The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Ok might be a dumb question but what are the 2 small holes on the ends for?

I heard the holes or dimples would hold the little plugs when unpacking the machine. Anybody else know?
Harvey Kravitz

Perhaps the larger were for loud and soft Steel needles, and the smaller for loud and soft Bamboo needles?
Why smaller receptacles for Bamboo? Since they get repointed, less would be needed.
No facts here, just thinking aloud.

James.

This was discussed in the past. The plug suggestion was put forward, but debunked. No resolution was reached. They may be a place to put the motor board screws when you have the hood up. We may never know, but it is a good question.

Those holes are in the early Pooley machines when Victor was still using the round hole exhibition reproducer, so I doubt they were thinking about bamboo needles just yet. And then later on, they stopped making holders with those extra holes. So who knows. And those early Pooley machines didn't use motor-board screws right away either, the motor just sits down in there and the corner brackets on the underside of the motor-board kind of hold it in place. I was told years ago that they were for those plugs on the back of the cabinet as well, but those things really don't fit in there either and the Pooley cabinet also does not have screw holes in the back for those plugs.

Maybe they were put there so that people in the future would ask, what are those extra holes for?

The tip of my index finger fits perfectly in those. Probably, that's what they're for!!

JerryVan wrote:The tip of my index finger fits perfectly in those. Probably, that's what they're for!!

Finger bowls on a Victrola? Who knew?

I’ve always wondered about this too. I agree, they can’t be for fibre needles since my VTLA was shipped with a round-hole exhibition.

Wood buttons for the back of the machine can be ruled out. They were shipped in the outfit box with the rest of the parts.

Django wrote:Maybe they were put there so that people in the future would ask, what are those extra holes for?

Ditto that. There are two kinds of people in the world: those who ask what those extra holes are for, and those who don't.