The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Soooo excited to find this forum. Looks like a place that I'll be able to learn so much about these great machines. Starting with my most recent purchase. I'll be up front and say I caught the phonograph-bug and picked one up at an antique store for pretty cheap, knowing next to nothing about these things. The store owner did play a record to show me that it was in working condition, so I said cool, I'll take it. It wasn't until I took it home and started poking around that I found out I have a hybridized Victrola.

First let me say that I don't buy antiques based on inherent value or what they might re-sell for. I never sell antiques as I buy them for my own pleasure and enjoyment. That said, I was actually kinda excited to find out what I brought home because now I have two projects to work on instead of one, lol.

On to the actual issue. I have a Victrola VV-X console with an unidentified motor installed. The winding key has a new hole drilled near the original on the side. This motor looks almost identical to the VV-X motors except the mounting holes are slightly different, which means a different winding key alignment. There are no new holes on the motor board, so the whole motor board assembly was picked up and dropped into this VV-X.

I did in fact download and look through the Motor Identification Guide posted on these forums and could not find this one in there at all. The biggest thing visually that sets it apart is the fact that the top/forward mounting screw is behind the governor rather than to the side of it. The Victrola ID plate is for the console not the motor, but the motor service sticker on the motor board says PART 3714

I have other questions about the console as well, but let's talk motors first. Thanks for any help, and I hope I can someday pass on some help to others here as well!

Mike

Yes, it appears to be as you described. I do not have a lot of knowledge about it, but am curious to know what type of soundbox (reproducer) came with it?

Welcome to the forum, Mike.

Thanks! The Reproducer is in sad shape. The casing is pot metal and cracked all over, so past the rebuild stage. It says "SINGLEPHASE ULTRA" across the inside top and "Made by the Audak Company" across the inside bottom. As I said in the first post, this still plays records, but probably nowhere near the quality it should at this point, lol.

Clearly a put together machine. The tone arm assembly is also from a (smaller) Victrola. You can see the outline and holes of the original arm base. I bet they are both from a smaller model. The reproducer is a later after market replacement.

Didn't know that abou the tone arm. Good to know!

BTW, because there are different types of Victrola X's that were made.....you may want to post a pic of the whole machine... .

Additional information <<---click here
BTW, The motor is a Victor Victrola brand motor, but may not be original to the machine. The reproducer is some other brand.

The VV-X is a fairly common machine so replacement parts will be very easy to find.

Yeah, I knew the motor was a replacement because somebody drilled a new hole in the side for the crank. Problem is, I can't figure out the model. It says part number 3714 on the service sticker, but am unable to ID anywhere online.

My goal is to drop a VV-X motor in this console and restore it, then if I can figure out what model the motor here is, I'd like to find the proper box/cabinet for it. The motor is very close to the VV-X, but is obviously not.

You'll likely notice the biggest "flaw" in the cabinet is that at some point, the corner moulding must have received damage and someone sanded them off completely. Not a bad wood working job, but sadly now the flared front corners no longer exist. I don't mind filing in the extra motor key hole, or other repairs, but that's unfortunate about the front.

Thanks for all the input. Hopefully someone will recognize the motor

I don't have my book handy but, I believe the motor/board & arm are from a Victrola XI. Based on the cabinet pics. I would not recommend putting any money into this machine. I say this only because you can find models like this on sites like Craigslist for under $150 complete and all original. You may find to buy the parts you need including the correct reproducer could cost you twice that price.However this is just my opinion. Best of luck.... .

The Audak was an 20's aftermarket reproducer that somewhat cloned the Orthophonic. Many people bought them to update older machines and a lot of secondary makes used them. When new they sounded good, but they don't age well.