Victor V Acquisition

[Zkeener323]

The Find:
Well, I ended up purchasing the Victor V listed on the Craigslist/Ebay Alert Page. I wasn't looking to buy any more machines at the moment and hoped someone on here would get them (listed with it was a decent Silvertone in oak). A few days after the listing closed I saw a similar ad in the local paper so I figured I might as well inquire. Apparently the listing closed because the couple was overwhelmed with messages of people saying they would pay more, and asking to hold for a few days. So, they decided to list the old fashioned way. I asked about the history of the pair and they replied that the woman's parents collected antiques and enjoyed going to auctions. It sat on a shelf for years- never used. It was passed on to them when the estate was cleared and they carried them both with them from Indiana to here in Virginia. They realized they were now just clutter in their new home and wanted to pass them off to someone who could enjoy them. They put the price at $200.00 and even through in a Partridge Family album (I didn't have the heart to tell them it's of no use for these machines.) I've been looking for almost 14 years to get an external model, but being a young collector it's not often in the budget. I had hoped to save my pennies for a mahogany model but I couldn't pass up the location of the sale as well as the price.

The Machine:
It has definitely been refinished, but it doesn't look bad except I feel like the color should be more golden instead of pine-like. The tone arm and speed control have been stripped of their nickel and the brass has been polished, the turntable felt is a very bad shade of jade green as well. Luckily I have a local company that re-nickels fairly cheaply as long as you have a few things for them to do at once. The horn is a horrible reproduction however, the little can like insert pictured is pretty neat. You turn it to open or close the vent holes- It does a very good job functioning as a volume control. The motor is original. I did some cleaning and lubricating as well as adjusting the governor to cut down on the motor clatter. It's still a bit noisy but not that bad. The winding shaft on the motor was modified at some point, I wish I had a picture before I cut it off. That is the little barrel piece pictured with the brass inset. Has anyone seen something like this before? It was very well done and appears it was done by a repairman years ago so that a male crank could be used instead of the older female versions. The original threads on both the adapter and the original crank threads were completely worn- I'm guessing that's the reason why the adapter was added in the first place. Anyhow, I decided to tig my own adapter on instead of replacing it with a spare winding shaft I have laying around because I do not have a crank that can fit it yet. The pin-striping on the back bracket is shot- I'm on the fence about restoring that but all-in-all its a neat machine that I look forward to restoring. Despite the cruddy horn, its neat to finally hear an external horn after all these years. Also, it did come with a serialized Exhibition, stripped of it's nickel along with a handmade back flange and the serial number on the case is 41855.

Questions: What size morning glory horn can I use on this I have one for sale locally that measures 20.5 inches long, 19 inches wide. I feel like it should be a bit bigger. But in any case, would that horn fit, or ever had been offered with this machine. I would love a wood horn but I fear that's a pipe dream. I know I will need to get an elbow for the machine as well. Secondly, is there a nice tutorial on here ( I searched but couldn't find one) On the spring barrel design, like direction of the winding direction of each spring and how they attach to the shaft. I've never had a Victor motor this old and it looks like someone before me did their own overhaul. Everything was very clean and a strange brown grease was all over- even in the spring barrels so I just want to make sure everything is normal. Finally- Should I redo the pinstripes or let it ride, they are barely even visible now. I appreciate the input and hope you all enjoyed the story.

[Jerry B.]

The correct metal horns made by Victor for the V would be the #24 Flower horn or the "O" Black Japanned steel horn. Modern collectors generally call the "Black Japanned steel horn" a Victor black and brass horn because of the black painted steel body and brass bell. The #24 has a 24" bell and is 24" long. The O horn has a 18.5" brass bell. The black & brass horns are designated by letters. There are two, the K and L, which were larger and a bit more money. They would also be appropriate on a Victor V. I hope this helps you.

Jerry Blais

[alang]

Congratulations to your purchase. I was one of the people trying to get in contact with them but never even got a response. May be a good thing, because it would have been a 9 hour round trip. I would take it easy and only do ac clean up and service first, before doing anything that cannot be reversed. Both machines look pretty good as they are. A correct original or aftermarket horn should not be too hard to find.

Andreas

[Phono-Phan]

I really like the volume control insert. Are there any markings on it?

[Zkeener323]

I will probably put off looking for an appropriate horn- too many projects underway as it is. Hence, I really wasn't looking to buy another machine but the opportunity presented itself twice, for a price that was right. Thank you for those dimensions though, now I know what to look for. And I'm glad to hear it's not too difficult finding one. I'm sorry you did not get a response Alang, they did not seem too tech savvy and said their children helped them list some of their things on Facebook and they live in Indiana still. If you ever need someone to transport something up your way I'm glad to help I travel up the DelMarVa often to visit friends in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania so I would be glad to assist you. The volume control insert has no markings, neither does the horn that it appears to always been married to. The machine was bought in the late 70's from an auction so they, as well as the machine have been together at least since then. It surprisingly works very well. I'm curious if there are any period examples of a device similar. I've seen attachments for the reproducer but not the horn. When fully open it barely limits the volume and tone, but as the holes are closed it has a very high level of sensitivity. I plan on limiting my restoration for now. I want to enjoy it now in it's current state before I do anything I can't take back. Even though it's been "restored" a fair bit in its past, I still enjoy it's history that it retains in originality, as well as what has been done throughout it's lifetime.

[Zkeener323]

Also, Here is the reproducer showing a crafty wooden back flange that I presume was handmade by someone. The card was found barely stuck to the bottom of the case. It's hard to read but it says "NOTICE Be sure To Remove Block Before Winding Machine" It shows a shaded block positioned at the back left hand corner of the machine. Not sure if it's original given the history of the machine but just seemed kind of neat to see a (possible) original unpacking instruction.