguely recalled my grandparents playing this when she was a little kid (back in the mid 1940's). She's now almost 80 years old.

Thanks so much!
Mark

[tomb]

Your phonograph probably has a broken spring in the spring barrel. The other choose would be the spring came loose in the spring barrel underneath the platter which is what spins the platter. That would mean it came off the pin securing it in the spring barrel. Either way you will have to take it apart and replace or find out why it came off of the pin. Repairing that spring can get dangerous and cause injuries. The springs are available thru several venders one would be Wyatt's Americana. There are a lot of articles on this forum to do the spring replacement so go to the lower search area and search for spring preplacement. That phonograph is a nice playing machine well worth repairing and enjoying the records.Tom

[krkey1]

You should write a letter to go with this machine documenting the full history of who owned this. Stuff like that makes phonographs far more fascinating to many people.

[VanEpsFan1914]

I have a full spring barrel with a spring in it if you want. I scrapped a 1930 Model 2-65 that (I think) shares the same motor in it. In fact, if you want, I could even send you the motor, though for the sake of authenticity it is probably better that you fix your original motor (but hey, cheap spare parts!)

You write like a young man. There are a lot of us on here who aren't old--I'm 21 and there are others like me on this board who restore, so apparently there's nothing wrong with the up-and-comings playing with everyone else's old junk.

Wait til you get it playing! Your Victrola is an Orthophonic model and has the finest soundbox you could have bought at that time. They sound less like a phonograph and more like an old vacuum-tube radio when they play.

[audiophile102]

Your Victrola will be well worth repairing if only to hear what your grandparents enjoyed hearing. Taking the machine apart is simple, but putting it back together isn't. Take close up pictures and document the steps you are taking to dismantle it. Take it slow and when you get stuck, post questions and pictures. There's an abundance of knowledge and experience available here to help you. Repairing springs isn't simple or easy, but if you have some mechanical skills by all means have at it. Spring removal and replacement is dangerous, because there is a lot of energy stored in those tightly wound springs. When the spring is removed, it's a violent release which must be controlled and focused as to avoid injury. There are professionals who can do the work for you. Good luck.
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=195

[OrthoFan]

It definitely sounds like a broken or detached mainspring. Sitting untouched for 60 years, the entire motor should be gone over--cleaned and re-greased, as audiophile and others have noted. In addition, the sound box or reproducer will probably require a rebuilding to bring it up to full performance capabilities. The end results are well worth any investment you might make, because this is one of the BEST sounding acoustic portables ever made.

There's tons of information about this model online which you can find by doing a google search for:

Victrola 2-55 OR VV-2-55

For instance:

http://www.victor-victrola.com/2-55.htm
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=20930
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=5057


There are also many videos posted on YouTube showcasing the 2-55; some as found and some fully restored.

Here's a good one to start with:

(Double-click the video above or click this link to go to the video on YouTube.)

HTH,
OrthoFan

[MarkH]

Wow, thank you all for your replies! I'm so happy there is such an active community! To be honest, I was a bit concerned last evening when I didn't find much info from search engines. As I've experienced with my vintage motorcycles, if there isn't a community to lend advice (and documentation is scarce), you end up in a pickle. When that happens, the object that needs a restore tends to get lost to history (and I hate when that preservation can't happen). I'm quite excited for this project.

And thanks to krkey1, I'll definitely ask my Mom about any stories she might have so to document the history.

To others, you are 100% correct on the amazing sound that came out of it (for the second it played) - I didn't expect that warm sound and was impressed with the volume/decibels it generated. Quite frankly, it sent shivers down my spine. And even though my grandparents have been gone 25-30 years (and never witnessed them playing it). I couldn't help but conjure up images of them listening to it on cold Minnesota evenings. I definitely didn't expect to have such a visceral and emotional response. And to think, I came very close to not bringing these home with me...only thinking that it might be worth something. But now, I'd like to bring back to life and keep it in the family. Boy, but that stack of 80-100 shellac records are heavy. I went to lift the stack thinking they were vinyl (in that dark old brooder house) and I think I almost threw out my back!! lol

I'm going to read up as much as I can on this forum and the others that were mentioned. Then see about removing some bits and pieces to get to the motor. And like others have mentioned, I'll definitely take tons of photos so I know what goes where!

I did a small blog on my first motorcycle restore (quite honestly, I've neglected it and didn't include all my rebuilding steps)...but maybe some would enjoy it: http://www.machinesofman.com

Thanks again to all that responded!!!

Mark

[52089]

Two things to mention.

First, when you do fix this up, I'd recommend reconnecting the lid support. Your machine's horn puts out sound at the back of the machine where it is ordinarily reflected forward by the lid. You'll get perfectly fine sound as is, but having the lid partially over the horn will help project the sound into the room.

Second, and more importantly, use a fresh needle every time you play a record. The main cause of worn, scratchy records is overuse of needles. Needles are designed to wear out quickly, so use them once and toss them. New needles are widely available at minimal cost.

Congrats to you on having a family piece. I fell in love with antique phonographs upon seeing and hearing my grandfather's machine when I was a small child.

[MarkH]

Thanks so much for the advice.

So, you replace the needle after just one record playing? That's something I would've never known. Looking at the records I have...I'm pretty sure my grandparents didn't abide by that. They were from the great depression era and used things until they didn't work any longer. Oh well.

Here's the package of NOS needles I found in the player (pretty cool):

[MarkH]

Also, is there any way I can find out what year this phonograph was made? I didn't see any obvious stamping.

Thanks!
Mark