My small collection...looking for insight
 

Hello Videokarma phonograph community!

I have been collection phonographs for a few years, mainly craigslist and yardsales. My life has started to open up enough for me to get into restoration/repair and was looking for advice and where and how to start. Plus any thoughts or info on my small collection would be nice.

My collection:
1. VV-X - My best phonograph...good quality case and seems to work well. I listen to records every year at Christmas.

2. Silvertone Tru-Phonic - Got this off-brand very cheap. I was told it worked by never tried. Case is cheap looking and it is missing knobs.

3. VV-210 - Case seems to be in good shape. Did not spin last time I tried.

4. PAL Supreme - Again, very cheap grab. Does not spin.

5. VV-4-3 - Very beat up. My first phonograph. More of a stand to me.

There are better forums dedicated to this topic elsewhere on the web that are probably a better place to ask this question. One thing to beware of is servicing the 'motors' on these, they contain a spring that stores enough energy to easily SLICE YOU IN HALF if not handled correctly...

I have a working unit just like number 3. The panel next to the phono is for an optional 20's battery type tube radio....I recently saw another one with the radio in it at an estate sale....They wanted the moon for it so I passed.

I tend to buy cheap and working (which is why I only have 2). Only repair I've done was more of a mod...A portable had the wrong crank, and I had a fitting made to utilize the wrong crank that it came with.

Do you know where the better forum would be perhaps? Phonograph communities seem a lot harder to track down the vintage radio communities...

There is a group called the Talking Machine forum.
You way want to rebuild the reproducers, these have rubber gaskets that get hard with age, so then the needle and diaphragm do not move freely, and you get poor sound, and lots of extra record wear. also, Victrola steel needles are only good for one play, lots of people don't seem to be aware of that. I have 2 acoustic phonographs, a mid 20s Columbia portable, and a big Victor 8-30 Credenza, that is a bit of a project. There is also a site called Phonoland, but that doesn't seem very active lately, but there's still lots of information if you search.

there are youtube videos about serving the motors, definitely need to make sure the spring is would down all the way to release the tension. if you motors run enough to play records without slowing down, and doesn't make clunks or noises, they are probably Ok as is, just make sure the mechanism is lubricated- most machines have a lubrication diagram on the underside of the motorboard.

Of all the Orthophonic Victrolas, the VV 4-3 is my favorite. these machines sound very good and can be quite loud.