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FOR 1927 VICTOR AUTOMATIC ORTHOPHONIC VICTROLA MODEL VE 10-50x |
PICTURES WILL TAKE A FEW SECONDS TO LOAD
This Web Site is hosted
for Carsten Fischer.
The machine is located in
BTW: I have some New Old Stock Victor TUNGSTONE STYLI available.
Pls contact me at sanfranphono “at” sbcglobal “dot” net
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krsijE7TCZM
Watch this YouTube Video of the Machine playing and changing a few records.
The video shows the horn and the working changer.
Production History
of this Model
Introduced with great
fanfare in April 1927, the Victor 10-50 was the first home record changer.
With a capacity of 12 records either 10” or 12”, the machine can play up to one
hour automatically without operator intervention.
The 8 foot long folded
(re-entrant) exponential horn is the largest wood horn ever produced for a Victrola. Significantly larger than the Credenza horn, it
provides unequalled fidelity, volume and a deep bass.
Amplification is acoustic with the famous Victor Orthophonic
Soundbox.
The only option offered
was a blended American Walnut finish presented in a rich dark, highly figured
brown with intricately carved French Renaissance décor. The cabinet is a
construction of large solid wood rails and posts, and massive veneered oak
panels.
Soundbox, tone arm and some changer parts have a gold
finish, other fixtures are antique bronze finish.
1927 Sales Price: 600$
Measurements: 49 ¼” x 48” x 25 ½”
Approx. Weight: 319
pounds.
This machine runs on
120V/ 60 Hz standard US
The motor is the quiet and maintenance-free Victor Type III induction disc
motor, which was used exclusively in changers.
Product Variations:
Early Run Models
(this machine)
First quarter 1927
models have a cast iron turntable, and the little
“Greek Warrior Helmet” lamp with the golden shade on the motorboard.
Albums have leather imitation glossy paper covers and green plush lining.
Late Run Models
Second quarter 1927
onwards, some subtle changes were introduced: The iron turntable was replaced
with one made from pot metal, which nowadays is usually badly warped. The lamp
was placed under the ceiling, which is visually less charming than the original
design. Albums were changed to dark brown cloth cover with orange plush lining.
Accessories
The candle-stick shaped
record loader and 3x 12” 5x 10” record albums are standard accessories.
Customer Installable
Parts
The small drawer above
the albums, and a shelf for the record loader on the right hand inner side of
the doorjamb were delivered loose, and had to be installed by the owner. Some
machines are missing these parts.
Pot Metal Changer
Parts
Other than the
second-run model turntable, the changer had 7 parts made from pot metal. On
virtually all 10-50 these parts have disintegrated. Without the parts, the
changer does not work.
In the past, precision cast aluminum replacement parts were available from an
expert in Florida
However, I received an email recently that the parts are no longer produced,
and all complete sets have been sold.
Since all parts are complicated 3-dimensional shapes, and some have to take
significant mechanical strain, it will be difficult to get the 10-50 changer working properly without replacement parts.
Victor Automatic Orthophonic
Victrola 10-50 – SN 2559
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krsijE7TCZM
Watch this YouTube Video of the Machine playing and changing a few records.
The video shows the horn and the working changer.
I have
owned this machine for 8 years, and enjoyed and played it extensively. I have
always kept the machine in the best possible condition and have put great
efforts in making the horn absolutely airtight. The machine is the greatest
sounding orthophonic I have ever experienced, with a
deep bass and a volume that will blow out your windows.
The
video and the pictures do not quite justice to the gorgeous appearance and
superior sound of this machine. If you come to San Francisco
Condition
Changer:
-
All pot metal parts have been replaced
with the cast aluminum replacement parts.
-
Changer has been disassembled and thoroughly
cleaned. The copper plated gears and the silvery cast iron bedplate are very
clean.
-
Lubrication has been done with modern
long-life lubricants.
-
Motor has been disassembled, cleaned
and lubed. Coils have been adjusted to minimize residual hum. Motor lead wires
were unsafe and have been replaced.
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Changer runs smoothly and noiselessly
without resistance or jerking. Operation is always flawless. Motor is quiet and
keeps a low temperature even with constant use.
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The main wiring harness is original and
safe, motor leads and the lead to the lamp have been
replaced for safety reasons.
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The heavy cast iron turntable runs
absolutely true. Turntable and changer felts are in the original orange color,
clean and undamaged, with only light traces of use.
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The only part that required infrequent
oiling is the governor friction leather. I have added an oiling tube that
allows oiling without taking off the panels.
Tonearm and
Horn
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The gold plated orthophonic
soundbox has been rebuilt and is my best sounding soundbox, with a deep bass, great treble detail and no
spurious resonances. As common for 1927 soundboxes,
pot metal shows some crazing, but soundbox is stable
and can be opened. A tiny chip hidden on the back side cannot be seen in
playing position.
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Tone arm has great original gold
plating with some minuscule spots. Tone arm has been relacquered
for protection. No rubbed through areas.
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The critical pivot area and felt ring
have been taken apart and sealed with heavy axle grease as per Victor
instructions.
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The cast iron horn sections were
connected with new rubber gaskets, the wooden horn was sealed on all joints.
The tonearm-horn passage is absolutely airtight for
optimum performance.
-
The horn grille is in great undamaged
shape, the grille cloth is an exact replica, indistinguishable from the
original.
Drawer, Magazine Arm and Interior Fittings
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The complex felt padding of the record
drawer is essential for the damage-free record drop. Torn or damaged felt will
damage or break records. Felt has been rebuilt in different thicknesses of
industrial felt to original specifications.
