The long awaited list of Japan made Columbia gramophones

Post by **nostalgia** » Fri Mar 27, 2020 4:17 pm

I have come across this list of chronologically sorted Columbia gramophones on a Japanese website, most probably belonging to a Japanese auction house. I can however not guarantee that all the gramophones shown are made exclusively in Japan, since collectors may during the later decades have imported some US/UK made Columbia gramophones, and later on put them up for sale through the auction house.
BUT, when carefully looking at the models, it is however no doubt that the list is extensive and a majority of the models shown are unique for the Asian market. The Columbia experts and collectors, should be able to check and identify what models are exclusive for Japan/Asia or not, or at least that is an interesting ( and time consuming) work in itself, but also something that I am at the time of writing not capable of doing myself, or even will try to do in this listing. I have also chosen to list all Columbia gramophones listed on the Japanese website, also the few who run on electricity, and leave the opinions and reflections to you readers.
Feel free to comment, of course. I feel such a list also was very welcome these days ( March 2020), some positive input, when media and the real world outside the forum is unfortunetaly full of mostly bad and sad impressions these days. Prepare yourself to be amazed and thrilled by photos of Columbia models rarely/never seen in the West. I unfortunately have only one photo of each model, and also have no chance to verify the model numbers, or that the info given is correct! Translation from Japanese is a challenge even for modern translator software. What I have is what you get.

But here we go, the first 4 models:

Colombian Tabletop: Model No. C2
Columbia Portable Model No. 9
Colombia Tabletop Model No. 20
Columbia Portable Model No. 21

Post by **nostalgia** » Fri Mar 27, 2020 4:31 pm

Since it is Friday, why not post the next 6 on the list:)

Columbia Portable Model No.26

Columbia Portable Model No.55

Columbia Portable Model No.56

Columbia Portable Model: G-40

Columbia Portable Model: G-41

Columbia Portable Model: G-45

Post by **nostalgia** » Fri Mar 27, 2020 5:09 pm

It is still Friday isn't it, at least in Europe..
Here are 4 more:

Columbia Portable Model G-46

Columbia Portable Model G-48

Columbia Portable Model G-50

Columbia Portable Model G-51

And for those of you (us), who think you (we) remembered/recognized all the Columbia models by heart, or when seeing a particular model!Forget it, we never will, after this list is completely uploaded you/we will understand why. I by the way have only one photo of each model, and when additional information is available for each model, I will fill it in beside the model name given. Year of manufacture is written in the photo tag id, when known.

VanEpsFan1914 · Post by **VanEpsFan1914** » Fri Mar 27, 2020 5:14 pm

This is wonderful!

Maybe it will revive an interest in collecting Columbia portables.

Post by **nostalgia** » Fri Mar 27, 2020 5:23 pm

VanEpsFan, yes this is wonderful, and yes..let us hope this will rekindle the interest in collecting Columbia gramophones. The list is insane...I will upload step by step here, so we dont loose our sleep totally.

Another four, before bedtime:

Columbia Portable Model G-53

Columbia Portable Model G-55

Columbia Portable Model G-56

Columbia Portable Model G-65

Curt A · Post by **Curt A** » Fri Mar 27, 2020 7:07 pm

I want a G-65...

Post by **Lucius1958** » Fri Mar 27, 2020 9:33 pm

Had me going there for a second: when I saw "Holy Grail" and "Columbia", I immediately thought of the Multiplex Grand...

- Bill

Post by **nostalgia** » Sat Mar 28, 2020 3:41 am

I woke up at 04.30 am with lots of questions in my head:

1. How could Columbia manufacture such an extensive line of portables in Asia?
2. Was the market really that big?
3. How many machines were manufactured of each model, and were they also made in different colors?
4. Why do these machines so rarely show up in Europe/USA?
5. Did Garrard supply motors for all these different models?

When looking at the list, I easily can get the feeling that I look at gramophones manufactured
for a different and much bigger planet than our Earth, maybe they were made for Jupiter

By the way, the pixel size is low on the photos, so what I have is what you get...

Here are the next 4 gramophones:

Columbia Portable Model G-70

Columbia Portable Model G-80

Columbia Portable Model No.100

Columbia Tabletop Model 104A (Metal horn)

Post by **nostalgia** » Sat Mar 28, 2020 3:51 am

Nippon Columbia history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nippon_Columbia

And another four gramophones:

Colombia tabletop Model No.105

Colombia tabletop Model No.106

Colombia tabletop Model No.108 (Metal horn)

Colombia tabletop Model No.109 (The top model of a Taisho-type wooden horn with an Art Nouveau design is different from the lightened mainspring after the war)

Post by **nostalgia** » Sat Mar 28, 2020 4:25 am

And another four, before breakfast:

Columbia Portable Model No.110

Columbia Portable Model MG-112 ( Seems unlikely that this is a correct model number, because of the MG prefix?)

Columbia Portable Model No.113A ( Seems unlikely that this is correct model number, cf UK made model 113A)

Colombia Tabletop Model No.114 (2 springs, plano reflex arm,
Metal two-piece exponential horn)