Victor II Talking Machine

Victor II Talking machine test after I serviced the motor. Pulled it out, scrubbed off the old grease, put in new lubrication, good as new. I keep saying Victor when I mean Victrola when I mentioned " Victor 4,6,8,9, and so on. Should be Victrola 4, or Victrola 6 . Victrola is internal horn machine, Victor is external horn machine, and both names only apply to products made by the Victor Talking Machine Company.

[@victrolalover7795]

What a charming machine, I hope one day I will add a victor II to my collection.

[@CraigRoccanova]

Amazing! I’m on the verge of buying one for my future pen collection/museum. This has been a big help with learning about them! Thanks!

[@Rockisland1903]

Victor made many types of horn machine before the II and after. The II was the least expensive of it's type, but not cheap then or now by any means. From this all the way up to the Victor VI the cabinets get larger with each step up, and the number of mainsprings increase. Exotic woods come into play, some very ornate and large horns. The II is a 900-1400 machine today when found in good shape, add about a grand for each larger model up the chain, and then even more for things like wooden horns and such. A really nice Victrola 18 might set you back 3500, but a Victor VI talking Machine can go 5000-6000. Good luck with the museum.

[@CraigRoccanova]

@@Rockisland1903 The one I am looking at getting is actually a Victor I circa 1905. It seems with its horn it's about 17" tall and my space is a little restricted so the smaller stature should work better. The other one I was checking out before was a Victor II with it's big and beautiful oak horn but 28" tall is a bit too big for my space.

[@CraigRoccanova]

@@Rockisland1903 I sorta came across them at an antique dealer and it piqued my interest! I'm glad it did!

[@retrocollector1999]

I just posted a video on my channel of my Victor Talking Machine ii working. Thank you for all the help you gave me!

[@bartermania]

Thanks for the video. I have one I’m about to list on eBay…. It’s the same one that sold for 1200 with tons of bidders…. Shipping won’t be cheap though. 👍☘️

[@Rockisland1903]

I have seen them sell from 800-2000, 1200-1400 is average for a good playing fully serviced machine. Motor serviced, reproducer rebuilt, wood cleaned and any loose parts glued on. These early cabinets have many small pieces glued on to form the columns, they can get loose. Simple Elmer's wood glue to reattach them. Kotton Klenser to clean the wood of a century's worth of fingerprints and smoke residue. Horn can also add to the value, some owners opted for fancy wood, or brass morning glory type horns. My own V-II has a brass morning glory with hand painted flowers on it. All Victor horn machines are rare, and the most expensive of Victor collectables outside the custom cabinet Victrola's. Be very careful how you pack it for shipping, pack it securely in it's box, ship horn and machine in two different box's, insure it for full value, or better yet sell it as local pickup only. The shipping services will not handle the box's gently, they are overwhelmed, and understaffed and will pay no attention to the handle with care stickers, overpack everything, the customer is paying.

[@sethhorst6158]

That is a beautiful RCA victor, the sound quality of that horn is pretty good. I also find it cool they can play music without electricity. Owners of those pretty much have a way to listen to their ol shellac records, even when the power goes out in their home. I also wonder how you can tell if the needle is dull, and where replacement needles can be obtained?

[@Rockisland1903]

RCA bought out the Victor company by 1928, machines made before that are Victor Talking Machines or Victrolas. Victrola has an internal horn, and Talking Machines used the external horn as seen on the Victor II in the video. Steel needles are good for one play, and then are discarded. The material making up the record has shale dust in the mix that is designed to wear down the needle tip to conform to the grooves of the particular record being played. Use that same needle in another record and it becomes a cutting tool in that records groove. Needles are available on eBay, or from the antique phonograph part sellers by the hundred pack for around 5-6 dollars a pack or less if you buy in bulk by the thousand. Then come in three basic sizes, loud, medium, and soft tone. Loud being the thickest, soft is near pin sized.

[@conmattang8492]

I just got one of these from my granparents! Number 21,801. Needs some fixing at the moment, but I'm loving it already!

[@Rockisland1903]

Nice, I assume you grandparents got it from their grandparents? Either that or they are very, very old and bought it new. Victor II's are always a popular machine. Victor horn machine that is under two grand is within reach of many collectors while a four or five grand Victor V, or VI would not be. Enjoy it.

[@conmattang8492]

@@Rockisland1903 I believe it belonged to their grandparents as well, yes. It's been in my family for quite a while. I'm honored to have it!

[@Rockisland1903]

I am happy to hear it, there are too many machines in my collection that had been owned by one family for generations before ending up with someone who didn't care enough to preserve family history.

[@oldradiosnphonographs]

Cool. If things work out, I’m also getting a Victor II. Except the one I’m getting is a little newer without the columns. Probably made around 1910. This will be my first open horn Victor and rear mount open horn machine. I already have a front mount Standard Model X.

