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Columbia AJ Identification
Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2017 4:49 pm
by lwlazar
Hello all,
I have had this Columbia AJ phonograph in my collection for about 25 years, and have been unable to identify the case style. It is quite different from other Columbia AJ models of the period..
This particular one, I have had little success in documenting its origin. Another was found in England, actually 2 of them in this particular case style, and I did communicate with the dealer gramophones.uk.com there some years ago; this was the third one he had seen, the others seen in Europe and in England. I was told it might be a first-case design, for an extremely short period of time before the more common top-wind case was introduced in larger quantities; but he was not certain. No decal on this, no evidence of any prior decal, no evidence of any corner posts. Not seen in any Columbia books, etc.
Any insight or thoughts on what this case style is?
Thanks, Larry
Re: Columbia AJ Identification
Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2017 7:04 pm
by jboger
May I be candid? The bottom of the case looks old, as does the top. They are also darker than the middle section, which to me looks like relatively modern oak. Older oak has a tighter grain; modern oak is grown faster and the growth rings are further apart. Also the case construction is composed of four oak boards from which a simple box has been made by overlapping the joints. Well done, but even on my Victor Jr the frame has visible dovetailing. Other Victors have corner columns to cover up the dovetailing. And the inexpensive Standard Model A's also have hidden dovetails with corner columns. Also the traveling arm does not rest parallel to the record. You've had the machine for 25 years. It is nicely done, but I believe (and this is only my opinion) that this is not a period piece although parts of it may be period. It would be nice to see the motor. Well, those are my thoughts; I hope I'm wrong.
Re: Columbia AJ Identification
Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2017 9:06 pm
by Phono-Phan
It is also strange that the tone arm isn't horizontal.
Re: Columbia AJ Identification
Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2017 9:27 pm
by lwlazar
Thanks for the ideas, this has confounded me for YEARS. I have also gone through all the thinking: it is counterfeit, but then two more turn up across the Atlantic. Is it a prototype AJ, could it be that early? Is the arm not straight because it was THAT early or because the arm and/or support s a reproduction and the real first ones were "different" dimensionally? I really don't have any answers. More pictures are posted now, hopefully more ideas will come. Thanks!
Re: Columbia AJ Identification
Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2017 11:14 pm
by Phonofreak
I have a top wind AJ, too. The motor, parts and hardware are all old. I think it is a new case with an old base, and molding for the top. The case is probably too tall for the arm to sit right. The support arm is a later one after the top wind model. The original arm had a slit on the back of the arm with a knurled screw to secure the reproducer. The reproducer should have a thumbscrew with 1886 markings on it. The elbow should be a leather one, but could have been upgraded to the brass one, at a later date. The crank is for something like a Standard X or X-2. It is much too tall for this machine. The top wind AJ is scarce machine. I would look for an original case either on ebay or the Forum. This is a machine worth restoring to original.
Harvey Kravitz
Re: Columbia AJ Identification
Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2017 1:44 pm
by JerryVan
The case has nothing to do with how the arm sits. Notice that even with the case removed, the arm would sit the same. The turntable height is strictly governed by the height of the motor shaft and where the dovetail mount is located. I don't think anyone would argue with the location of the dovetail mount, and as long as we agree that the motor is correct, then all that we can blame for the angled arm is the support arm, which may be an inappropriate reproduction.
I'm stymied by the cabinet too and was certain that at least part of it was a reproduction/creation, but look at the interior staining around the brake slot. That comes from age. I thin it's made all the more confusing because I believe it's been refinished, removing the look of age. Interesting.
Re: Columbia AJ Identification
Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2017 2:17 pm
by lwlazar
Thanks for the help, indeed the lower support arm is very loose in the aluminum dovetail on the base. I can hold it tight on the face of the dovetail and the reproducer support arm then rests parallel as it should; likely not an original arm casting. There is evidence of matching cabinet number chalk marks that can be seen in the pictures on both the inside cover and base bottom, visible in the pictures. The base looks as though it has not been refinished. Seeing the cabinet marking chalk marks on the underside of the top cover I assumed it was not refinished either, but agree the outside could have been either refinished or so deeply solvent cleaned it altered the original finish. Still, at a loss because I did see pictures of others like this that showed up in Europe. Could be very early, or, could be very late - and they used what they had in the factory to get a few last ones out.