Does anyone know of a good online forum for wind up or acoustic phonographs? I cant seem to find any with much recent activity.
I Just acquired a 1926 Victor Orthophonic Victrola, "Credenza" model. the cabinet is a bit rough on the bottom, must have gotten wet, but the price was right and it seems good mechanically, with a good reproducer. At some point early in its life it was converted to an electric motor, but seems to be with aftermarket parts, since the motor isn't the usual Victor disc type induction motor, its smaller with a worm drive and mechanical governor. It has an added switch under the platter that is activates the motor from the factory brake lever. Its a very nice install job, must have been done by a dealer who knew what they were doing, but they used an aftermarket kit or parts instead of the same parts used by the factory electric models. I'll probably keep the electric motor, unless it gives me problems, unless I run across a factory wind up or electric motor.

Go here:

http://forum.talkingmachine.info/index.php


Chuck

Thanks! I will check that out.

The 8-30 is a great phonograph, I've always wanted one.

i ran into a few snags with mine, the cabinet is really water damaged, and has veneer damage and missing trim.. it could be saved.. but a lot of work, beyond my refinishing and repair skills, at least. I then found a really nice 8-30 cabinet off Craigslist with no innards- but it turns out the motor board in my complete unit doesnt fit the cabinet, which is from later production. So now I need to figure out how to proceed, make a new motor board, or something. plus there is the issue of transferring the horn from one cabinet to the other which may not be easy since a lot of it is part of the cabinet.. Someday I'll have a complete one. I don't really want to modify too many original pieces or hack up the nice cabinet to make it work. For now I'm keeping my eye out for the later style motorboard, that would be the easiest i think.

I don't have too much money in it so far. .got the complete unit with the bad cabinet for $50, and the beautiful but empty one for 75. The reproducer seems OK, but it does have a few small cracks in the pot metal... Some enterprising person with CNC should make new reproducers. Always wanted one of these too. so I couldn't resist when it turned up cheap...

Cast brass reproducers were made for the Orthophonic machines, but they are a bit pricey now.

Is your Credenza the one with 4 doors or 2 on the cabinet? I've seen both over the years.

Both my complete machine, a early 1926 Credenza, and my good cabinet, one of the late production 8-30's, have 4 doors, and (had) turntables offset to the right. my complete machine does not have the record supports next to the turntable, those were added later. I think only the first few thousand credenzas, made in 1925, had 2-door cabinets. Another change the made, seemingly at the same time they switched the motor board size and incorporated the arm board into the cabinet itself instead of a separate piece, was swapping the position of the needle holders, and the serial number plate. My machine has the pot metal reproducer (with a few cracks), I think the brass ones were only on 1925 production.

Is the second one that one at the Goodwill I told you about?

no, I didnt get to that one in time. i found this on Minneapolis craigslist.