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I recently replaced a broken bracket on my VV-4-3. Ron Sitko sells great replacements for around $75 if I remember correctly. Your reproducer actually doesn't look that bad. You are lucky in that the rubber flange is already out, so it can easily be replaced. I am sure Peter Wall is more qualified to assess the reproducer otherwise.

I also wanted a small orthophonic machine and the VV-4-3 fills that desire for me. I think it sounds great.

Good luck
Andreas

I have sent some Ortho reproducers to Peter that looked a lot worse than yours and they have come back sounding great. He can sometime do wonders even though they are too deteriorated to safely take apart.

Clay

Nathan,

As Shawn said, the experience of restoring an inexpensive machine may be very handy in the future, if you find a rare one in need of restoration. As far as your question about the top... go ahead and try it, if it looks OK, then you are good... if not, then you can do the rest of the cabinet. I wouldn't worry too much about the original finish on this machine, since it is not rare or valuable anyway, so anything you try will only improve it.

Like Gramophone 78 said, there is a point where the investment is not worth it. But if you are into the hobby as an educational experience and you enjoy it, then it doesn't matter. I have restored several machines that weren't worth the time economically, but I enjoyed it and in the end, I like them better than machines I have bought that were rare and ready to go... This hobby has many different areas of interest...

Thanks everyone. I'm glad to hear the reproducer may be saved. The rubber flange actually was stuck on the tonearm, and didn't come off with the reproducer. The "spider" is partially detached, but I assume that can be repaired.
I managed to reattach the horn this morning, so the machine should be ready to go once the parts are repaired. I'll continue to experiment with the cabinet. As long as it looks presentable, I will be satisfied.

You have some good suggestions to consider. I hope the restoration process goes well.

Nathan, give the "Restore-A-Finish" a try. If it does not do the job for you, you haven't lost much.

Clay

As a UK based collector, I am curious to know why a Canadian VV 4-3 should be worth less than an American one.

Epigramophone,

The real reason Canadian machines are worth less than their American counterparts is a long and involved one, but can be summed up in several words... The American Revolution

As I am a descendant of United Empire Loyalist Ancestors and some of the first settlers in the Canadian Province of Ontario, it is a difficult concept to explain to those who are unfamiliar with that history.

Canada has always been considered to be a "lesser" sister country and for whatever reason phonographs from there are less desirable to most collectors, whether it be a Canadian Berliner or other make...

Of course the same thing is true for British machines and most other makes/models from other countries. We like our stuff made in the USA... except now nothing much is made here... maybe we like remembering when it was.

Thankyou Curt. An interesting explanation which reminds me of the time when collectors from the Far East were paying very high prices for big HMV Re-Entrant machines.

They were, however, reluctant to pay these prices for European badged examples. They wanted the British HMV product.

A good friend and fellow member of this forum sold his HMV203 at the height of the market and bought a vintage car with the proceeds. The car has held it's value better than the 203.

They were, however, reluctant to pay these prices for European badged examples. They wanted the British HMV product.

I always thought this was completely nonsensical considering that the European badged examples were already made at Hayes and were otherwise completely identical to the British labelled examples. Are they quite as particular today? I don't think so.