Victor VV-IX...new purchase

[whoopinola]

A Victor VV-IX just came my way today...It's mahogany,tagged for Berliner Gramophone..s/n 84090\B...oiling instruction sheet dated 7/22/12...several things about it have made me go hmmmmmmm!!!.. The tone arm doesn't have a back bracket , rather it fits into a cast piece...this cast piece extends under the motor board and becomes part of the horn...it all looks original. The tone arm appears to be a Victor design......the crank is female .but is a smaller diameter than the typical Victor female crank

[gramophone78]

I can't say I have ever seen a three screw crank escutcheon on a US or Canadian made model. Clearly, the screws are incorrect and or missing. Ditto on the arm bracket. Maybe a early repair by a handyman??. Can't see the whole crank (knob) to know if it's OK.

[whoopinola]

The crank excutcheon is indeed incorrect , a quick repair made by me to support the crank...no new holes....the arm bracket too would seem incorrect .except that it fits into a casting that becomes the end of the horn and seems original..it all seems to be factory done , no new holes

[gramophone78]

Can we see pics of the arm/bracket disassembled??.Looks interesting. Maybe another Canadian collector can chime in on this?.

[whoopinola]

Can we see pics of the arm/bracket disassembled??.Looks interesting. Maybe another Canadian collector can chime in on this?.

More pictures as requested....the cast flange that the tonearm sits in isn't screwed in place , rather it's nailed there, and seems to have been unmolested.......

[Uncle Vanya]

The "flange" is simply a trim ring, which is not in any attached to the tone arm bracket,mwhich is actually a curved thing reminiscent of the exposed brackets used on early Victrola IV and VI machines. It appears that your machine is one of the last made before the introduction of the overhang support.

The crank is the same diameter as used on the open horn machines, and the excellent reproduction crank escutecheons offered by Ron Sitko will substitute perfectly.

That three-hole crank escutcheon is a late Orthophonc unit, and can be difficult to find should one be needed.

[De Soto Frank]

Interesting.

This is quite a bit different than my family's 1915 "footed" VV-IX.

The brake and speed control placement is reminiscent of the earlier models with the round-dial speed control and the bullet brake.

The crank is also far forward in the cabinet.

The motorboard construction is a bit different too.


The 1915 version has the tab-brake back in the RH corner, towards the ID plate, the crescent speed control where this one is, and the crank centered (back-to-front) in the side, with a two-screw escutcheon.

I wonder if Canadian production tended to have a mix of hardware later than US machines ?

[phonojim]

Nice find. The tonearm back bracket is correct, but it is not complete. It is a 2 piece bracket and the top part is missing in your case. It is similar in concept, but not the same as a VTLA bracket. The pivot pin is also different than later styles. The pin is threaded and has a screwdriver slot at the top. A knurled locknut is used to lock it in adjustment. The upper piece slides over the lower one and locks in place with one or two screws.
The crank and escutcheon should be easy to find originals for. The crank is the common female threaded style of the time and the escutcheon is the common style from that era also.
Good luck with that machine. I had one just like that once, but it wasn't that important to me at the time, so it is long gone, but after seeing this thread I kind of wish I still had it.
BTW: be sure to replace that missing motor mount screw.

Jim

[gramophone78]

Nice find. The tonearm back bracket is correct, but it is not complete. It is a 2 piece bracket and the top part is missing in your case. It is similar in concept, but not the same as a VTLA bracket. The pivot pin is also different than later styles. The pin is threaded and has a screwdriver slot at the top. A knurled locknut is used to lock it in adjustment. The upper piece slides over the lower one and locks in place with one or two screws.
The crank and escutcheon should be easy to find originals for. The crank is the common female threaded style of the time and the escutcheon is the common style from that era also.
Good luck with that machine. I had one just like that once, but it wasn't that important to me at the time, so it is long gone, but after seeing this thread I kind of wish I still had it.
BTW: be sure to replace that missing motor mount screw.

Jim

Jim, Unless I'm way off base....I think this is the part you are referring to..??. If so and if needed.....just a part kicking around in a drawer.

[johnwilla]

Congratulations on your new Victrola! I recently bought one like this, but yours is in much better shape. Acc. Baumbach, Victor Data Book, Mine is either a VV IX A or B, with the forward crank (like yours has) and the unsupported tonearm. Mine is lacking the interior wooden horn structure (thanks for your excellent picture of what it looks like) and has an incorrect turntable, a Victor No. 2 soundbox (versus the correct Exhibition one) and the wrong female-end crank. I rebuilt the reproducer, have been looking for mahogany for the board the tonearm fits into, correct turntable, etc.