Dubious Refinishing.......

[Henry]

Definitely a good buy at $100! FWIW, it looks identical to my XI model G, judging from the front corner post carvings and the position of the builder's plate (vertical on the back right, not flat on the motor board level). The G was the last model before VTMCo went to the "fat tone arm" with no. 2 sound box, and simplified the front corner post carvings at the top. This one should have the Exhibition with original-dimension taper tube. The inner doors and underside lid of my XI have smooth and shiny surfaces which I'm sure are original, since mine has obviously never been refinished. From the one photo posted, I'd say that the for-sale machine is fine, but of course an in-person inspection is always useful. Has anyone bought this one yet?

I don't think it's quite accurate to compare all shiny finishes to "piano finish," if by that one means the ordinary smooth shiny black finish usually found on so-called "grand" pianos and many uprights of various sizes, since these are essentially black-painted finishes over filled veneer-on-plywood and were never intended to show grain characteristics, unlike our phonographs. When a friend and I assembled a harpsichord kit some years ago, the instructions for finishing the case said to mix black paint with wallboard (drywall, gypsum board) filler compound, commonly called "mud" in the trades, the type that's available pre-mixed in buckets and tubs. I don't remember all the steps involved in the process, as it's been number of years since we did it, but the end result was indeed a shiny, black, mirror finish.