The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

This one looks like Walnut to me, do you guys agree? The picture is not the greatest but
it looks too light for mahogany. Thanks.

Get a better picture. I cannot be 100% certain, but it looks like mahogany to me that may have been refinished. Mahogany in its natural state is not that dark. It's the stain that gives it that dark look. This may have been refinished with a lighter stain.

Again, I would be unwilling to plunk down my money without a better, closeup picture that shows the grain. I would not rush in assuming it is walnut based on this crummy photo. The striping on the doors looks too much like mahogany.

I could of course be wrong which is why a better picture could help clear this up.

Thanks AZ, I agree the picture sucks. I am waiting for the telltale photos of the inside of
the lid and motor board areas to get a better idea. I had the same thought about the grain, it does appear to be mahogany-like. Odds are some joker stripped the original finish and put a gloss coat on.
As soon as the seller gets back with me I will post more pics.

I think it's mahogany too. Again, it's not easy to tell from the pic though.
This is my refinished mahogany A100 dd.(excuse the dust )
I did this in orange shellac with no additional stain. If it was done in lacquer, it would be lighter still.

I am also voting for Mahogany. I also believe it has been refinished and they either did not re-stain it and just put on a top coat after stripping, or they decided to go for a lighter look. Either way, I am certain you are looking at a mahogany machine. I have included a picture of my XIV built around the same time frame. It is mahogany and has a very similar streaked grain pattern as the one in the picture.

I vote Mahogany as well. Its as everyone has said, when stripped and lightly stained it has this pronounced stripe and color. Many old finishes today are confused with other woods because over time the tone and darkness of wood finish preferences has changed. Many sellers have no clue and will claim them to be nearly anything, especially if it sounds like something more desirable.

I'll add another vote for mahogany. When assessing wood, look at the grain more than the color. Certain varieties of mahogany look quite similar to certain varieties of walnut, so it's sometimes tough to tell, but the ribbon grain is a tip off for mahogany.

Larry's comment about sellers claiming anything regarding wood reminds me of something that happened to me about 15 years ago. I was giving a talk at a local historical society, and among the phonographs I had on display was a Victor II with a wooden horn. After the talk, a fellow approached me, saying he had three phonographs for sale, and wondered if I'd be interested in seeing them. Naturally, I was. He added that one of his phonographs looked "just like this one," pointing to the Victor II, "with a wood horn like that." When I visited the man a few days later, I discovered that the machine he wanted to sell was indeed a Victor, but it wasn't a II, and it wasn't oak either. He hadn't mentioned gold plate... Whenever I see sellers on eBay or CL mis-identifying wood, I remember the time when I was so pleased with the seller's mistake... (It never happened again!)

George P.

phonogfp wrote:...a fellow approached me, saying he had three phonographs for sale, and wondered if I'd be interested in seeing them. Naturally, I was. He added that one of his phonographs looked "just like this one," pointing to the Victor II, "with a wood horn like that." When I visited the man a few days later, I discovered that the machine he wanted to sell was indeed a Victor, but it wasn't a II, and it wasn't oak either. He hadn't mentioned gold plate... Whenever I see sellers on eBay or CL mis-identifying wood, I remember the time when I was so pleased with the seller's mistake... (It never happened again!)

George P.

As W.C. Fields said, "Never give a sucker an even break, or smarten up a chump." Good advice for a collector!

Gentlemen, thank-you for all the excellent advice! I will definitely pay more attention to the
grain as opposed to the color in the future. I have yet to get a response from the seller for more pictures but I will post those if they arrive, as least for the entertainment value.
It is pretty much a parts machine at this point.

phonogfp wrote:I'll add another vote for mahogany. When assessing wood, look at the grain more than the color. Certain varieties of mahogany look quite similar to certain varieties of walnut, so it's sometimes tough to tell, but the ribbon grain is a tip off for mahogany.

Larry's comment about sellers claiming anything regarding wood reminds me of something that happened to me about 15 years ago. I was giving a talk at a local historical society, and among the phonographs I had on display was a Victor II with a wooden horn. After the talk, a fellow approached me, saying he had three phonographs for sale, and wondered if I'd be interested in seeing them. Naturally, I was. He added that one of his phonographs looked "just like this one," pointing to the Victor II, "with a wood horn like that." When I visited the man a few days later, I discovered that the machine he wanted to sell was indeed a Victor, but it wasn't a II, and it wasn't oak either. He hadn't mentioned gold plate... Whenever I see sellers on eBay or CL mis-identifying wood, I remember the time when I was so pleased with the seller's mistake... (It never happened again!)

George P.

That's a great story George, glad it worked out so well! The seller's lack of knowledge can be very useful during negotiations. Of course it can go the other way when, i.e the seller thinks his IX is worth its weight in gold.