Hello, I am looking around for a Victor VI and need some advice on the pros/cons of an early model 6, versus the later model VI. I've located one early model with a spear tip horn but it will also need overseas shipping.
Just wondering if these earlier models are more or less valuable, if the early beveled motors are more or less prone to problems, and if there are any tell tale clues to look for in a model outside of the US. It does not appear to be a repro, but the case does appear to have been redone some time ago. turntable/platter on top is also not sitting level. Curious about that.
Any thoughts/advice/warnings are much appreciated.
Early VI's are noisy. So if you want to play it often a later
one would be better. They also have a slightly different size
cabinet. If you ever want a matching stand, which are rarer than
the phonographs themselves, the later machines would fit more cabinets.
Why not have one of each? I think value is determined more by condition
than whether it is early or late.
The early ones tend to be a bit noisy. Make you decision based on condition and that includes motor noise. If all things are equal, close your eyes and make a choice and I'll take the other one! Jerry Blais
I realize that I am hijacking a "dead" thread here, but since I own both a Victor 6 and a Victor VI, I encourage anyone who is seeking additional information on this topic to watch the YouTube video series I uploaded today about them. Also, as an additional reference, I've included some pictures of an original papier-mâché Victor horn and No. 10 reproducer. Both of these would have been offered as optional upgrades to the Victor 6 (not VI), though they are scarcely found today. Best wishes for New Year 2023!
(Double-click the video above or click this link to go to the video on YouTube.)
(Double-click the video above or click this link to go to the video on YouTube.)
The term “yielding turntable” should actually apply to the ball bearing turntable, (Victor patented that as a Yielding” turntable. The later flange type was patented as a “tilting” turntable. The terms are often reversed. There is some question as to when Victor went over to the “tilting” turntable. It also seems that some of the early worm drive versions had a slotted crank.
The early Pooley VTLA used the same bevel geared motor as the 6, August 1906, and had the “tilting” turntable, (no ball bearings).
I was wondering if the ball bearing setup adds unwanted noise.
Some of the bevel gear motors are pretty noisy, but I have three of them and have managed to get all three to run quietly. How is your motor noise?
Thanks Django! I had (briefly) visited the thread you linked, but did not realize people were still commenting on it as recently as two weeks ago. My apologies if I accidentally stepped on any other member's toes in reviving this topic!
There are several interesting points that you raised concerning this model; I had no idea that Victor even created, much less patented, a "tilting" turntable. I had only ever heard of Victor models which had a "yielding" turntable, and neither edition of the Look for the Dog books mention it. To be truly historically accurate, I will have to remember to refer to my 6's motor as having a "yielding" turntable and my VI as having a "tilting" turntable going forward. My 6's motor does have a moderate amount of bevel gear whine when in operation, but it is nowhere near as noisy as I have heard from some other similar motors of the era, regardless if they were made by Victor or not. Interestingly, I don't find that the ball bearings contribute much to the motor's noise - if anything, the ball bearings seem to help deaden it once the reproducer is lowered onto the record. That said, if you take the turntable off and rotate the ball bearing sleeve cuff by hand when the motor is completely wound down, it DOES rattle around and make a noise similar to those hand fidget spinner thingies that were so popular about six or seven years ago.
In an effort to help bring this topic back on track to the initial inquiry asked by jvic (and per the request of a fellow collector who is thinking of buying either a 6 or a VI in the near future), I have made another video showing both 6/VI machines playing the same record. Not only does this show what I think a properly-adjusted early bevel gear motor should sound like, you can also hear the difference in record playback tone quality between an Improved Concert reproducer and an Exhibition reproducer. Lastly, I've attached a copy of the earliest Victor 6 advertisement I can find (courtesy of Mike Sherman); again, it references the ball bearing turntable but does not refer to it as a "yielding" one.
(Double-click the video above or click this link to go to the video on YouTube.)
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I think value is determined more by condition
