The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Historian Bob Baumbach brought a Victor document to light a number of years ago, See the article in the March 2005 issue of The Sound Box,
In 1928 Victor dealers were receiving complaints or rapid record wear on the new Orthophonic line of machines. Victor sent this letter to dealers to address the problem. I suspect that most machines in the dealer stock were corrected but machines in the field probably were reworked only if the customer complained.

Below is the letter and the list of affected machines.

Has your machine been updated with the new sound box crook?
Do any collectors have an 8-60 and 9-40 with the updated motor board?
So far in my brief survey it seems that most of the existing machines were not corrected with the new crook or motor board.

Shown are the original and updated crook on my VE-9-25. The new crook fixed the tracking issue.

How are yours? Please list your model and serial with your reply.

Mark

I have a 1926 VV 8-30 serial number 54548, but I can't tell by looking whether the tonearm is the corrected version or not.

Ho,

Thanks for your reply.
Please read the instructions in the letter for testing the tracking error and then report back to us.

Mark

This should enable you to work out which crook is correct. EMG published the useful booklet following the definitive work of Percy Wilson which corrected the errors of the whole industry in the nineteen-twenties. Click on the images for greater clarity.

And alternatively this, also from Percy Wilson (two images AND more importantly, a printable Word document version).

This is all very interesting and thanks for posting the link to print the tracking gauge.

However, the purpose of my post is about Victor Orthophonic machines only and to try and determine how many exist that have had the known tracking area corrected. In summary, this involved changing the sound box crook or in the case of the machines with both the Orthophonic sound box and the Electrical pickup, the 8-60 and 9-40, changing the motor board.

Victor’s test is a simple one, highlighted below.

Please check the model list in the first post and submit your model and serial number.

Thanks,
Mark

It appears to be about 1/8th of an inch back of the center of the spindle, which would make it a corrected crook. Once again, it’s a VV 8-30 serial number 54548.

Ho,

Thanks for your report. The parallax angle makes it look more like 4/16” not 1/16” behind the spindle, can you check again please?

I forgot to mention that when taking the measurements the soundbox should be fully installed and at a 68degree angle.

Mark

I triple checked with a nicer ruler and it appears to be between 3/16th and 1/4th. Taking it apart, it definitely looks like the older obsolete variety. Anyone know where to source the corrected part?

Thanks for your replies. Please continue sending your reports.

Here is the typical Credenza/8-30 tracking error.

Mark