The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

This is online up for auction soon, but I can't recognize it. It could be a very fine fake, or could it be for a foreign market? I know there are existing Victor V's in mahogany, but the cases are the same as the oak in style.

pic

Maybe an aftermarket case? In one of the Fabrizio books there's a Victor in a carved Mahogany case by Douglas- and the old Victor plate is on the front.

That looks like a very interesting machine. I'd love to closely examine it. To the best of my knowledge Victor made two types of mahogany Vic 5's. One looks like a typical Vic V but in mahogany and the other looks like an extra large Vic IV. I believe one was generally made for export and the other as an option for the US market. I'm not sure which is which. Jerry B.

As Jerry has stated there are two different styles of case that were made in mahogany. There is a early case that has carved columns similar to a Vic 6. However, not with gold painted bands on them or recessed panels. Of the three (that type)I have seen, all have a very warped top. Then there is a later mahogany case that is just like a oak 5. Most were for export but, not all. A customer was able to custom order as they pleased also.
The last "later style" mahogany 5 I saw for sale was over 8K. Either model is considered VR and very $$$. Based on this pic.....it may be a custom case that I have not seen. The speed control also looks strange for a Victor part...?????.

There is a group of Victor, Columbia and Edison phonographs in that same auction, most of which show very extensive restoration, reproduction decals, repainted horns, etc.

The "Victor V" is interesting and could be cobbled together, perhaps with a new case. It looks inauthentic to me IMHO.

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/115 ... h-a-22-hor

Well, the gold plating is not period and either my eyes are playing tricks on me or there was something stamped under the "V" before in "Vic V"...???.

gramophone78 wrote:Well, the gold plating is not period and either my eyes are playing tricks on me or there was something stamped under the "V" before in "Vic V"...???.

Yes, I also wondered if the nameplate had been altered. I'd suspect the machine to be a fabrication.

Hard to judge for sure without seeing it in person, but that turntable appears awfully low, almost touching the motor board. The spindle also looks very short, barely passing through the hole in the record. Definitely something funky going on.

Yes, the turntable is not the way it should be on a early model. It should be a "cast" yielding table and I would think with a thinner edge then what looks like a "stamped" Victrola table this machine has.