On March 19th, 1927, the Victor Talking Machine Company was ready to
dazzle an eager buying public, flush with money from the stock market
boom, with another revolutionary Victrola:
"Don't Get Up! - It Changes Its Own Records !"
With great fanfare, teaser advertisements, and the catchy slogan with the
subtle reverse sexism (it's the boyfriend who wants to get up), the Victor
marketers succeeded to whip up public interest to something new and
unheard-of:
A Victrola that changes its own records. No more interrupted smooching in
front of the fireplace! 60 minutes of uninterrupted musical enjoyment
while you are doing something else (eating dinner, for example).
The honor of the first disc record changer goes to the famous 1906 Gabel's
Automatic Entertainer (the first disc jukebox): Gabel brought out a home
unit in 1917, the Gabelola, that would play 10 records without
interruption.
But while this is the revered ancestor of all record changers and disc
jukeboxes, Victor's 1927 10-50 acoustic Victrola is the first true
mass-produced record changer available to the buying public.
And buy they did ! From 1927 through 1928, over 10,000 10-50's found
buyers eager for uninterrupted musical pleasure.
At a price of $600, one could buy a nice mid-size Chevrolet at that time.
And the 5 foot x 5 foot cabinet in gorgeous French Renaissance Walnut was
guaranteed to dominate every living room, and blast the windows out with
its incredible volume if necessary.
The changer itself is an example of reliable engineering of a simple
elegance: All motions are powered by a single sliding rod, that lifts the
tonearm, moves it sideways and powers the lift ring.
Records are loaded on an overhanging magazine spindle, picked up by the
lift ring, and on reject cycle, the lift ring will slide the record into a
felt-covered drawer below the motorboard. If properly adjusted, this
machine works reliably and with no damage to the records. All the surfaces
the record slides on are felt covered and on my machine, 1000s of records
played have not resulted in a single breakage or chip.
The record changer, though the very first one, has everything we look for
in a mature changer:
- Capacity up to twelve 10" or 12" records.
- Only one record is on the platter at any time to keep correct tracking
angle.
- 10" or 12" record size has to be preselected, and cannot be played
intermixed.
- Changer shuts off automatically after the last record is played.
The Victor Victrola 10-50 is an acoustic machine building on the
orthophonic technology of the famous Credenza. The horn of the machine
seems to be the largest that Victor ever built for acoustic home-use
machines, 35" x 17" horn opening, and a ca. 8 foot long horn folded in
itself.
To complement this range of exciting machines, Victor had more offerings
available in 1927/28 to tap even deeper into the wallets of the affluent:
The Victor Electrola 10-51 - the same cabinet and horn as the 10-50, but
with a tube amplifier and electric horn driver. - $1,050
The Victor Electrola 9-55 - record changer, electric record play and a
superb RCA radio in a gorgeous cabinet.- $1,550
The Victor Electrola 10-70 - $1,100 - a record changer and electric
amplifier playing the record through a 6" or 10" electrodynamic cone
speaker. By many considered to be the best sounding Electrola of this
period.
At the same time, ingenious after-market suppliers would also fit the
Victor 10-50 with a juke box mechanism and an attractive glass window in
the door for watching the changer work. This would allow business owners
to have people pay a nickel to play the next of the 12 records in the
stack. Of course, then the owner had to go and remount the records in the
magazine. Advertisings claim that this profitable machine would make up to
$85 per week to the enterprising owner. At a price of $600 plus the
jukebox modifications, a 10-50 jukebox was by far the cheapest available
on the market.
This first style changer lasted for little over one year, and by 1928,
Victor brought out their second changer - more compact for smaller
cabinets, cheaper to produce, and a 12" and 10" record intermix changer.
Albeit, this second changer did not quite have the flawless reliability of
the 10-50.
One word about the 10-50 changer today:
It is still a superb and reliable machine (and quite imposing), and it has
a mighty and impressive sound.
Unfortunately, the changer has the infamous 7 pot metal parts that by now
have crumbled and render many changers inoperable.
Fortunately, reproduction parts are available, and there is no reason why
this grand Victrola should not work and provide enjoyment as it did in
1927.
I am always interested to hear about other machines.
If you are interested in a 10-50 operating manual, or the 10-51 operating
manual (only this one has the diagrams of the change cycle shown above),
send me an e-mail. For replacement parts or restoration help, I am happy
to point you in the right direction.
You can reach me at sgimips1"at"yahoo.com (replace "at" with @)
Also, do not forget to consult Robert Baumbach's book: "Look for the Dog",
which has excellent information on the history of the Victrola and
includes the complete service notes for the 10-50 changer.
And one very last note: If you ever have a chance to watch the 1934 Ruth
Chatterton movie "Female", it is a hoot! Very satisfying is the scene
where you see a full changer stacked with records - ready to provide
uninterrupted entertainment, while she's going to ravish her male
secretary ...
|
