The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I've looked at a number of Victor Ms on line. I see that they have what looks like egg and dart oak molding framing each panel. The pictures on the Internet are not always complete, but it seems on some rear mount machines that a piece of molding is missing right below the back bracket. Others seem to have this piece, that is, the bottom piece of egg and dart runs the complete length of the panel. Since some have it and others don't, I suspect this piece of molding broke off on those that don't have it. But then I'm really not sure because I've seen it missing on more than one machine right in the same spot. Perhaps it was not originally there. Or maybe this piece, given its location, was liable to break off. Before I lay out the bucks for such a machine, I'd like to know what the machine looked like out of the factory. Any assistance from the Forum experts with this would be greatly appreciated.

John

Actually what I wrote above applies to front-mount machines as well. Here are pictures of two machines that I grabbed off the Internet and cropped so they shouldn't be recognized.

And now for rear mounts. I've answered my question.

The early Victor M was a shorter cabinet at approx 5 ⅞" tall (which I own). My FM early one does not have the gap, my early rear mount cabinet DOES have the molding gap. The slightly later Victor M, same cabinet style but slightly taller and left more room for the Back bracket option. The slightly later RM taller cabinet does not have the deliberate gap in the molding. When you see the gap in the molding it is designed to accommodate the back bracket option soon after its introduction. John

Ripduf1: What you write makes sense.