The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I know Victor made a gold exhibition reproducer with the round hole needle chuck. Does anyone know if the round hole needle chuck reproducer came in nickel? I know anyone could just put a round hole needle bar on a nickel reproducer, but did Victor actually offer a nickel version of the round hole reproducer on any models?

Mike

Yes they did. I just acquired a Victor III with the levered chuck and it has the round needle hole as shown.

All of the earlier Victors (external horn Victor Talking Machines) I have purchased over the years as completely original and that were factory released with an Exhibition reproducer had (and still have) the round hole Exhibition reproducer. Later model (external horn) Victors I've found with the triangular hole Exhibition.

Doug

My Victor III, serial 11225, came with an Exhibition that had a round-hole chuck and a conventional thumbscrew rather than the spring lever. I believe it to be all original as the machine was found in an original aftermarket carrying case where it had been locked for the better part of the last century...

Until now, of course; I use it because it sounds great!

VanEpsFan1914 wrote:My Victor III, serial 11225, came with an Exhibition that had a round-hole chuck and a conventional thumbscrew rather than the spring lever. I believe it to be all original as the machine was found in an original aftermarket carrying case where it had been locked for the better part of the last century...

Until now, of course; I use it because it sounds great!

Right. My serial number is a lot lower, 2299. Makes sense!

The original Exhibition needle chucks were round-hole until 1909 when Victor began offering Fibre Needles (after buying the company that was manufacturing them).

The spring-clip sometimes found on Exhibitions was an option offered by Victor and could be fitted to any Exhibition by a dealer. Obviously, serial numbering has no bearing on these.

George P.

My Victor 3 #883 has an Exhibition, Nickel Plated, with the round needle hole. Most of the nickel had worn off, leaving the brass underneath exposed. I had it re-plated.