tabletop electrola?

[Victrolacollector]

does anyone know if a tabletop electric victrola was ever made with those nice electric pick-ups, especially the ones like found on Edison electric machines?

[JohnM]

Victor made 'Counter Demonstrators' in single and double turntable configurations. These were equipped with horseshoe magnet pickups and intended for use with headphones so records could be auditioned in stores. I'm not following your reference to Edison in regard to your initial query about Victor products, though.

[gregbogantz]

I don't believe that Victor ever made a consumer table model electrola, and the demonstrators mentioned above seem to be the only table models that they made. But after RCA bought Victor in 1929 they made a small tabletop turntable in the 1930s with small horseshoe magnetic pickup called the model R-93 for several model years. Later, the R-93 was fitted with crystal cartridges and different tonearms. These sets had no amplifier or speaker in them and needed to be connected to a radio. The interesting thing about this model is that it was one of the first turntables to use a synchronous direct drive motor. It would not start itself, so the user had to give the platter a turn to get it started. RCA also made several table model complete phonos (with speakers) and radio/phonos in the 1930s, the earliest ones also having the last of the horseshoe magnetic pickups.

[Uncle Vanya]

RCA Victor offered few stand alone table top Electrolas, certainly non early on. RCA Victor offered record playing attachments for their 1931, 1932, and 1933 radio receivers, including a most interesting unit hidden inside a splay-legged joined table. The only stand-alone RCA Victor Electrola pre-dating 1935 with which I am familiar is the elusive E-35, a little thing, though a floor model, in a cabinet reminiscent of the R-32 Victor Radio. This machine, though a 1931 or 1932 model was fitted with the amplifier and loudspeaker of the 1929 Micro-Synchronous sets. In late 1931 Victor listed a little tombstone radio along the lines of the R-7 with a phonograph in the top.

In late 1933, the charming little "Duo 300" was introduced. This little machine did have a radio in it, but not much of a radio. Of course not many sold, as records were not yet on their way to revival.





n late 1934, the "Duo 301" was introduced, as a 1935 model. It was a marginally better performer than the 300. This example was later fitted with a rim-drive motor.





Both of the above machines shared the little spin-to-start synchronous motor with the R-93 record player.



IN 1936 RCA Victor really went all out in the re-intorduction of their new "Higher Fidelity" records to the public, offering a full line of record playing attachments, straight electrolas namely the R-96 and R-97 table top machines,



and the truly excellent "Higher fidelity" Electrola R-99, with its powerful amplifier and advanced Dynamic Expander.

[Uncle Vanya]

and the truly excellent "Higher fidelity" Electrola R-99, with its powerful amplifier and advanced Dynamic Expander.




This machine of course is not a table top machine.

Columbia sold an electric record playing attachment in 1928 and 1929 which featured an electric motor and tone arm in a Pyroxlin Leatherette covered case, which was intended to look like an antique chest. This machine was, of course, not a stand-alone electrola either. I recall seeing an advertisement for a similar machine in a leatherette cabinet, produced by Prime Mfg, and fitted with a Pacent Phonovox, and another featuring an Audak pickup and arm.

[1926CredenzaOwner]

These are the ones that John mentioned:
http://www.victor-victrola.com/CD-20.htm single table
http://www.victor-victrola.com/CD-60.htm dual table

According to that site, it seems there were other models made:
CD-10
CD-30

There's another curios designation listed there as well... the Victor CE-66. Does anybody know what that is?

[gregbogantz]

The CD-10 was the unmounted (no case) motorboard-only version of the CD-20. Likewise, the CD-30 was the unmounted version of the CD-60. The CE-66 was called a "commercial" model, also known as the "Junior Auditorium Victrola". It was housed in the same cabinet as the 11-25 which was a coin-op acoustic player that used the Type II record changer. The CE-66 had two complete turntables, tonearms, amplifiers, and speakers systems in the same cabinet. It was intended to accompany silent movies in small cinemas. All of these models are described and pictured in the "Victor Data Book" by Baumbach.

[gramophone78]

Here is my RCA 88-K with it's R-93 the first type. The player was an option and the turn table is not self starting. They make a nice pair.

[1926CredenzaOwner]

Here is my RCA 88-K with it's R-93 the first type. The player was an option and the turn table is not self starting. They make a nice pair.

That is one gorgeous radio, sir!

[Victrolacollector]

Nice machines! I really like the Duo machine. Are they really rare?