The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

My Victor E (aka Monarch Jr.) has a metal traveling arm. I vaguely recall seeing a name for such an arm, but for the life of me I can't remember what that name was. Anybody here know? While I'm about it, would that type have been original equipment for this machine? The E machines I've seen in pictures, e.g. in Look for the Dog and the Victor Victrola Page site, have been equipped with wooden traveling arms, although the former shows a Monarch Special and a Royal with the metal arm--two ends of the price spectrum, so no help there. Thanks for any insights!

Is the metal traveling arm known as a Gibson Arm? I believe these come after the oak arms.

Yes! Thank you! With the Gibson name, I did a Google search and quickly came up with an old Yankee Trader entry from this very forum that elucidated:

Lucius1958 wrote: Fri Oct 30, 2020 11:05 pm

Canuk Phonographs wrote:Nice machine Brad. Can someone please explain what the "Gibson Arm" refers to. I have the same arm on my Victor R and Victor P
Thanks
Blain

The "Gibson Arm" refers to the stamped metal traveling arm, which was supposedly lighter and less bulky than the earlier wooden arms.

On the Victors R and P, the Gibson Arm is apparently rather rare, compared to the E.

- Bill

Unfortunately, the photos from that old listing are long gone, but that quite readily settles the question of originality, too. Many thanks!

Hi David-- The reference in the old post was for a machine I sold several years ago-- The "E" with the Gibson arm- I found one picture of that machine (I may still have others somewhere) --- It was a real nice machine-- and it now resides in New Zealand
Hope all is well with you!
Brad Abell

Hi, Brad. All's been well, thanks! Yes, that's a nice looking machine; funny to think of it traveling all the way to the Antipodes. I got mine down tonight for the first time in ages and gave it some exercise playing my little stash of 7" disks. It's a mix of two or three Columbia, two or three Victor, and a preponderance of Climax with gromets around the center holes. The best of the lot was a Columbia of J.W. Meyers singing "Jerusalem." I'd say on balance the Climaxes were not as well recorded as the others, although some were OK. Most of the comedy type records in particular were not clear enough to understand a lot of the words.