The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

So I bought a pretty rough looking VV 2-55 off eBay last year. The seller had neglected to put any padding on the inside (typical) which usually leads to a few broken pieces on these portables, especially the reproducer. I was furious to find that the OSB had been smashed to pieces. I contacted the seller and asked why this happened, because the pictures on the listing showed a completely intact reproducer. They told me that it was intact when they shipped it. I wanted to pursue it, but then I realized the reproducer had been jerked around so much in shipping, that it completely (and for the most part, properly) disassembled itself. The retaining ring had come out and it still screws in fine, the diaphragm has a small dent in it, which looks like it can be smoothed out, and the back part has no pot metal problems, and only has one small negligible chip. Even the rock hard rubber flange chipped some pieces out of itself, making its removal much easier for me! Just thought this would be cool to share, because it was a strange phenomenon!

ducked a bullet there

No cracks in the pot-metal ?

I'd say you were were fortunate, and have acquired a pot-metal OSB that does not seem to have pot-metal disease, which is kind of rare.



Another reputable rebuilder is Walt Sommers, dba Gettysburg Antique Phonograph.


Good luck with this - treat that spanner-ring with the utmost care - they are incredibly fragile.

I think you'll find that the outer housing of the reproducer has swollen just enough to let the retaining ring pop out. There is probably very minimal thread engagement between the two. In this situation I have carefully placed pieces of wax paper around the ring to take up the extra gap. It's worked great for many years now.

A few turns of teflon plumbing tape would nicely take up the gap