The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Attended the Orlando pre-show yesterday and got to meet Steve Medved and WJW at last -- great people! Picked up a nice VV-XII that only needs a little love (anyone have a nice gold flat-back key escutcheon?). The motor in the XII is so strange and unique to that model -- the governor is about 5" from the spring barrel and connected by two intermediate gears at either end of a shaft . . . weird! I suppose this was to center the crank on the cabinet side. Everything else is Vic VI derived, i.e., the yielding turntable. The crank is Vic VI, too, except the winding shaft is maybe half the length of a typical crank. So oddball! I love it! Now I need one of those round-cornered side-loading record cabinets for it!

John M

John,

Congratulations! I've always liked the XII for the same reason: so oddball (and short-lived). Great machines!

George P.

Thanks George! The XII has always been on my short list. I am intrigued by the products that were sort of misfires in their day where they were still figuring out what later was obvious. John M

John,

...And there are even two versions of the short-lived XII: with and without the frieze below the lid. Unlike the VTLA/XVI, the XII was introduced without the frieze (July 1909), then one was added in January 1910. Oh - a third variation: an uncatalogued oak cabinet, apparently sold only through Lyons & Healy in Chicago. Wow - three variations in an 18-month production run!

George P.

George,
The one I bought has four knurled bolts -- one in each corner of the motor board -- that secure it to the cabinet. It seems like the last one I saw did not have those. I'm glad mine has all four . . . I'd hate to have to find one of those let alone four! Have you seen a XII without them? Mine is in the early plain cabinet s/n 2696 with a dealer lid decal indicating it was sold in Canada originally. Extrapolating the s/n from a summer 1909 introduction, a one year production run, a beginning # of 500, and a run of 5900 units may mean it was sold around Xmas time. John M

JohnM wrote:...Picked up a nice VV-XII that only needs a little love...

John,

You’ll have to share before and after photos when you get it home—I’d love to see it, and I am sure that other members would feel the same way.

Any other good finds yet while you’re down in Florida?

— MordEth

So far, just seven decent DD records and three 78's from an antique shop in Bradenton. One of the records is -- I swear -- a Hawaiian yodeling selection on OkeH. I had a blast with it in Orlando going around and offering to trade it for Grand Opera Zonophone machines and the like! I also bought two Durand art glass lamps. John M

JohnM wrote:One of the records is — I swear — a Hawaiian yodeling selection on OkeH.

Hawaiian yodeling? I wasn’t aware there was such a thing.

Do a transfer or film it for YouTube before you trade that one away! It’s got to be worth listening to for the sheer novelty value alone.

It sounds like you’re having a great time down there, and I’m glad to hear it. Can we look forward to running commentary on the show from your iPhone?

— MordEth

I was only able to attend the pre-show, not the show itself. I didn't cover it with the eye of a reporter -- too busy yakking and having a good time. John M

John,

Phonojack was there at the pre-show. Did you bump into him?
Hawaiian yodeling? Man, you gotta get a sound clip of that to post!!!

Bill