Show us your Victor Portable VV 2-55

[Jop Amberola 30]

Never forget buying my first VV 2-55 for $15 in the KC suburbs in the late 80s at an antique shop after starting to drive and had my own money. I was on cloud 9! It was a rust bucket and never played well… but it sure got me started in the hobby.

[AmberolaAndy]

Oh, don’t mention that model around me unless you want me to get into a rant about what happened with mine and why I’m using my Brunswick 109 and not that machine!

Granted, it’s more about ppl and their poor packing than the machine itself…

Who ships a machine with heavy 78s still in the record holder? Amazingly the records survived better than the machine did! Still remains the only negative review I’ve ever given anyone on ebay!

Well that was 3 years ago...


Here it is! 7 years in the making!

I took the machine I posted in this thread in 2022 and combined it with another 2-55 from ebay with less cleaner hardware but an intact record holder/lid stay and got this!

Now all I need is to send out this soundbox to a re-gasketing because it buzzes like crazy!!

[Dischoard]

Wow, that looks beautiful! Nicely done. Mine is a little rougher around the edges. Here's a video of mine playing a Chick Endor tune: "Singing In The Bathtub"
I just LOVE the sound of these but I mostly love that you NEED to keep these open in order to play them, so much more fun to watch the record for sure. Here's the picture:

But by FAR the video linked below is my <i>favorite</i> video of my 2-55. The Ink Spots with Ella Fitzgerald "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall" (I got a little cheeky and brought it outside during a rain storm)

"Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall"

[Jim_Cannon]

Here's mine. I picked it up at a flea market for $20 many years ago. It sat, unrestored, for years before I disassembled it, cleaned and greased it, and put it all back together. It sounds pretty good.

I cleaned it (it was filthy inside) but left the patina in the paint finish. It's kind of a dark green. The corners of the exterior vinyl wrap are separating, but overall it's in pretty good shape.