RCA Victor Magic Brain Record Changer

Has anyone actually ever seen one of these ? They were advertised on the backs of the paper sleeves of thousands of Victor Records sold in USA, I'm guessing 1940-42 or so. The "big deal" about it is that it would play a stack of 12 or so 78s on both sides WITHOUT TURNING THEM OVER. I've been an avid phono "nut" since about 40-42 (born in '37) and have never seen or heard one.

With all that promotion, one would think that a few have survived. I've searched the Web off and on over the past 5 years or so, and the only thing I've found is a magazine-ad-page copy on Ebay. That ad shows the changer installed in an RCA Victola Radio-Phonograph combination, Model V-215. It's a floor-model console with the changer mounted on a roll-out drawer. (Since record changers were generally not sold as individual components until the "HiFi Boom" starting in the mid-50s, I assume the "M B R C" could only be bought as part of some sort of combination or "complete" phonograph (i.e., with amp & speakers in the same unit).

I guess it's possible that this turned out to be a sales "flop" - the timing was not good, what with WWII starting up - and it must have been at least a minor "mechanical nightmare" from a reliability standpoint.

If anyone has one or can provide any info, please let me know.

Many thanks.

The problem was that production began shortly before Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. Then Roosevelt commandeered all factory production for the war.

Another event occurred to doom the Magic Brain after the war. Japan seized most of the sources of shellac in the world. With a military need for shellac, much less was available for making records.

So the record companies had to add substitute materials to the shellac they had to make records:
- old records (people had to turn in an old record to buy a record)
- asphalt
- sawdust
- hide glue
- paper

Often the record was a sandwich of good shellac on the surface and a filler material on the inside. The filler could be any of these:
- corrugated cardboard
- glass
- asphalt
- sawdust-glue composite
- paper

At the same time, the record companies switched from rounded rims to squared-off rims, so the rim kept the sandwich together

These records are easily broken, which is why I recommend that records made from 1939-1946 not be used with any record changers (age makes them even more brittle).

The problem was that knife-type changers inserted knife-blades between the record surfaces to separate the bottom record from the stack. The knives broke records made of substitute materials. All prewar RCA changers were knife-type changers, so they started breaking records instead of changing them. Most knife-type changers were either converted to manual play or turned in for scrap metal drives.

The push-type changer already existed at the time, but once the knife-type changers started breaking records, the public demanded push-type changers because they didn't break the records. When record changer production started again after the war, no knife-type changers were made.

The same record-breaking problem also killed the Capehart turnover changers.

The war also killed off the Garrard RC-100, the third two-side changer made at the time. All but five of them were on a cargo ship bound from Britain to the US, when a German U-boat sunk it. The only place I know of to see one is in the 1948 movie "Unfaithfully Yours", where the main actor fails to operate it correctly in a humorous sequence.

The Magic Brain had no long center spindle, and could not work with one. Push-type changers require a long center spindle. So they couldn't sell anything using the design after the war.

There were two two-side changers sold after the war:

- Fisher-Lincoln (used a record-carrying turntable which inverted)

- Markel Duo-Playmaster (rotated the record on wheels above the turntable to play the underside)

There are photos of the Capehart, Magic Brain, Markel, and Lincoln on my record changers page:

http://midimagic.sgc-hosting.com/changers.htm

Thanks for that magnificent response. Also enjoyed UR website very much - and I think it would make a fine addition to Wikipedia. Since "Part 4" is still "under construction", I'm sending some info direct to you for possible inclusion.

When I found this Victor V-225 I went looking for information about it. One of the few bits I found online was the top post in this thread. I have always intended on making a quick video and sharing it, and I FINALLY did it. I posted it on youtube since I figured that would be the easiest way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHIAa_J0Rqc

If I am correct, this should take you directly to the video. If not, send me an email and I will send it to you. It's indeed a beautiful machine. This one has not been restored. It was cleaned and the tubes were replaced, but I have been advised against a restoration due to the complexity of the internals. (Which I am NOT trained to fix) Any questions can be posted here.

