VE-9-55 "restoration"

[schweg]

A while back, I purchased a VE-9-55 from someone only ~ 5 miles from my house. As much as it weighs, I'm glad that's all it was. It was missing the radio side and the owner told me if I didn't buy it, it was off to the local auction where it probably would have been gutted out entirely to make a nice storage cabinet. I received some expert advice that due to the rarity of the machine, it would be nearly impossible to find original radio parts to complete it. http://www.victor-victrola.com/9-55.htm

Instead, it was recommended that I get an Re-45, much more common, and use the front of it, plus the radio, to fill in the huge cavity in the radio side of the 9-55. I found an RE-45 in a poor cabinet and did some surgery to come up with the following:

What is should look like:

955open[1].jpg (31.3 KiB) Viewed 3269 times

What I bought:

The RE-45:

And after some chopping, gluing, and a little swearing:

Not entirely accurate, but not too bad.

Now I need to get the radio part repaired. I thought I had a good connection to a repair guy, but perhaps that didn't work out so well. I'll post that conversation separately tomorrow- verrrry interesting!! I have a 2nd option for repairs so will go ahead and pursue that one in the near future....

Steve

[phonophan79]

Would the antique radio forum be shaking their fists at us for cannibalizing one of theirs?

Seriously though, I'm glad you got to save that beast of a machine. Nice handywork, the wood seems to match up and it all looks nice and eye-pleasing.

[gramophone78]

Nice but,does it play cylinders???? .Now that would be a great surgery....... .Dr.Feel Good

[Uncle Vanya]

It appears that Victor installed the (really excellent) "Micro-Synchronous" RE-45 chassis in a number of left-over 1927-8 models which were offered through Davega in NY and at least one jobber in Chicago. The RE-154 and RE-156, manual combinations installed in left-over cabinets of the 9-54 and 9-56, were made in some numbers, and are well documented. Photographs have turned up, however of a 10-50 (or 10-51) so fitted on display in a shop, and there has been more than a little speculation that am extant 10-70 with the Micro-Synchronous chassis was a factory job.

[Skihawx]

The RE-154, RE-156 and RAE-68 were cabinets that were in process. Not really completed
9-54, 9-56 or 10-69 cabinets. This allowed the relatively large scale run of instruments.
And allowed parts to be reworked for the new configurations. All this happened at the start of the depressiona and the purchase of Victor by RCA. And an over supply of high end cabinets. I don't think it was likely that 10-50 cabinets would have been left over. Especially ones in process. I don't think the VTMC would have worried about converting a handfull of 10-50s with RE-45 chassis. I think the 10-50 like cabinet in the store picture is a dealaer install.

[wjw]

The 9-55 cabinet is such a nice piece of work that you would think the obsolete "guts" would have been junked long ago from all of them.

[Skihawx]

I just love those obsolete guts!! That is a part of the charm.

[Kirkwood]

This looks like a very neat, professional job---mating up the panel and parts of the RE-45 into that magnificent beast of a 9-55. I like the sound, sturdiness and design of the RE-45, and I'll bet that ---when done---this "updated" 9-55 will be a set that you'll enjoy a long time. I know that I would. Certainly this is a better fate than letting the 9-55 become another home bar cabinet.

It would be interesting to know how common dealer "upgrades" were in the old days. I have a VE7-25 electric motor Victrola that had the factory Radiola 17 replaced by a Radiola 60---which at the time was a somewhat better performer than the 17. I'll keep this modification intact. At what point does the upgrade make the instrument a curiosity versus "Frankenphono"??

[recordo]

Congratulations! I think what you've done to save it looks great.

[Valecnik]

Schweg,

What a creative solution. I don't think it's wrong to alter a relatively common radio to restore to working order such a beautiful piece.

I wish I had such skills!