Columbia Portable Info Sought

[Guest]

Hi: I just picked up a Columbia Model 118 portable....Yes, very cheaply!.... I haven't been able to find much information on the Net looking in the usual places about these machines. Anyway, I haven't had the time to come to grips with it since I got it, does anyone know when these were made? I thought I had read somewhere that Columbia introduced their first portable model in 1925 or 26? Were these "Viva Tone" machines? The reproducer has teh decorative cut out metal cover...aluminum I suppose, or is that plated steel? Any info onthe Model 188 or Columbia portables in general is appreciated. John

[Lucius1958]

Just checked Baumbach & Lackey's Columbia Phonograph Companion, Vol. II: they don't list the 118 (or 188?), but Columbia seems to have started its portable line in 1924, with the "New Columbia" models. If your machine has the decorative cover on the reproducer, and the curved tone arm, it's certainly a "Viva-Tonal" model.....

-Bill

[gramophoneshane]

This is apparently a US Model 118 portable. In the UK, the model 118 was a table grand.
It appears to be a very late model from the late 20's or early 30s, probably to compete with Victors VV2-55 which was introduced in 1929. Perhaps one of the last American acoustic Columbia models offered??
To me, it looks like it may have been made by an outsourced manufacturer for Columbia, but that might be because I'm more used to seeing UK models so I really dont know.

[estott]

That is definitely an outsourced machine, it has indications it was made by Prime Manufacturing of Milwaukee.

[John Svensson]

Thanks for the information, did Columbia outsource much production or mainly among the inexpensive models? Hey, that's my Model 118! BTW
It will be undergoing a mild restoration and may even get a carrying handle. Not exactly an orthophonic, but now I can at least give playing some of the "new" records a shot! John

[estott]

I don't know for certain, but I suspect in the US the situation was like that of Victor- in the late 20's and early 30's they stopped making acoustic portables and just had the RCA Victor mark put on outsourced machines.

BTW- your machine is mechanically the same as the one sold as the Edison P-2 portable- probably the same manufacturer. I had a Silvertone portable of the same build- It was a very decently built machine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpc8vNFqjx4

[gramophoneshane]

I don't know for certain, but I suspect in the US the situation was like that of Victor- in the late 20's and early 30's they stopped making acoustic portables and just had the RCA Victor mark put on outsourced machines.

BTW- your machine is mechanically the same as the one sold as the Edison P-2 portable- probably the same manufacturer. I had a Silvertone portable of the same build- It was a very decently built machine.

I thought it looked familiar, but not as a Columbia.
I noticed in the archives that Adams US model 160 uses the English Garrard/Columbia 5a motor, so Columbia in USA must have at least started to wind down on using parts of their own manufacture by 1927.

John,
I'm curious about the soundbox. Does it carry the Columbia name &/or any number designation?
Better yet, is there any chance you could post a photo of the soundbox?
I'm assuming it's not a Columbia no.9 or 15/16, otherwise Prime would have had to reduce the end of the tonearm to enable the soundbox to fit.

[John Svensson]

I wil try to add a photo tomorrow (at work)....Do photos need to be added from another host site or can they be directly posted? I don't have a Flickr account or any other photo host access. There is a tough to read label at the rear that I believe does designate this as a model 118. I don't think there is any "Columbia" mark on the soundbox, a telling sign perhaps..... John

[alang]

Photos can be uploaded directly very easily. If you create a post just browse down and you'll see the file upload area.

Regarding Baumbach's book, it's missing many machines, mostly Grafonolas and Portables. It gives a good general overview of the line-up, but is far from complete. Probably because of the large variety of Columbia models and sub-models. It is still the best (and only) Columbia reference out there.

For "early" portables I think it only lists the 160, missing the 163, 165, 130, 120, etc. Also missing are some 1923 models like the "Model 239" and the "Columbia Portable", which had both been introduced in spring of 1923 before the collapse later the same year. Both machines were re-introduced later under the New Columbia brand, the "Model 239" with slight modifications, the "Columbia Portable" as "Model 160".

Robert Baumbach told me he's working on a new edition of his book, probably to be released as electronic edition only. A pity, but probably the sign of the times. I'd rather have a good old fashioned paper book.
Andreas


Andreas

[estott]

I don't know about Columbia, but the RCA Victor portables use a generic soundbox with an RCA deco faceplate- the most stylish part of the machine. I suspect the Columbia portable is the same, the Columbia designation being only cosmetic.