[@Rockisland1903]

Same machine except without the hump style back board on the cabinet. The columns are just glued on decorations, not carved from one piece of wood. All they did on the later machines was simplify the cabinet design to speed production.

[@recordsnphonographs7263]

I’m getting one also actually

[@oldradiosnphonographs]

@@recordsnphonographs7263 awesome! Love mine.

[@beppo_1465]

Wow beautiful one😀

[@Cherry1954]

I have the same machine !

[@Rockisland1903]

The II was a good seller for Victor, the most affordable of the external horn machines right up to 1920.

[@alpzepta]

I totally thought this was a Victor JVC lol

[@TheBmonster1]

Where can we find parts for these gramophones

[@Rockisland1903]

George Vollema at Great Lakes Antique Phonograph might have them, or eBay. One day we may have the shows again.

[@paulwilson126]

From your response to Matthew M, I gather you went to the MME in Wayne,NJ. We arrived so late to the show, drove there from Gettysburg, that by 2pm they didn’t charge us admission. I’ve been to the show 5 times and really have enjoyed going. Sorry to have missed you there Jim. Your Victor II sounds great. I haven’t listened to many machines with the Exhibition reproducer, sounds as good as the No. 2. Were you using a medium or loud needle? .... Paul

[@RockIsland1913]

I used a loud needle, I was battling chainsaw noise all day across the street. The Exhibition is just as good as the No2, trained ears might detect a difference in some records, but to the average listener it's just as good. The No2 is easier to deal with without the huge isolator gasket, and a bit more room around the diaphragm so it's easier to see it's not touching the reproducer body when you set it in place. The No2 was also designed to use a one piece gasket that went in in seconds unlike the tube gasket that had to be cut to size and fitted. Today gaskets come in two parts, but are still easier to set than the tube. I was at the show early, I was there to look for parts, and I found them. Springs, reproducer rebuilding items from Ron Sitko, I ended up buying out an entire table full of Victor motors in the back of the room. Lots of nice machines there, records also.

[@retrocollector1999]

Paul Wilson I actually live in California, and I have never been to a phonograph show before. I got my Victor ii from a local antique sale at a museum near me. It was the only record player there, and I was glad to get it for $40. I’m almost done acquiring parts for it; it should be finished very soon, and I’ll make sure to post a video of it playing some records on my channel.

[@darkdeagle7871]

What needles for a victor type ll speakerphone would I need to buy? Soft medium or loud tone?

[@Rockisland1903]

All three would work just fine with that machine, soft for low volume, loud for loud, medium is of course in the middle .

[@darkdeagle7871]

I have found one that is #3531!! Everything is original and does the numbers after victor ll matter? What does it mean?

[@Rockisland1903]

Double or single spring motor? Serial number that low without a suffix letter are early Vic II's made before 1905, these used a double spring motor so that's an easy way to ID them. Early II's also have the fancy cabinet with the trim and columns on the corners, later cabinets after 1909 went to a plain box style with no " humpback" tonearm bracket support on the rear. 3531 is your machines serial number, because of a factory fire in 1904 exact year dating by serial number isn't possible. This machine was in production well into the 1920's so we date them by motor, cabinet design, and knowing that serial numbers under ten thousand are going to be the earliest models.

[@darkdeagle7871]

@@Rockisland1903 how do you tell if it’s a single or a double spring? The victor ll is in full working condition I’ve played records on it and it sounds amazing I just can’t get the latch to open do I need to take the handle off? Or unwind the spring? It’s a type Vic ll 3527 A.

[@Rockisland1903]

Remove the horn with it's elbow, lift off the turntable, unscrew the crank and pull it out. If the latch is stuck try spraying some penetrating oil in it and play with it a bit. It needs to open so you can oil the motor. Each spring will be inside it's own barrel, so two individual spring barrels means two springs, one barrel means single spring. Later on they started putting two springs in one barrel, but not in these years. Work that latch while pulling up on the board, but don't force anything. This is a valuable enough machine that if it's truly broken and will not open then take off the back bracket , securely pack the cabinet and send it to George Vollema at Great Lakes antique phonograph for repair.

[@darkdeagle7871]

@@Rockisland1903 I would send it but I found it on vacation in a rental house and I really want to take it home with me and keep it I still haven’t messaged the own about keeping it but I might need to it’s an amazing piece from history and it should be restored the owner just needs to give me permission to take it. Also what type of needles does it take? Soft medium or high tone?

[@TranscendentalAirwaves]

Is that a Nova?

[@Rockisland1903]

Victor II is sitting on the 1968 Buick Special 4 dr sedan, and in front of it is 1961 Dodge military M37 Power Wagon.

[@miniatures1]

I was thinking about buying one of these but I was wondering if I can play more modern recoreds on them like songs from the 50's, 60's, 80's and even 90's would it even play those songs?

