The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I've mentioned in several posts how the Victrola lineup looked like a series of brothers with common features. The photo below is a good visual explanation. The VV-X was the smallest Victrola upright. It has all the great style that Victor offered. It had excellent quality with a powerful double spring motor and the great Exhibition reproducer. In the Victrola lineup it's the brother that is about to enter middle school. The next upright was the VV-XI. For a slight cost increase it offered casters, a locking lid, a bit more decorative ornamentation and was slightly taller than the X. The next bigger brother was the VV-XIV. It was slightly taller, more decorated, had a locking lid and locking record storage, and had Victor's most powerful motor. The next Victrola was the luxurious VV-XVI. It also had Victor's most powerful motor, was a bit taller, and all the bright parts featured genuine gold plating. The XVI always had Victor's best motor and largest horn. It's the brother that is about to enter his senior year in high school. Depending on the time period, there was also the VV-XVII or VV-XVIII. The performance was identical to the XVI but those two models featured very expensive curved cabinets and additional embellishments.

I also think of the VV-X as something like a Porsche 356 with tons of style and performance without the unnecessary frills. If that's the case, the VV-XVI must be a Cadillac Eldorado.

Jerry Blais