The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I have a early Victrola VV=IV and has the forward crank and the early style motor and tone arm.

My tone are needle runs out about a 1 inch out toward the front of the machine past the spindle. Was this common or did these have a shorter tone arm, and this one may have been added at a later time?

Looks like someone put an incorrect tonearm on your machine. The needle should just about meet the spindle in the middle. A tonearm that's too long puts a lot of wear on records, so you should look for a correct one. The VV-IV is common, so it should not be hard to find one.
Good luck
Andreas

Judging from the photos, The arm is the one for an early Victrola VI. The early IV arm may be tough to get because it is the same arm as a Victor II.
Harvey Kravitz

Could I suggest a photo with a ruler and your current arm. Perhaps one of us has a shorter arm. Jerry