This machine is kinda cute. Its called a Pre-Dog Victor because that is exactly what it is. See the serial number I. D. plates? There is no His Masters Voice dog :) The machine was built before Francis Barauds Nipper painting of 1899 (the terrier looking into the horn) was incorporated as a trademark (His Masters Voice) by Victor, probably about 1909-1910. See the small spindle? Plays 7 inch records, which are hard to find and when you do -wore out and sound like shit, so I do not bother. Standard 30s -40s era jazz 78s are cheap like borscht. *Grins* Is borscht cheap? Dunno, I dont make it - but if you hum a few bars I shall try to pick up on the chorus. :) That entire album of jazz in the clip, the records are almost mint, the 4-record set is complete, and I paid 25 bucks for it. That is why the standard 78 looks so huge and oversized when I placed it on the machine. Not made for it. Single spring, the crank is mounted on the left side of the case instead of the right, right below where the tone arm swivels out of the way - so its funky and a pain in the ass to wind up cause its bass-ack-wards. You can see the tone arm is made of wood, and the tone arm extension bracket is oxidised copper - but not from age - they actually did it at Victor when new by oxidising the entire bracket and then buffing off portions of it as a design feature. Kinda neat. This machine was sometimes given away by the Victor dealers if you bought so many records, as a kind of a promotion, I have heard. The machine on a full wind has just enough power to make it through one record. So this machine was oft an entry level product to get people used to the idea, and then when they saw more expensive models offered that had more convenient features, and more power - they were usually traded in or thrown out. Subsequently not so many of them survived as did other models. The machine appears to be mostly original, except for the horn - by the Eagle decal on the front and its design I think it is off a Chicago X type machine, an off brand. Playing East St. Louis Blues, by The Dixieland Jazz Group. The machine spindle was missing its hold down nut, (backed with felt, and also seems to be made of burnished and oxidised copper, to match the extension bracket) but Tim Fabrizio at Phonophan provided one for it. Tim is stellar to deal with, meticulous, knowledgable, extremely thorough and a pleasure to deal with. - and can pretty much find or make ANY part new or used if you need it, no matter what kind of machine you have.
Posted on: Fri, 05 Dec 2014 16:07:46 +0000
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