The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hi All,
My wife and I just stumbled into a collection of Victrola symphony records. Being a classical musician she wants to save the good ones.
Now the husbands job is to find a Victrola player. Lol. Hoping you guys can guide us into what we need to be looking for. Nothing fancy, small table top model, reliable player and also not expensive.

Thanks much
Eric

erinN wrote:Hi All,
My wife and I just stumbled into a collection of Victrola symphony records. Being a classical musician she wants to save the good ones.
Now the husbands job is to find a Victrola player. Lol. Hoping you guys can guide us into what we need to be looking for. Nothing fancy, small table top model, reliable player and also not expensive.

Thanks much
Eric

Have you checked your local Craigslist and FB marketplace? eBay is sort of ok but you got to check if the seller knows what they’re doing to make sure it’s packed well. I learned the hard way a couple of years ago. Watch out for later portables with pot metal tone arm brackets. pot metal tends to break down after almost 100 years. You can get away with it for a larger machine because there are modern replacements but they don’t have any reproductions that I know of for portable suitcase machines. My VV 2-60 portable is still out of commission because of that... if you just want a tabletop a VV-VIII is pretty good but a IX is probably better and more common.

It helps tremendously to know where you are located so that those of us who might be nearby can offer you assistance and perhaps machines and records.

If you are anywhere near Central Wisconsin, I have a few that would work great for you.
Ken

And hopefully if you’re buying from a great seller all the dirty work has already been done (Soundbox rebuilding, motor has had a teardown and cleaning, ect)

Those old turquoise colored schoolhouse phonos work great. You'd probably need a new needle for it though. Califone made good ones. You could find some at eBay

We have been checking FB market place and Craig’s list, but no luck yet.
We are also doing some research and we are thinking of the VV-IV, VI and the wood case 50.

Eric

Phono-Phan wrote:If you are anywhere near Central Wisconsin, I have a few that would work great for you.
Ken

We live in Chicago it’s not that far.l lol

Eric

A VV-50 would be a good choice, easy to store and a good player...

I sent you a PM