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Gramophones, Phonographs, Victrolas....

ScionPI2005

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,335
Location
Seattle, Washington
scorp79 said:
Hey everyone... Brand new here & thought I'd share my most recent, (really my 1st ever) purchase... A 1923 Victrola! My grandpa used to play a lot of old music for me when I was little and the older I got, the more I loved it! I'm planning a Golden Era wedding and a fellow bride from the area was selling this baby for $60! I jumped on it. Apparently, her Great Aunt Fern was a lounge singer back in the 20's and it belonged to her. I also have about 300 records now, just sitting in crates until I buy sleeves for them. Glad to be here!
Photo-01831.jpg

Welcome to the Lounge, Scorp! And thanks for sharing your "new" Victrola with us. It sounds like you got a very good deal on it.

I have a passion for listening to swing, big band, and jazz on older, truly vintage equipment as well. Glenn Miller really just does not sound right unless he's playing through vintage tubes and speakers with the glow of the tubes lighting up the dial.
 

Absinthe_1900

One Too Many
Messages
1,628
Location
The Heights in Houston TX
I have a similar Victor, a 270 that my Grandparents bought in the mid 1920s, along with all the original papers. Along with a "Lifetime Warranty".
Other than having the spring re-greased, it's outlived the "Lifetime Warranty" and the store that offered the warranty.

One unusual gadget that I found with the Victor 270, was a small speaker like an early radio earphone that plugs into the tone arm, then you can use the internal horn to play an early radio through.
 

RetroToday

A-List Customer
Messages
466
Location
Toronto, Canada
Doran said:
Can someone tell me about mine? I don't know much about it.

Hmm, I don't know the model number for your RCA Victor portable, but I've seen them before - I'd say it's from the 1930s.

Usually, Victor portables have their model number stamped on a metal plate underneath the platter board, beside the motor - you have to use a screw driver to open that platter, be careful.
Once you know that model number you can usually find information easier.

As far as the problem you're having with the tone arm: Are you sure the soundbox is fastened properly to the tone arm? I could be wrong, but it seems like the needle is at too sharp of an angle for playback and that could be what's causing it to lean to one side. Typically the soundbox is fastened with a screw through a channel on the tone arm. If you loosen that screw and turn the soundbox clockwise it should reach the end of the channel where it should be.
When it is in it's correct position tighten the screw again.

Either that, or something is wrong at the base of the arm. That old red rubber gasket you mentioned can be the main problem.

Again, I'm not as familiar with this model, what I'm saying could be incorrect. But, I hope some of this helps.
 

Flivver

Practically Family
Messages
821
Location
New England
Doran said:
Can someone tell me about mine? I don't know much about it.

I seem to remember seeing a portable like yours in a 1937 RCA-Victor radio catalog that I have. Now if I could only remember where I put that catalog...
 

Dr Doran

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,854
Location
Los Angeles
Thanks, gents. I'll try to find the model number. Yes, the tone arm is at the wrong angle. The head of the arm is connected to the rest of the arm by the rubber gasket and that needs to be replaced.

Otherwise the machine is in good shape.
 

RetroToday

A-List Customer
Messages
466
Location
Toronto, Canada
Nice to see so many people keeping the gramophone alive and well!

To save them from wear, I often play my 78 rpm records on a 1960s dual turntable but I also have three gramophones which I play them on frequently.
I too am addicted to listening to these older records on the players they were meant for, unfortunately the older players have heavy reproducer heads and tend to wear records a little faster.

Here's the Gramophones I have:

2717848074_0c801bcac8.jpg

1912 Victor Victrola, model XVI-E

935792360_31e5c7c0de.jpg

1920s Amherst Cremonaphone

934945849_0f6f1744b3.jpg

1927 Victor Victrola model VV-2-60 portable (needs work and some parts)

I also have a few vintage record player/radios that currently don't work, but I'm learning how to repair them:


935749108_27b2819ba8.jpg

1930 Victor Radio-Electrola radio-phono (Also one of the very first home recording units)

934931017_d270284dc9.jpg

1941 Sparton "Savoy" radio-phono

I have a few others that are in such bad shape, not really worth showing here, but there are other larger 1950s consoles I have that are on loan to the studio/gallery I work at. It's good for me to store those there because they would take up way too much room in my house.
 

Flivver

Practically Family
Messages
821
Location
New England
Jeremy, your Sparton Savoy is truly a thing of beauty. I've been interested in vintage radios for more than 40 years but I have never come across one of these.

You're a lucky man to own it!
 

PADDY

I'll Lock Up
Bartender
Messages
7,425
Location
METROPOLIS OF EUROPA
Just loving this thread!

It's really getting me to think about having and old gramaphone now with the crank handle..et al!! You folk are just so inspiring :eusa_clap
 

RetroToday

A-List Customer
Messages
466
Location
Toronto, Canada
Absinthe_1900 said:
One of my three Edison machines, a 1906 Standard.

Sweet! :eusa_clap

A phonograph is going to be my next purchase!
I've been looking for a while now for a good, reliable model of Edison that plays both the two and four minute cylinders.

Three? Hey, you have two too many - I think I'll have to commandeer one of those!
 

RetroToday

A-List Customer
Messages
466
Location
Toronto, Canada
LadyDeWinter said:
This is my grammophone, I am so proud of it:

Very nice portable! I've never seen a 'Picnic' gramophone, wonder if they're hard to find.

People used to definately take these along to Picnics all the time, the name is very fitting.
 

RetroToday

A-List Customer
Messages
466
Location
Toronto, Canada
Flivver said:
Jeremy, your Sparton Savoy is truly a thing of beauty. I've been interested in vintage radios for more than 40 years but I have never come across one of these.

You're a lucky man to own it!

934859861_90b5b86603.jpg


Thanks, I think so too. The Savoy's Deco/Moderne styling attracted me to buy it, even though I have no more room! It's incredible that you haven't seen one in that many years of collecting, maybe it was only produced up here in Canada?

Interesting to note, being 1941, it seems likely that this Sparton player would have a more modern needle system, but it takes standard gramophone needles that you tighten with a thumbscrew. From there, the sound vibrations are transferred electrically up the tone arm to the amp.
 

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