I picked this up today finally! It sounds absolutely incredible, I am still blown away by the quality!
A few questions:
1. How does the turntable come off? I pulled up on it, but it didn’t come off
2. Should I worry about finding a handle for it? I don’t think I’d carry it by the handle even if it had one
3. It has a tin of tungs-tone needles. This is my first tin of needles Do I use them? Do they wear out? Questions questions questions
Congratulations! The Victor VV-2-55 is one of the best sounding portables ever made.
If you don't see a round clip spring holding the turntable in place, look carefully at the spindle to see if there's a small hole in it. If so, insert a sturdy rod and turn it counter-clockwise to unscrew the top of the spindle.
Great machine! I have a 2-65. I put a shoulder strap on mine. It's a little too heavy to carry by a suitcase handle. Get a batch of medium and soft tone needles at eBay. Loud tone is a little too loud with this machine. The post in the center unscrews to remove the turntable.
That one's in better condition than the 2-55 at the Johnson Victrola Museum--and theirs was in uncommonly nice shape. So it's too nice to install a shoulder strap on; besides, it's a suitcase, not a purse. (There are hatbox phonographs for that feminine touch.)
The needles don't go in that hole with the soundbox. You'll find needles all under the turntable, in the motor, down inside the horn, and everywhere else for days and days. The way these would have been used, is clip your tungsten needle box right where you found it, and then hide your new steel ones underneath. I have a feeling that in the 1920s people just littered with the spent needles. That's not great practice of course so take your dead ones home in a pill-box or something.
Some people would say to use the Tongs-Tone styli included. I wouldn't necessarily do it on that portable as they will bend when you set the arm down on something needle first. They are not made any more and are very useful to people with early changers (like 10-50s) so it is something I'd hang onto if I were you.
Besides, if you keep them, you have a great display piece (as this is a collection, not just a working stash.)
Carrying them by the handle is JUST FINE. The handle is actually a rolled piece of steel with cardboard over it. You'd have to put leatherette on. I had to make the handle for my old 2-65 out of rope wrapped in electrical tape but I was in a hurry. You can get a handle from almost any old record case or what-not, or make your own with a piece of old phonograph spring if you are good at leather working. Alternatively, the people at Brettuns Village Trunks would probably make you a handle. You could call them up, send them a good photo of the machine with dimensions, and they might make you a new handle that would not require riveting--you could pop it right in to the old brackets. You won't regret having a period-correct one made. This stuff is antique anyway.
It's a wonderful phonograph, David, and I'm glad it is in good hands now!
I’ll take a look at the turntable tomorrow. I also found the missing tungstone needle, so now they are all there! The tips look kinda bent on them, but I tried out one that looked nice and straight. It sounded really good!
I’m really excited to have this. Now I can bring records to school and annoy people Haha no I’m just kidding
It's actually kind of hard to find nice quality new handles at a reasonable price. Look around for an old suitcase with a nice leather wrapped handle. If you haven't realized it yet, the "D" rings are split under the mounting straps. To remove them you can carefully bend them open just enough to slide out of the straps. Then put them through the new handle ends, slide them back in the mounting straps and bend them shut again. I found several nice handles this way for under $15.
JerryVan wrote:It's actually kind of hard to find nice quality new handles at a reasonable price. Look around for an old suitcase with a nice leather wrapped handle. If you haven't realized it yet, the "D" rings are split under the mounting straps. To remove them you can carefully bend them open just enough to slide out of the straps. Then put them through the new handle ends, slide them back in the mounting straps and bend them shut again. I found several nice handles this way for under $15.
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Do I use them? Do they wear out? Questions questions questions 
