Victor machines: when to use green or tan coloured felt?

[Torjazzer]

I've noticed a trend with "restorers" who use green felt on platters, record rails, lid rests and wherever else they can stick it. I know that, for a number of the examples I've seen online, green felt is incorrect where tan should have been used to maintain historical accuracy. Does anyone have a breakdown of when green or tan felt is appropriate?

[Zkeener323]

I’m no expert but I believe the tan (orange) felt was only used on models after the Orthophonics were introduced. However, I have seen some Orthophonics with green. Maybe they were just using up old stock. Again, someone with more knowledge should probably chime in.

[stetam]

I’m no expert but I believe the tan (orange) felt was only used on models after the Orthophonics were introduced. However, I have seen some Orthophonics with green. Maybe they were just using up old stock. Again, someone with more knowledge should probably chime in.

My VV-405 has the orange felt and gold hardware.

Steve

[alang]

I think the question of the OP might have been about the correct felt color for early Victor outside horn machines where some have green and others brown/tan felt. I would also be interested in which machines had what color, or maybe in which years one might have been used versus the other.

Thanks
Andreas

[phonogfp]

I've seen various shades of green, and a bluish-green in the (approximately) 1911-13 period on Victors and Victrolas, but no tan until the 1920s.

George P.

[JerryVan]

In the case of early Victors, with what appears to brown felt, I suspect that fading, time & dirt has transformed the original green to a muddy brown. In the days when I thought I was making an "improvement" and tore that dirty "brown" felt off, I usually found hints of green underneath. (The shame of it all )

Consider too, not all felt was replaced in modern times. Who's to say that an early Victor, in 1930(?), wasn't spruced up with a nice new felt. But today, that would look like original felt, albeit the wrong color.

[alang]

Thanks for that confirmation. Is the same true for European HMV or DGAG machines, or did they use brown felt?

Thanks again
Andreas

[gramophoneshane]

I don't know for sure, but my experience has been that brown started to be used when machines with a no.4 soundbox came out.
The Lumiere pleated diaphragm models also used brown felt on the turntable, so 1924/25 was the change over from green for HMV.

From what I've seen, Edison seems to have changed from green with the long play range of machines, and also started using patterned grille cloth at the same time.
Not sure if either change was made prior to that though??

[alang]

Thanks Shane. So apparently all that brown felt on outside horn machines is just faded green or an old replacement. Interesting. I was feeling bad about using green replacement but it’s all good.

Thanks again for all the info
Andreas

[gramophoneshane]

Thanks Shane. So apparently all that brown felt on outside horn machines is just faded green or an old replacement. Interesting. I was feeling bad about using green replacement but it’s all good.

Thanks again for all the info
Andreas

I'd say with a few exceptions.
HMV outside horn models like the 31 and 32 have brown felt, but also use a no.4 soundbox.
The only external horn model to use an Exhibition soundbox and also use brown that I can think of is the model 25,
I'm not sure if there were others, or if machines out of India changed from green to brown in the 1924/25 period or not.