The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Thanks for that information and picture.
To be honest, I never knew Columbia was still offering horn gramophones so late in the game. I'd actually forgotten all about Columbia using Garrard motors, although the limited amount of Columbia's I've had experience with were all stamped as Columbia motors by Garrard, but I guess by this late in the game they no longer bothered.
It still retains the classic Columbia shape knob on the crank though I see.

Can I ask what reproducer and type of tonearm was used on these late Columbia horn machines?
Did they stick to the one piece tonearm similar to what you find on the earlier BI type machines throughout production of horn machines over the years?

I can't imagine they sold very well when their only real competition would have been the HMV Model 32.

The last Columbia external horn models had Garrard motors. My 1929 Model 2a, which I regret selling, had the No.50 large single spring motor.

Taking a needed brake (this evening) from the Columbia Plano Reflex tone arm " brain drain", I thought it could be interesting to show this horn gramophone that is up for sale. Sold as a Garrard horn gramophone, it could be interesting to hear what you English horn gramophone experts and aficionados can say about this machine.

If I understand it right Garrard at this time only made motors for manufacturers of gramophones, and did not manufacture their own machines, and if I also remember correctly from past threads, the Garrard 30 motor is a two spring motor. But there is also my knowledge stopping about this gramophone..

Well that's what I was told years ago by a seasoned collector, although I've never seen any actual proof of his story.
Most of the machines with this same cabinet that I've seen, used Thorens running gear and back bracket, but usually have a small brass horn, and a 2 piece brass elbow that was soldered together.
I was told they were made from left over parts from the Thorens factory in the late 60's, in very low quality cabinets.

A friend of mine actually bought on a couple weeks ago, but it has a German motor, which kind of makes me question the Thorens story, so I'm starting to think they were just a generic frankenphones that appears to have been made in fairly high numbers and distributed around the world.

And now I have to ask, was it "in the good old days" ever manufactured horn gramophones with sharp angle elbow like on this machine? With my very limited knowledge about horn gramophones, I have so far only seen this sharp angle, on crapophones.

Gramophone pictured is an Indian Repro

Yes Garrard Motors but they were all "Badged " COLUMBIA NOT GARRARD

So if I'm to understand correctly, this Model 2a had the No.50 motor stamped Columbia (like all other UK Columbia motors made by Garrard)?

Do they date from the late 60's into the 1970's as I was told?

I know this type has been around at least since 1978 when I started collecting, and they appeared to have a little bit of age to them then, unlike the modern crapohones from India that look new and in some cases even have cheap reproduction Garrard 11a motors.