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I have never seen a reproducer like this. Are they original to victor 3s?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/231506675250?_t ... EBIDX%3AIT

Nothing out of place there. A late production (V-III) machine with a very refinished case. The reproducer was an alternative to the exhibition and evolved into the Victrola #2.

From the serial number it is a Victor III, Type B, made during the period of April 1913 to August 1917. The standard reproducer would have been a #11 Exhibition. The Improved Concert came in around 1911. (Info from The Victor Data Book.) Per Look for the Dog, the Victor III could be had with either the Exhibition or the Concert sound box.

The Concert looks kind of neat. I don't know how the performance of each compares.

Clay

I agree with Wayne. The Improved Concert reproducer may have been an upgrade to the machine. If you were the successful bidder, you could probably trade the Improved Concert for several Exhibitions. Jerry Blais

The Improved Concert (as noted above) is about the size of a Victrola #2 soundbox. The difference sonically between it and an Exhibition isn't that major, volume is increased a bit. I think the Exhibition is much gentler on 78s since the Improved Concert has no rubber isolator and no needle bar tension springs, so there's really no way to adjust one once you've rebuilt it.

Sean

Another bit of historical trivia. I have a Victor sales brochure dated April 17, 1908. The page describing the Victor III includes this entry:

"Sound-box: Exhibition (Concert if preferred)."

Clay

FloridaClay wrote:Another bit of historical trivia. I have a Victor sales brochure dated April 17, 1908. The page describing the Victor III includes this entry:

"Sound-box: Exhibition (Concert if preferred)."

Clay

Clay, this is referring to the earlier Concert reproducer.... . Long gone by the time the slip in horn elbow was introduced.

Yes, I know. The improved model Concert post-dates the brochure by about 3 years. I was rather hoping that someone might have a brochure dating from the era of the Victor III Model B and tell us if that option was still being offered. I suspect that it might have been, but it would be nice to know one way or the other from contemporary literature.

Clay

FloridaClay wrote:Yes, I know. The improved model Concert post-dates the brochure by about 3 years. I was rather hoping that someone might have a brochure dating from the era of the Victor III Model B and tell us if that option was still being offered. I suspect that it might have been, but it would be nice to know one way or the other from contemporary literature.

Clay

Clay,
I can say that in my post Sept 17 1913 catalog, this Vic III is shown with the late lever brake on the front left corner (as seen on the Ebay listing). See attached.

A Victor catalog dated 1917 shows the lever brake now on the rear right corner of a Vic. III.

Both catalogs mention the Exhibition as the sole choice of reproducer.
However, there was nothing stopping an owner from putting the Improved on. Certainly a much scarcer reproducer as already mentioned above. So, a plus in my book... .

Someone must really want that reproducer -- the auction is up to $1240. That's a fortune for a somewhat rough Victor III with metal horn.

I'm surprised it has gone so high, but I'm also surprised that the high bidder doesn't just use Buy It Now if they want it badly enough to run it that high. If it hasn't met reserve at $1240 I don't think anyone is going to get a steal on it. In that situation I would prefer to bite the bullet at $1600 BIN and guarantee to get it. Trying to meet an apparently very high reserve to save a hundred bucks is a gamble, especially with such hard competition.