I hope this is what you were looking for.
Mark the new guy.

The video is fine. But the 225 was first released in November 1941, not the late 1930s. Production ceased in early 1942, when Roosevelt commandeered factory production.

Record-changer wrote:The video is fine. But the 225 was first released in November 1941, not the late 1930s. Production ceased in early 1942, when Roosevelt commandeered factory production.

Thanks for the update. The guy I bought it from gave me the dates. I suppose the November 41 - Early 42 production run would account for the limited number of machines that are around. Do you have any idea how many were made or how many remain?

Thanks for the information. The more the better.

Mark

I have been studying the RCA Victor record changers of the early 40s, and I have found that the term "Magic Brain" record changer does not necessarily mean the changer with the tandem tonearms. The V-205, V-209 of 1941, and the V-215, V-219, and V-221 of 1942 all have the more conventional "Magic Brain" record changers with one tone arm and a long spindle for stacking the records. On these models, the turntable slides out of the cabinet, so they could not have the changer with the tandem tonearms, as the records would be thrown on the floor if they did. The only model that did have the tandem tonearm record changer was model V-225, which is the top of the line for 1942. This changer is called the RP-151, and tosses played records into a bin on the left. The turntable does not slide out as on the other models. My information comes from the RCA-Victor Service Notes Volume II 1938-1942, c. 1944.

I really enjoyed the youtube video of this RCA changer. I found the video before I found this group as I often search youtube for videos of record changers and players. I've always been curious about how the Magic Brain changer worked as I have a repair manual for it and saw that it is an incredibly complicated mechanism.

V-215 I just pulled out an RCA console model from my garage. I am not sure what to do with it. It says it is an Anniversary edition 1942. It needs cleaning. Any recomendations as what not to do to it other than wiping it down with lemon oil or something of the nature. The unit itself is in a somewhat rough condition. The radio worked many months back when I was curious as to whether it worked or not. Any comments would be appreciated.

I have a Model V-215 and would like to know what the value of this unit is. Anyone have any ideas? The woodwork is in fair condition. All of the electronics work but the phonograph needs a new pad.
Thanks

I have an RCA V-225 that I would like to sell. I live in Providence, Rhode Island. The unit belonged to my grandparents and after they passed away, I inherited it. This set looks exactly the same as the utube video. It is in original condition, but does not work. I know it worked in the 1980's. A few years ago my husband plugged it in and it started smoking. He thinks that one of the tubes blew. He cut the plug so that, plus the tube would need to be replaced. I even have some of the 78 rpm records to go along with the unit. if anyone is interested, my email is mmmgbc@cox.net. I can provide lots of pictures.

I inherited a Victor V-225 as well. The cabinet is gorgeous, and all the parts are intact, though I think it needs to be retubed. I would love to find someone in Southern California who wants to give this machine a new home. The top could probably use a fresh coat of varnish, but I did not want to do anything to take away from its vintage value. I am mainly looking to re-home this piece, since I do not want to turn it into firewood. It has no sentimental value to me. If anyone is interested, please feel free to reply. Thanks. Mark

I have a V-209. It works. But I have modified it to play 33s and 45s via a new turntable.

Hi John,
I think I have heard of them--however I know that at one time in the early 50's The WurliTzer Jukebox Co. used the term WurliMagicBrain, for their (mostly unsuccessful) mechanism that was supposedly able to play all three record speeds (intermixed ??). Don't know if it played both sides--don't think so--However, about the same time, RockOla's, and AMI's, did play both sides--Of course, the "Grand-Daddy", and as far as I know, "first" to play both sides was the Seeburg Model A, 100 selection jukebox, introduced in 1948, for the 1949 model year. Ron Rich

Ron: Look up Wurlitzer 1500 it is the one you refer to as to the "Magic Brain" and YES it played both sides. it came out right after the Seeburg 100A except the Wurlitzer was 104 selections beating out Seeburg by 4 selections.