Is this rare ?

[hermitcrab]

https://reverb.com/item/44674581-vintag ... xt-speaker
seems a tad high unless this is a rarity ...

[electra225]

I'd say desirable, but not all that rare. Certainly not worth $650 to me. The external speaker might be the more rare item.

[William]

I have the main unit, and mine looks just like that one. Someday, I hope to find the speaker/amp to go with it. It's on my wish list!

Bill

[walyfd]

I have the Fisher Spacexpander on the 500B and I like it for certain things. Vocal, absolutely NOT. instrumental, a little goes a long way.

What I crank it up on is the organ records from Radio City... it puts you in 5th row center orchestra...

[William]

Now your talking my language, Walter! I have never been to Radio City, but it's on my bucket list. I do have several records of various artists playing that big Wurlitzer.

Bill

[walyfd]

I have a photo I'd love to post but I get the "file too large" smackdown...

[walyfd]

Think I got it to resize. From the last time I was there, Dec 2019... both organs were in use and this is the smaller one.

[William]

Christmas at Radio City must be something to behold. I'm guessing the photo was taken on a balcony as it is at the same level as the people in the photo. Do you know the history on the organ?

Bill

[walyfd]

No. That was from my seat in orchestra left facing the stage. The organs come out from the wings and are at stage level so you kinda have to look up.

I've had great seats in first mezzanine. Sit there and you're on top of the stage.

[William]

That's interesting. The photos I have seen made me think the organ was one level up from the stage. How often do you get to go? And, how far away do you live from Radio City?

Bill

[walyfd]

126 miles to 50th and 6th... good friend lives in Jersey and works in the city so I go in with him, he goes to work and I putz around town then we meet for lunch and kill the rest of the day.

I got that ticket the night before the show for $58. There were still a lot of empty seats but it was the 10 AM show which isn't easy for travelers to make.

Acoustics at Carnegie Hall are still superior to RC but there's just nothing like walking into that building.

[hermitcrab]

OK maybe Bill can answer this one... what is the switch on the right under the tone arm for?... marked L and H my VM has it too and I don't see any difference in either position while playing

[William]

Like I mentioned before, Radio City is on my bucket list. Actually, visiting NY City is on that bucket list. I also want to see Ellis Island, to see where my Grand Father arrived when he came to the US from Belgium. Maybe someday if I live that long.

Bill

[William]

Elton!

That switch below the tone arm is switching from Mono to Stereo. The cartridge in those units was stereo, but the main unit was mono. You needed the extra speaker/amp to make it stereo. Once you had that speaker/amp, you just plugged it into the back of the main unit, slide the switch to the "S" and you had stereo. The VM 557 that I should be working on has the same set up. The VM 162 speaker/amp that I have already rebuilt and shared on the forum is the mate that makes the 557 stereo. I hope that helped?

Bill