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Can anyone help me id this machine.

My guess would be European Columbia. Looks like it has one of those "plano-reflex" arms, with the flattened joints... supposedly better acoustics than a round tube.


Probably has very decent sound for a portable, when everything is in good nick...

The box is externally similar to the colonial HMV's made for the Indian market, so we can assume it to be a Colonial Columbia - since both companies merged in the late 20's their gramophones started to mix parts from each product line, and the one shown would be a representative product from this mix.

Yes there are both Columbia and HMV components visible on this machine. The case resembles the HMV Tropical Model 118, and is unusual in that it opens lengthways.

These large and heavy machines were sometimes known as "transportables", and the original owner (possibly a member of the British Raj in India) would probably have had a servant to carry it. Only the presence of a carrying handle prevented them from being classed as table models.

If the machine pictured is for sale at a reasonable price it would be well worth acquiring.

thanks guys

I have now got my sticky little mits on this machine which has the best of both worlds sound quality of a cabinet and still 'portable' if your strong enough it appears that when HMV and Columbia merged they shared cabinets and motors etc so it is a Columbia model 250 and a HMV 118.
Rare as hens teeth !

Well done! At least you won't have problems with the arm on this one, unlike your 113a!

Barry

sorry guys the columbia is a crapo, yes a nifty nice looking one but still a india crapo
they also did a garrard machine the design seems to be based on this hmv 102 teak version probably for the tropics the quality of choice does seem to go up on these i've seen mikkiphones colibri's decca trenchphone's nirona's and peter pan's and even a hmv 101 all as new as a newborn baby
i still don't trust them dough you never get a good look at the insides

tino

Follow the link to see the advert for a Columbia 250 i have been inside the machine and it has the victor double spring motor.

Probably made in Calcutta for the British Raj so Indian perhaps but not a Crapophone.
I have just been sent photos of a HMV118 and its bacsicaly the same cabinet and motor just designed slightly different internally.

I have had 5 offers for this as it stands I was going to keep this one but everything has a price and its getting close.

Oh Barry and i managed to sort the tonearm on the 113a took a while to work it out just need lateral thinking as the bracket was pot black and was tightened up as far as i dare go butif you cant tighten the bracket why not make the tone arm base slightly thinner hey presto fits like a glove!

http://www.use.com/showoriginal.pl?set= ... 75ba1b&p=1

designerweddingdj wrote: Oh Barry and i managed to sort the tonearm on the 113a took a while to work it out just need lateral thinking as the bracket was pot black and was tightened up as far as i dare go butif you cant tighten the bracket why not make the tone arm base slightly thinner hey presto fits like a glove!

Oh, well done, sir! I'm glad you persevered.

Barry