"Felt" I should go to Goodwill today...

[krimney]

I hadn't dropped by in about a month even though I've driven by it numerous times and am only a few minutes away.
As luck would have it there was an RCA Victor cabinet sitting right up front. Similiar in size and finish to one I already have. This one has a door on the left side that opens to a vertical AM/SW tube radio.
There are two drawers on the right side. The top one pulls out to expose a 45rpm TT. The lower drawer pulls out to expose another TT deisgned for 10", maybe 12" records. I didn't check to see if it is 78/33 or both. The speaker is mounted below the lower door, looks like a 6-8 inch.
The paper tag indicates it's a (W653 but I think that regers to the amp section and not the model of the unit itself.

The arm seems to be disconnected on the 45RPM unit but is there and the larger TT seems to be loose from the cabinet. The larger TT also seems to have a curved spindle, is this a factory bend for the stacking feature or should it be straight?

I know pictures would help but I'm at work right now. Any links that might help in ID and info?

Ken

[orthophonic]

Sounds like what you have is a 1949 model, RCA produced these after they introduced
the 45 rpm record in early 1949. The bent spindle changer (supposed to be bent, the
changing mech was the platform pusher in the corner) is 78 rpm only for
10" & 12" 78's and the separate changer for 45's. Even tho the 33 rpm lp had been
introduced a few months earlier, RCA refused to embrace it because it was from
rival Columbia.
In 1950 they eventually succumbed and replaced the 78rpm only changer with
a two speed, 78rpm and 33rpm changer from VM and continued with the separate
changer for 45's thru about '51. After '51, they went to a three speed changer
from VM in their consoles, but continued to market the 45 rpm changers separately
thru 1958.
I have a RCA promo film that I have put on DVD that shows the 1949 consoles,
I can send you a copy if you want.

[krimney]

and the lower TT has 33 so I guess that dates it to 50-51. I plugged it in and the radio works fine. The tuning is off though as the needle only goes about 2/3 the way up the dial.

Could not pick up any SW but the unit is in the basement.

Do you know of a good site I could flip through the different models on?

I have another unit that is similiar but only has a 45 RPm TT. I have some pics in another thread. here it is

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/sho...ght=rca+victor


the new unit has similiar finish.

[orthophonic]

The antique radio forum may have some pictures, The books "A flick of the Switch"
and "The Fabulous Victrola 45" have quite a few pictures from original ads.
The Victrola 45 book has an ad with your 45 only console.

If your console has 33 speed it would place it as 1950 or early '51 unless the
changer has been replaced. You said it has a bent spindle, to my knowledge,
only the 78 changers in those models had the curved spindle (unless it really has
been "bent"). RCA canadian models sometimes used Garrard two speed changers instead
of VM and the Garrards would have a curved spindle, never seen one in those
model years.
Those 45 changers can be re-built and work very well. (I have about 50 different
models of them). They are easy to modify to use a modern magnetic cartridge
wired for mono