RCA 45 RPM Players

Enjoy the tour of 45 RPM record players as legendary to recorded music as Elvis is to Americana. They have been acquired by me over the years from Ebay, swap meets, flea markets, “junk shops” and from fellow collectors. I have professionally restored each, and each is enjoyed by me on a near-weekly basis. They are not for sale.

Introduced 10 January 1949, the 9EY3 was RCAs First Amplified 45 RPM Record Player, Playing up to 10 Records.

It Featured the Rapid-Ejecting, somewhat jerky RP-168 Changer. The Changer was unified with the cabinet.

Amplification was via a series-wired 3-tube amplifier which produced good volume. The original crystal cartridge has been replaced with a more than adequate ceramic cartridge.

From The Fabulous Victrola 45 by Phil Vourtsis.

RCAs second offering, the 45EY2, became available in 1950 and was produced through 1954. Mine is one of the early ones. Note the gold insert on the turntable. It also has the full-compliment of date-coded RCA tubes.

It featured the much-updated RP-190 Changer which featured a smooth and separate eject drive system. The changer itself was removable from the base containing the amplifier and speaker. Spindle capacity increased by two from 10 to 12 records.

The amplifier was the same as used in the previous model. However, the speaker was larger producing great sound quality.

From The Fabulous Victrola 45 by Phil Vourtsis.

RCA offered two models in 1950, the 9Y510 and the one pictured here, the 9Y511. The difference being that the 9Y510 used the RP-168 changer, and the other model, the RP-190.

The radio is the typical 5-tube superheterodyne with 6-position tone control (3 for radio and 3 for phonograph).

I purchased this one fully-restored from a fellow collector in Minneapolis, fall 2010.

From The Fabulous Victrola 45 by Phil Vourtsis

RCA introduced 3 3-tone 7EY2HH models of this player in 1955. This model is duo-tone green with peach spindle top and tone arm.

RCA named this model the DeLuxe 3 because it used the venerable 3-tube amp introduced in 1949. The original crystal cartridge has been replaced with a more than adequate ceramic.

By now, all RCA 45 RPMs were using the RP 190 changer. A few exceptions used the rare RP-193 changer.

From The Fabulous Victrola 45 by Phil Vourtsis.

This is recommended reading for anyone interested in restoring or just reading about the development of the RCA 45 RPM player as legendary to recorded music as Elvis is to Americana.

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