The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Rescued several machines today, but this one puzzles me. It is a Brunswick VAL. It has an electric motor with the cord coming out of the crank hole. The motor board is all original and the speed control is correct and functions. What model is this and is the electric motor correct?

That appears to be a Valencia, one of the Panatrope models. Wakeman's Brunswick book has very little info other than announcement dates and suggested list prices. Search the net and you'll find others that are/were for sale.

No idea about whether the electric motor is correct, sorry. Maybe someone else will know.

Thanks for the info. It appears it was offered with an electric motor. Still not sure about the cord coming out of the crank hole, but there are no other places for it to come out.

As a kid my aunt & uncle rented a lake cottage with a walnut Brunswick Ultona upright in the corner. It wasn't for sale (I asked repeatedly) but it too had an electric motor that was original, and that one had the fabric cord coming out of the crank hole. Wondering if this was something that the Brunswick dealer would change per customer request, since the steel motor board was the same profile for either spring or electric power.

I have no real knowledge of the cord exiting the machines but it does seem like that would be most likely to happen in a retrofit of an electric motor rather than an original design. I have seen a number of electric motor victrolas and most all exited from the bottom or rear of the machine which would seem to be a more professional installation. Another thought is that perhaps the cord exited the crank hole so that it would not need to be filled in and could be converted simply back to spring power if the need arose.

Thank you all for the confirmation that this is not a later "adaptation ". That pushes this phono forward on the restoration list

Late spring of 1926 thru 1927 was production for these. Released alongside all the other acoustic Panatropes like the Cortez, Hampton, Seville, etc.