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I have been digging through project machines to see what I could fix and found this one. It is VE500-ADAM 504 with an after market finish. I have several painted finish phonos and even wrote an article about this and others for MAPS several years ago. I found this machine originally at a yard sale in New Jersey. The top domed lid and the mechanics had been removed to make a buffet, but the guy never finished it. Luckily he had the mechanical parts, but had thrown out the lid andframe for it. The lid in the pictures is from a junked VV_XIV but it dosent fit. Too wide and too short! I can match the painted finish but don't know what to do about the top. It is such a rare and beautiful machine I'd like to fix it. Any suggestions as to what to do about lid?

Wow, it's amazing how much it looks like the Sheraton wide Period model, though the detail in the finish is different than what I've seen in print/pictures.

It does make me wonder if a lid from one of the wide period models would fit... though I'm betting it's a needle in a haystack proposition to actually find one parted out/salvaged.

Wish I had some sage words of advice, but I'm afraid I do not. I do wish you the best of luck with your "project," however, and I'd love to see some pictures posted when you complete it!

It does look like the Sheratonmodel but much fancier. The Sheraton had little or no carving, and the Adam has carving on the horn doors as well as thecorner columns.

The lid looks also to be too deep (high-sided). A good furniture craftsman can reproduce the lid. My mom had a guy reproduce an end table years ago and you can't tell which is the original!. All you would need is an electrola decal.

I didn't see it but you must have the ID tag if you know the serial number. That would be the
hardest thing to reproduce. The lid should have a Victrola decal. The Electrola decal wasn't
used until the Borgia II came out late in 1925 early 1926.

Skihawx wrote:I didn't see it but you must have the ID tag if you know the serial number. That would be the
hardest thing to reproduce. The lid should have a Victrola decal. The Electrola decal wasn't
used until the Borgia II came out late in 1925 early 1926.

I do have the id tag it was removed along with the mechanics to convert it to a buffet, then a piece of plywood was glued and nailed to the top and marbleized. I removed this junk and stripped the glue and old finish off to recieve a new finish

Skihawx wrote:I didn't see it but you must have the ID tag if you know the serial number. That would be the
hardest thing to reproduce. The lid should have a Victrola decal. The Electrola decal wasn't
used until the Borgia II came out late in 1925 early 1926.

Jeff, I meant that the lid decal would have the word "electrola" inserted right under "Victrola" on this electric machine. Victor's use of the word after 1925 denoted an electrically amped phono. Prior to this it meant the machine used the universal electric motor rather than a crank.

wjw wrote:

Jeff, I meant that the lid decal would have the word "electrola" inserted right under "Victrola" on this electric machine. Victor's use of the word after 1925 denoted an electrically amped phono. Prior to this it meant the machine used the universal electric motor rather than a crank.

I looked in the attic yesterday at a lid from a VE-XVI but it is way too tall. I did not notice the small Electrola. I looked at two machines this morning with my glasses and I am embarresed that I did not remember that small "Electrola" was there until I saw it. Maybe one of the late VE-120 or VV-120's would have a lid that will fit. All the period models seem to have a lid about 3-½" tall. If I had a lid that fit and was the right proportion I wouldn't worry about the tiny "Electrola".