The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

1913Concert wrote: Fri Apr 03, 2026 4:07 pm Yes, it has the 5/16 " crank. A small, interesting detail is that the crank has a black painted handle as do Victrolas of this period instead of the handle being finished to match the cabinet wood. Just a little thing but interesting nevertheless. If you would like photos of my Victor VI just let me know and I will post them. Your friend's machine's serial number is just 20 beyond this one. Bob.

If you wouldn't mind posting pictures of it, I would like to see them. Especially the top of the motor board, motor, and the crank side of the case. THANKS!!!!

I agree wholeheartedly that your friend's late Victor VI needs to be saved! We see (relatively speaking) a lot of them that date from the years before and just after the introduction of the Victrola but it seems like very rapidly the Victor VI lost "luxury status" Here are the photos you asked for: Note that the crank escutcheon is the larger type that begins to appear on Victrolas sometime in 1913 or 1914. Given the SN of your friend's machine which is 20 past this one I would suspect it too was similarly equipped?

JohnM wrote: Fri Apr 03, 2026 2:38 am The indexing post (“drop rod”) is actually for a semi-automatic brake that has to be manually indexed. Automatic brakes didn’t appear until the introduction of Orthophonic Victrolas and eccentric run-out grooves.

John is correct in that the brake should more correctly be called semi-automatic since it needed to be manually set for each record.
However, “indexing post” is an incorrect term undoubtedly coined by a modern collector.
Victor called the part the “Taper Tube Brake Yoke Arm” part number 3242GP

Similarly, Victor never made cranks or reproducers, they made “winding keys”.and “sound boxes”
They also never made sound box isolators, only “insulators”

According to the Victor parts listings, the semi automatic brake was first introduced to the Vic VI at serial number 13812A.
The use continued into the next revision at serial number 13941

Mark

Phono-Phan,

I have a spare motor that should be appropriate for restoring this Vic VI. Contact me for details.

Mark