Victrola Credenza

Victor Victrola “Credenza,” walnut cabinet, late 1925.

I found what was left of this Victrola at a thrift shop. It was gutted of all internal parts, including the horn. I think most people would not have taken it on as a restoration without having a substantial amount of the parts already on hand. All I had was a tonearm and soundbox. Over the course of almost two years, with the help of fellow collectors, I pieced it back together and restored the cabinet.

The cabinet was not entirely refinished. Only the top required sanding, blending, and sealer. The rest of the cabinet was “touched up” by various methods. I like to preserve as much of the original finish as possible. Note that this finish has a strong blended/toned effect that came with it original from the factory.

The Orthophonic Victrola models launched by Victor in late 1925 are remarkable in their substantially-improved performance compared to their predecessors. They were designed and introduced alongside the then-new method of using electric microphones to make records (rather than using acoustic horns to make records, as used previously). The Credenza model uses the largest of the Orthophonic “folded” horns, and the wonderful sound it is capable of producing makes all the effort of restoration worthwhile.

BEFORE (as found in a thrift store):

AFTER:

LID BEFORE:

LID AFTER:

Hear this machine play in the video below:

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