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The two leather strips at the right
side of the drawer take the first impact of the record, and get notched with
use. They have been replaced for smooth operation.
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Magazine arm base is an aluminum
replacement part. Gold colored steel magazine arm has been retouched. Gold
plated ID Plate, needle cup, tungstone tin holder and
Wurlitzer, Louisville
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Lamp of black bakelite
socket and gold plated shade in great shape. Correct vintage GE light bulb
frosted on the outside. This type of light bulb is no longer produced.
Accessories
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Original record
loader – NOT A REPRODUCTION. Felt and gilding great, slight wear on
handle from use.
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Original 8 record albums, intact with
great faux leather glossy paper cover and pull rings. Green plush lining
somewhat faded. Album C has a small damage at the top corner.
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The often missing customer installable
parts – small drawer and record loader shelf – are present on this machine.
Cabinet and Finish
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Original blended finish with the
“painted” figurations and tiger stripes on the side panels. Finish was very
brittle and has been carefully reflowed to preserve original appearance. Some
small defects e.g. on the top have been blended in with correct nitrocellulose
lacquer. Some tiny scuffs and nicks in the finish from normal use are of no
visual impact.
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After careful waxing and buffing,
machine shines again in its original appearance.
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Victrola and
“Close Door While Playing” decals are original in excellent shape.
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One small nick on the top rail, and a few small scuffs on the feet are grace marks
that do not distract from the beauty of this machine.
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Due to a flaw in the Victor cabinetry,
front doors on all 10-50s are slightly bowed. Doors have been adjusted and open
flawlessly. Bowing is not noticeable.
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This machine started out with a
patented Wurlitzer coin-op mechanism. Three small bolt holes have been filled
and blended on the left side panel. If you stick you head into the player
compartment, you can see traces of the holes on the inside under the ceiling,
but they are not noticeable in normal use. Two tiny drilled holes in the back
of the player compartment have no visual impact. The player compartment door
has a lock for which a new key was made.
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As not uncommon with a 10-50, a few
tiny pieces of the carved appliqués were loose and especially the two scrolls
in the center of the player side door were broken off. Defects were repaired
and are solid, but I feel safer to open the door with the key instead.
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Back panels are original except the
left hand side upper panel over the horn, which is an exact, fitting replica.
In Conclusion
I believe that the Victor 10-50 is the greatest Orthophonic machine ever produced.
You really have to hear and see it!
The flawless, gentle record changer allows to play your favorite records at parties or for your
personal entertainment. If you are an opera buff, you will appreciate the
superb sound while playing complete opera sets without interruption. The
amazing 8 foot exponential horn with the cast iron tubing and the wooden bell
(the largest Victrola horn ever made) prevents bass
loss through resonances while also avoiding the exaggerated treble that some
metal horns exhibit.
The frequency range, treble detail and presence of the
horn is simply stunning: You will hear instruments step in front of the grille,
while it seems that you are just listening through an open door directly into
the recording studio. The ability of the 10-50 to create the illusion of
different studio ambiances, from the dry 1926 Camden
I will be happy to include copies of the owner’s manual,
service notes and technical notes on 50 hz
installation with the machine.
You will certainly evaluate this machine against other
examples. A few points to keep in mind:
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Are all the accessories there (loader,
albums [careful, close to perfect replicas are available for both], drawer,
shelf)
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First run model vs
late run model with pot-metal turntable. You most likely will need to have a
new platter machined. Golden lampshade on first run models is often missing and
quite expensive to replace.
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A few 10-50s were produced with a
universal motor, which is prone to problems and has less torque than the
induction motor. While the Victor Induction Motor usually never has problems, some
motors are prone to hum, which is difficult to fix. On rare occasions a
hot-running motor indicates problems with shorting-out coils. Even after
extended use, the spindle and platter should only be slightly warm.
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The aluminum replacement parts used to
be available for around 500$, but are no longer produced. Even in the rare case
that the original pot metal parts are in relatively good shape, they will not
stand up to the strain of continued use. The parts are complex and require
tight tolerances for correct function. Recasting from an original model is the
only viable option.
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Have a careful look at the finish: The
American Walnut veneer has a straight grain. To this the factory added rich
“figurations”, which a refinisher is unlikely to reproduce. The original color
is a rich reddish brown. Even great original finishes experience some crazing
of the lacquer, which gives the finish a greenish, somewhat opaque tint.
Again, this machine is for sale in San Francisco
Contact me at sanfranphono
“at” sbcglobal “dot” net.
Based on my experiences of internet transactions, I think
that it is advisable if you can come by to check out the machine yourself, or
have a friend in the area check it out for you.
With regard to shipping, I will leave it to the buyer to
make the necessary arrangements. While the machine is large and heavy, it is of
solid construction. Friends of mine and I have shipped a number of these
machines using commercial moving services with no problem. For moves within California
So, check out some more 10-50 movies that I have put on
YouTube here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/sanfranphono
And some more machines for sale:
http://myvintagetv.com/Carsten%20Sales%20Ads/salelist.htm
And some more interesting
changers, including the history of the 10-50:
http://myvintagetv.com/updatepages1/changer%20videos/changer_videos.htm
Click on the thumbnails below
for more pictures of the 10-50.
For color calibration: The
artificial light is a little strong on the red tones.
Here is how the turntable
looks in natural light; it’s the same orange as a Credenza turntable:
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