The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Retrograde wrote:A few times I've noticed on Victor and HMV machines that the slots in the screws heads in the lid hing are all lined up the same way if the lid has not been off the machine. It's not a scientific observation or certain proof, but I've noticed before.

I actually made this same observation when I was taking apart one of my Victrolas to prep for restoration.....I always wondered if they kept this attention to little details throughout their manufacturing, or did they start slacking off later in their history.

Retrograde wrote:A few times I've noticed on Victor and HMV machines that the slots in the screws heads in the lid hing are all lined up the same way if the lid has not been off the machine. It's not a scientific observation or certain proof, but I've noticed before.

Thanks for the tip retro. I checked my screws and they are going every which way.
Some screws were loose on the lid however so its possible they worked loose
over time.

When I started my first part time job as a teenager, helping a guy do antique restorations for an antique shop, my boss told me to always line the screw slots up in the same direction because in the old days, it was a sign of good cabinet making/craftmanship.
Since then I've noticed that a lot of old furniture does indeed have the screw slots all facing the same way. It's become a habit with me to do this because it looks so much better, and I actually find it a little irritating when I see them out of alignment
It can sometimes be a good indication of whether something has been played with in the past.

How wonderful! I love the finish on it!

Energ15 wrote:How wonderful! I love the finish on it!

Thank-you!

That's a great phonograph 1973! It turned out really nice! Thanks for sharing.

The discussion on the decals is interesting so I checked some of my Victrolas.

Flat top Pooley #1414 = Victor Victrola
XX (tagged VTLA) #5169 = Victor Victrola
VTLA (last style) #11355 =Victor Victrola
XVI #43233 C = Victrola
XIV #1169 = Victrola
XII (first style) #754 = Victor Victrola
XII (second style) #4675 A = Victrola

The Victrola XII was only made for about one year so the transition from "Victor Victrola" to "Victrola" was probably done sometime during that year. Jerry Blais

SonnyPhono wrote:That's a great phonograph 1973! It turned out really nice! Thanks for sharing.

Thanks Sonny, my pleasure!

I have several "L" door XVI's and a couple VTLA's, but one machine is a transitional machine that was made just around the time they were ceasing production of the VTLA and it is a standard styled "L" door with the Victor Victrola decal in the lid also and it is totally original. It also has the round crank escutcheon and not the common type attached with two screws. Nice machine you have anyway you look at it and the great part is that it is now complete and functioning again!

Wes

downsouth wrote:I have several "L" door XVI's and a couple VTLA's

What do you do with all these machines and what is your stimulus to accumulate identical or very similar types of phonographs? I ask from the standpoint of a record and paraphernalia collector who has a couple of nice contemporary machines to use them (nearly) daily.

By the way, I don't collect different issues or label types of the same recording (normally I try to get the earliest issue).