The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I was at a local antique mall here in NW Indiana, and saw a early VV-IV with the early style tone arm. I posted a ad in the want section for the tone arm, (one of the members said I need the same arm as a Victor II, since it is the short arm).

Anyways, this little machine had that short arm with the high price like 400.00. The nice thing was to actually see the shorter arm, but also noticed there is a small cap type part that goes around the back of the arm and holds it in place like a shield. Does anyone know if this was a arrangement on the early VV-IV and VV-VI? if it is, both of my early VV's are missing it.

Maybe I should just get the newer style VV-IV tone arm with the bracket and pin, at least the length would be right, but not correct to the machine? any suggestions?

The first couple of iterations of the VV-IV and the VV-VI did not have any overhang support. The tone arms were supported on a shaft which cantilevered up from inside the back bracket. This was found to be insufficiently strong. The post was rather easily bent, leading to a tone arm which dragged and damaged records. Rather early on a stamped metal overhang support was added to these designs, which was shortly thereafter replaced with the cast iron overhang support and longer tone arm with which we are all familiar. I haven't my Victor Data Book in front of me, but as I recall all of these changes were made before the end of 1914, at which point the design of the machine stabilized.