[@Rockisland1903]

The last 78 rpm records were produced in the 1950's and they were vinyl that would be destroyed by one of these early phonographs. No 78 rpm records were made in the 60's-90's. The Victor II can play records made 1900-1935, it can also play records made in the WW2 era 1936-1945-50, but because records of this era are made from slightly softer material playing them should be kept to a minimum. This goes for the Victor II, and every other outside horn acoustic phonograph , or internal horn Victrola of any type. For what a Victor II costs you could buy a top end modern turntable and play 33 rpm LP records from the 1960's 70's 80's and 90's ( if you can find any from the 90's)

[@hdmuz8]

If you're dedicated to playing later music, there is this [expensive] custom option: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gYeZaGuFl5ing9k

[@miniatures1]

@@Rockisland1903 I have a question I know it's been a year but I just picked up a victor v1 talking machine and the motor has a little hiccup when it's close to running out of steam sort-of speak I think it just needs cleaned and re greased is that something I could do myself or would I need to send it to someone to be cleaned? I'm always trying to do things myself if I can to save money but on the other hand I don't want to wreck my motor.

[@Rockisland1903]

Hard for me to say without knowing if you have any tools or what your experience is with working on mechanical devices. If you can rebuild a carburetor, strip down and clean a semi automatic firearm, fix a leaky pipe under the sink, do a brake job on the vehicle then a Victor single spring motor shouldn't be much of a challenge. Work slow, take lots of pictures of anything you take apart in case you forget how it goes back, use good quality punches and screwdrivers. I never pay anyone to do anything until I try it myself unless it's something I lack the equipment to handle, like pouring new babbit bearings in the model A Ford or something like that. I started out with a broken VV-50 portable Victrola and zero prior experience with any mechanical phonograph, and no guide book. 35 years later I have serviced hundreds of motors, I had to do my own reproducer work also after being dissatisfied with how others did it. Not to slight the current crop of reproducer fixers out there today, that was 30+ years ago and the guys doing that work back then are likely in the beyond by now. Try it yourself, become your own Talking Machine Doctor, it's very satisfying when the job is done, the machine working, and you saw to it yourself.

[@miniatures1]

@@Rockisland1903 Thanks for the reply I think it is something I can handle I have all the tools needed and have some experience with the things you mentioned i just don't trust people to work on things i have had very bad experiences because i trust that someone so called "experts" will know more then me but they end up messing things up worse then when i had them and then over charging me for the work. So if i can do it myself i will always go that route before taking it to someone. What grease would you recommend? I have some Lucas red and tacky I think will do fine but I was wondering what you use.

[@retrocollector1999]

I’m trying to buy a horn for my Victor ii, and I’ve seen a Victor ii horn for about $164.00 but it’s dented quite a bit, and I also saw a Victor i horn for sale for about $224, but I don’t think that horn is compatible with the horn elbow I need. Any idea what is a good price for one of these brass horns? Also, if I were to get one of the flower-shaped Morning Glory horns, would I still be able to use the Victor ii elbow?

[@Rockisland1903]

It looks to me like the Victor I, or the III would likely fit, but I can't say for certain that they would. I don't have either machine to compare with. Try George Vollema at Great Lakes Antique Phonographs, google it, he has a lot of parts and comes up with oddball stuff when I need something. Most horns when found off the machine in a parts bin will need some dent repair. The witches hat is about the most durable of the lot.

[@retrocollector1999]

Rockisland1903 I just purchased a Morning Glory horn made by the Victor Company. It’s a really nice black horn, and the original label is completely intact on the side. And yes, I’ve been in contact with George, The Victrola Doctor, and I might purchase a horn elbow from him. He said the horn elbows he makes are just like the originals compared to the aluminum reproductions I’ve seen. Do you really think an aluminum horn would sound that bad compared the nickel-plated brass elbows?

[@Rockisland1903]

I was talking to Ron Sitko at the Wayne NJ phonograph show today, he has the brass elbows for 130-150, but you will have to call for price. George has good stuff, brass would be my preference for originality, nickel plate on aluminum? I saw several Vic II horns today, 300-400 for some nice ones, big glory jobs. Some nice machines also. No video as the place was packed, and I was conducting business.Ron Sitko Antique Phono Parts & Service56 Church Hill Road Waterford MY 12188 518-371-8549You will not reach Ron if he is at a show.

[@retrocollector1999]

Rockisland1903 thank you very much! I’ll try to contact him soon to see if he may have an elbow for my machine. I live in California, so I’ll see if he’s willing to ship the elbow over to here. And yes, I have seen aluminum elbows being reproduced. I know brass is the way to go because it provides the best sound, so I most likely will buy a brass elbow or just make one using the dimensions you provided me.

[@RockIsland1913]

Either George or Ron Sitko would ship it to you, George is a bit easier to get hold of as he doesn't do the shows.