The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

“On This Day in the History of Recorded Sound…”

October 25, 1904: Eldridge Johnson and William Moore were granted a U.S. patent (No.773,290) on the tubular tone arm that had begun appearing on Victor Talking Machines in October 1902. This was the “Rigid Arm,” which removed the weight of the horn and earlier style traveling arm from the record.

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To those who own one of these and play them, how does the sound quality compare to the more familiar taper tube Victor outside horn machines?

To those who own one of these and play them, how does the sound quality compare to the more familiar taper tube Victor outside horn machines?

The Rigid Arm machines are definitely an improvement over front mount machines but fall short of the Taper Arm machines. When I have guests I start with a front mount, move to my Victor V and finish with my Orthophonic School machine. Before playing the Orthophonic I say this machine made every machine in the basement obsolete immediately.

Jerry B.

Thanks for posting. Gotta love the Rigid Arm Victor R!!!!!

Thank you for the interesting history!

You're very welcome!

George P.

I've watched some videos on yt searching 'Victor rigid arm' and the first one I watched was one by our colleague Raphael Cole, playing a very modern recording, the 1949 Bing Crosby and Al Jolson 'Alexanders Ragtime Band', which I suppose pushes the machine to its very limits. It sounds surprisingly well, which tells a lot about the restoration abilities of our colleague, known for selling the best of the best...
Here's the link
https://youtu.be/N9SjKwVY2mI?si=6JpsLGskL7DPPhDk