Columbia Grafonola - but which one?

[soundgen]

Thanks everyone.

It’s definitely not the L-2 as this has a different shaped lid and a button to control the louvred flaps. Although the L-2 does have straight legs.

It looks much closer to the E-2 but the cabinet is slightly the wrong shape. I have scoured the web and cannot find anything similar with the simple styling and straight legs (other than the British model 25a). There is no sign of it ever having casters.

The top, ie turntable, reproducer, speed control and start and needle pots are identical to the pre-WW1 D-2.

So we think it is definitely American and possibly pre-1920 but we can’t pin down the type.

Can anyone do anything with that serial number?

Not an L2 BUT an L3 whatever that was to go by its serial number L30758

[soundgen]

Thanks everyone.

It’s definitely not the L-2 as this has a different shaped lid and a button to control the louvred flaps. Although the L-2 does have straight legs.

It looks much closer to the E-2 but the cabinet is slightly the wrong shape. I have scoured the web and cannot find anything similar with the simple styling and straight legs (other than the British model 25a). There is no sign of it ever having casters.

The top, ie turntable, reproducer, speed control and start and needle pots are identical to the pre-WW1 D-2.

So we think it is definitely American and possibly pre-1920 but we can’t pin down the type.

Can anyone do anything with that serial number?

Not an L2 BUT an L3 whatever that was to go by its serial number L30758

It just came to me an L3 is an L2 without castors and a new lid and a different opening flap !

[Leofric]

Any pictures.

[soundgen]

Any pictures.

[Inigo]

!!

[Leofric]

After a lot of trawling of the internet I think this is actually a British built Columbia 25a fitted with the wrong soundbox (see the Hampshire Cultural Trust link below). So perhaps I need to find myself a British No.7 soundbox.

https://collections.hampshireculture.or ... tor-twelve

[Leofric]

This is the earliest reference that I can find in the British Newspaper Archive to the Columbia Grafonola 25a. It is an advertisement in the Liverpool Echo on 27 September 1923. Just £22-10-0. Also mentions the 26a and 31a.

[gramophoneshane]

Perhaps a picture of the motor could help identify it's country of origin?

All British Columbia's have motors made by Garrard, although they are still branded as Columbia motors.

US Columbia's have motors made in USA so they differ from the English Garrard motors.

[soundgen]

British Columbia motor marks look like this

[epigramophone]

After a lot of trawling of the internet I think this is actually a British built Columbia 25a fitted with the wrong soundbox (see the Hampshire Cultural Trust link below). So perhaps I need to find myself a British No.7 soundbox.

https://collections.hampshireculture.or ... tor-twelve

To complicate matters even further, your machine appears to be mahogany, which would make it a No.26a. The 25a was oak.

Here are a couple of images from a photocopied 1925 UK Columbia catalogue, hence the poor resolution: