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I just noticed that this sold recently on ebay. I don't think I have seen one before.

It looks very minimalist - and I would guess it is one of the last models produced by HMV and Columbia ?

Interesting and kind of nice ...........

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-His- ... 7675.l2557

88Z, very horribly and cheaply made export model.

Over-painted Exorcist pea vomit green. Originally HMV green.

Steve wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 6:15 pm 88Z, very horribly and cheaply made export model.

Over-painted Exorcist pea vomit green. Originally HMV green.

Ha ha ! 88 z ? You certainly know your 'stuff' ! I have never heard of them.

There is a youtube video which states that they were assembled in Argentina. So exported in bits - a bit like India Teak ones maybe. Perhaps the 'carcass' was entirely made abroad some-times ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DcRW_dwuTw

Interesting.

poodling around wrote: Fri May 19, 2023 5:05 am

Steve wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 6:15 pm 88Z, very horribly and cheaply made export model.

Over-painted Exorcist pea vomit green. Originally HMV green.

Ha ha ! 88 z ? You certainly know your 'stuff' ! I have never heard of them.

There is a youtube video which states that they were assembled in Argentina. So exported in bits - a bit like India Teak ones maybe. Perhaps the 'carcass' was entirely made abroad some-times ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DcRW_dwuTw

Interesting.

No. They were made in UK and exported. No one wanted to see that junk in shops here with the HMV brand on it so they also sold it as an identical Columbia 211 model which was both exported AND sold here. Typical EMI philosophy. It was the start of even worse decisions to come!

Here is the same machine, covered in a past thread.,,here with an Odeon logo, still manufactured at Hayes.
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=53917&p=320336&hilit=odeon#p320336

To my untrained eye, it looks like any other gramophone patterned after the HMV 102/101 models. In terms of build quality, what makes it cheaply made junk? I've asked this question about other gramophones/phonographs referred to as junk or rubbish and never got so much as a gotohell for a response, perhaps because the "junkiness" should be obvious--but to me it isn't.

Is the horn made out of cardboard? Does it have a weak single spring motor that won't even play a single side of a 10-inch record? Is the covering made out of plastic coated paper? Are there pot metal parts that fail over time? Does it have a crappy sound quality? Or is it simply junk in comparison to the deluxe HMV portable gramophones?

OrthoFan

Two major design faults are that the tone arm has no bearings, it's simply a push fit into it's base, and the soundbox body (not just the back) is pot metal and very prone to the usual problems, i.e. distortion and cracking. The gold finish on the HMV 88Z shown above is very thin and wears quickly. I'm not sure exactly what the covering is, but it is certainly thinner than the usual 101/102 material.

Barry

Hi Barry:

So, overall cheaper build quality.

Many thanks!

OF

The inner tin horn is also short, and not complete to the mouth as the ones of the 101-102 etc. Certainly overall a cheaper affair.

Thanks Inigo:

I've seen that type of horn and it is definitely not a match for the quality exponential portable model horns.

OF