The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Greetings to all of the talking machine forum & happy new year

This past Friday I went into a local record store for a monthly "binge" of such and was given the opportunity to take home a cabinet from a VV-90 for free. It is completely gutted and in pretty decent condition in terms of the wood and finish and still remarkably shiny in some spots. I am completely new to actually owning any sort of Victor Victrola as my previous experience has always been with my trusty RCA Victrola O-14 portable. After seeming like dust at first, I later discovered that under the "hood" or lid that it was not in fact dust and was gray latex paint. After cleaning the entirety of the cabinet with Gojo hand cleaner and wiping off, it was given a unique shine in its walnut look (however I am unsure if it truly is the original finish as I have consulted with a good friend of mine, but we're still not entirely too sure.) I also bought some Feed N' Wax for later after I try some of that Restor-A-Finish in the walnut color, as seen in a video by Dyslexic Genius Hurt (a YouTuber I usually watch for Victrola advice when I have stupid questions.) Some pictures of the machine after such cleaning are below. I am also planning on replacing the reproduction knobs on the doors (and the lack of one of the mainboard) for new ones with greater accuracy. There is also no horn in the machine, as stated later on.

For the latex paint, I came to the conclusion that it was done to fill in minor crevices in the wooden motorboard (that has no motor) and came to a horrific end. I sanded every part of the mainboard cavity area under the lid except the area with the badge as I was afraid of scratching it or being unable to see it after all of that. It is pretty close to the bare wood color but still has a gray tint due to the late paint. As far as my knowledge goes, I believe that the VV-90 is identical to the VV-X from the previous years before Victor's reorganization of their business.

Some questions I had were of the following, all related in the goal to get this machine from being a free cabinet to a working order, my apologies for the length - it is my first machine and I don't want to risk damaging my new pride and joy , even if the value is close to nothing;

- Is it possible to stain the area under the lid and moderately attempt to match up with the walnut veneer (even if a refinish?) How would I go about painting & applying a sheen effect to it to match?
- Would a motorboard from a VV-XI fit into the cabinet?
- Would a horn from a VV-XI fit into the cabinet?
- Are all of the tonearms that feature the No. 2 soundbox the same diameter the connector to the horn? If so, I might be easily able to install one into the cabinet as there is a plethora for sale on eBay.
- Is it possible to remove the badge and clean it? How would I go about doing so, perhaps acetone of some sort?
- Is it possible to locate the dividers for the bottom cabinet somewhere? Would it be necessary or just a minor inconvenience if not present?

I must also note that the machine has no metal parts, whatsoever, apart from the hinge and the arm that holds up the door. Is there any certain cosmetic parts or functional parts that are required that I may skip over, such as a cosmetic item or perhaps some of the autostop mechanisms? Also, where might I be able to purchase a motorboard to fit the cabinet? It's been a pretty wild ride and I know this will likely sound like a horrible idea to the condition but it is pretty difficult to find any sort of Victrola in the condition the wood is in on this model, where I live at the very least. Thank you all dearly for the help & I hope to get the machine going well in the future.

Best regards

Nice acquisition. It looks eminently restorable. Are you sure it's walnut? It looks very much like my "plain vanilla" mahogany VV-XI. Also, compare yours to the one pictured here: http://www.victor-victrola.com/90.htm. Of course, it's hard to tell from photographs. What do you think?

Thank you!
It does look very nice and even in person, have been working on cleaning up the motorboard area. I do believe it is a mahogany finish after seeing the photographs and cleaning up the top lid a little better. I think you're correct. I was planning on using some Howard's walnut restor-a-stain later on once I finish fixing up the mainboard area, do you think it would still be safe to use that or should I purchase the mahagony iteration instead? Should I just skip that and go straight to the Feed and Wax stuff, also from Howards?

I've never used the Restor-a-Finish so I can't say. The Feed-n-Wax didn't make a whole lot of difference on my XI cabinet, but it did wonders on a teak-veneer dining table. It won't hurt to give it a try.

RCA_victrolaboy wrote: Sat Jan 01, 2022 9:23 pm Thank you!
It does look very nice and even in person, have been working on cleaning up the motorboard area. I do believe it is a mahogany finish after seeing the photographs and cleaning up the top lid a little better. I think you're correct. I was planning on using some Howard's walnut restor-a-stain later on once I finish fixing up the mainboard area, do you think it would still be safe to use that or should I purchase the mahagony iteration instead? Should I just skip that and go straight to the Feed and Wax stuff, also from Howards?

I would personally use the mahogany version. The walnut version is darker and more brown than the mahogany.

Be sure to follow the directions, especially 1) use in a well ventilated area, and 2) wipe off excess immediately.

I applaud your efforts. Many (most) of us have also taken on projects that can best be described as a "labor of love." I know you'll be supported here with good advice and parts needed. Good luck, enjoy the journey, and revel in the results.

Jerry B.

Thank you all - I have been on an extensive search for a motor and have come across this one on eBay with the same model number (5425) as listed on the bare motorboard diagram that came with my machine: https://www.ebay.com/itm/203766167691

I'm learning a lot about the specific Victor motors in these cabinet Victrolas as I have only ever worked with those of a portable. Do you all think this would work in a VV-90? And if so, how hard would it be to install & source the platter, autostop and speed control functions, as well as a crank? Is there a way to check if the motor functions or doesn't have broken or cracked springs without a crank?

Thanks for any advice - truly appreciate it.

My advise for what it's worth is to buy a complete machine and give up restoring your free cabinet. You will quickly spend more than the machine is worth which is likely why it was parted out before you had it. Look up the value of a complete victrola of that model and plan accordingly. It's a wonderful hobby, but be careful with your money.

Looks walnut to me. Higher resolution photos or closeups of the upper front cabinet might confirm.

Always start light when applying color coats or touchup remedies. Somewhat ignore the names listed on products, go with what color looks closest and always test in an inconspicuous place thoroughly to avoid surprises. “Mahogany” usually implies a red tone, and if this is walnut or brown mahogany, you really don’t want that.

I see nothing in the grain in either photo that says "walnut" to me.