The Rock-Ola Pre War jukeboxes are jukebox models from before or during World War II, up through 1945. These machines are from an era that featured an Art Deco design aesthetic, characterized by sleek lines, geometric shapes and decorative accents. The cabinets are typically made of wood and adorned with chrome or brass detailing. The Rock-Ola Pre War models typically could hold 20 records and offer 20 selections of one side of each record.

The Rock-Ola Pre War jukeboxes typically used a mechanical selector mechanism, which involved physical levers, gears, and linkages to retrieve and play the selected record When a song ended, the user would manually remove the record and place it in a separate compartment or stacker, which would then require periodic maintenance to reload the records. These machines often featured simple amplifiers and single speaker to reproduce the sound.

Rock-Ola continued production through the war but resources for manufacturers were limited, they switch away from plastic and metal to glass and wood on some models, denoted by a “series” stamp.

The Rock-Ola Pre War jukeboxes had a coin mechanism to accept payment for song selection. Users would insert a coin (often a nickel) to activate the jukebox and make their song selection.

Overall, the Rock-Ola Pre War jukeboxes were simple machines that were known for their high-quality construction, innovative features, and stylish art deco design.  The during war production machines are highly collectible and some of Rock-Olas most collectable machines.