The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I think most people here know that I suck at taking pics, but I just wanted to share my new machine anyway. This was at an antique store north of Pittsburgh. I'm super excited to begin working on it.

Now for the negatives:
- One door sticks out further than the other
- Did not have an exhibition or no 2 reproducer
- Key escutcheon missing
- Needs a new break (its all bent up pretty bad)
- Motor needs some work

I got it for $325.

If anyone has some spare gold parts LMK.

Very nice. Enjoy it.

Very elegant machine. It looks like a "fat" tonearm so I would think it should have a gold Victrola 2 sound box. The curved gold record storage escutcheon may be a difficult find but the gold brake should be easy. Is the door warped or is there a problem with the hinge? Great find!

Jerry Blais

The condition of the cabinet over all looks outstanding and certainly worth the effort to raise the condition even higher. I don't know how to fix the warped door, but I imagine it will require steam and pressure. How that can be accomplished without loosening the veneer would worry me. Or possibly it's not warped at all and just requires a hinge adjustment. Hard to tell from the photos. Please post more as you progress and congratulations!

Check the little spring loaded button at the bottom on the right hand door. I have a XVII and it takes both hands to open one of the doors. It may be simply keeping the door from shutting all the way.

hbick2 wrote:Check the little spring loaded button at the bottom on the right hand door. I have a XVII and it takes both hands to open one of the doors. It may be simply keeping the door from shutting all the way.

Provided that the hardware is not damaged, a little sewing machine oil on the bullet catch should solve that issue.

Regarding this machine, I wouldn't try anything very drastic with the door. They are made of plywood, so they are unlikely to warp and even harder to bend back. If adjusting the hinges and freeing up the bullet catch doesn't take care of it, you might just consider it to be part of the charm. Someone might even have a set of doors that you could swap out at some time. Just my 2 cents.

Django wrote: Regarding this machine, I wouldn't try anything very drastic with the door.

I second that. Give the machine 6 months in your heated living area before considering anything non-reversible.

I once bought a Victrola XVI in oak that was in nice condition - - it even had all the original albums. BUT...the lower doors would not close. They overlapped by almost a quarter-inch! I took this Victrola from a nice, clean, modern basement to our house, placed it in a corner of our family room, and began thinking about what to do. Luckily, I'm a slow thinker, and over the course of a few months the doors began to shrink and eventually they fit together perfectly. I've had that machine for 34 years now, and shudder to think of the damage I might have done!

George P.

Search around the horn with the motor board out, also inside the horn... you never know what you might find, but hopefully a reproducer will be lodged there somewhere. I found multiple packs and tins of unused needles in my XVI this way... Congrats on the buy. I may have the brake you need... will look

Great score on your phonograph! PM sent about key escutcheon. Steve Levi

I say this without seeing it, but I've got to believe the brake can be straightened out?

Very cool machine! I believe you're correct that less is more with respect to the condition of the door.