columbus

[bassbaboon]

Hey,

Does anyone know anything about the columbus series 1 guitar? Iv looked anywhere and i cant find any information about it...

Can anyone help....!?

Thanks

[VintAxe]

Hi bassbaboon,

I don't have any information on the Columbus Series I guitars in particular, but this is what Blue Book Publications has to say about the Columbus brand name. sb

Instruments previously built in Japan, then manufacturing switched to Korea during the late 1960s.
The Columbus trademark was the brand name of a UK importer. Although the first models were cheap entry level guitars, subsequent Japanese-built guitars raised up to medium quality copies of American designs. The manufacturer then switched to Korean production (source: Tony Bacon and Paul Day, The Guru´s Guitar Guide).

[jedistar]

Series 1 looks like a strat body, ibanez rg style...

This one sold for 28UKP with an amp in January:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Columbus-Series-1 ... dZViewItem

One currently for sale in UK 150 UKP
http://av.uk.freeads.net/Columbus_serie ... 143467.htm

and this guy want 129UKP
http://www.cibola.co.uk/planetguitars/d ... &param=g13

no reviews on harmony central

best I could do...

www.jedistar.com

[Crisanto]

Hi!!

This is my 1st post here and I should beg your pardon as English is not my native language...

I'm looking for information about a Columbus guitar model a friend of mine had in Spain in 1978. It was red coloured, hollow body and this one similar to the type of the Fender Coronado although smaller.

With these facts..., could you help me to find the model of that guitar?? And photos??

Thank you in advance!!

I will wait for your answer.

Best!!

Crisanto

[jedistar]

Wlecome to the forum...

Best if you can post a few detailed photos - then I am sure the folks here will be able to help. Instructions are here:

http://www.vintaxe.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=592

[Crisanto]

[Say No To Vorderman]

I have a nice Columbus 335? copy...had it for years, can't actually remember where I acquired it..it's a really neat guitar and was even borrowed by a friend when recording an album back in the late 80s.. and it was the first electric my son used when learning

having said that..as I look at the collection with a view to trimming it down I'll probably let it go soon..I never even get it out of the case these days

must take some better photos but here it is...

[Crisanto]

[VintAxe]

Hi Crisanto,

I have looked in some of my Columbus literature and all the "335" models I have seen are similar to the pictures posted by SNTV. However, all the published pictures I have seen have a trapeze tailpiece rather than the stop tailpiece on SNTV's guitar.

Here is a typical example of what I see. This picture is from a 1980-81 Bell Musical Instruments catalog. They are a London distributor.

Is this your guitar?

[Say No To Vorderman]

VA any idea on the age of mine? I'd assumed 70s but only because I'm fairly sure I acquired it in the late 80s and though it quite old then.

I've seen a few like the one you've pictured from that catalogue, on ebay recently. they seem to be more of a red and black sunburst

i seem to have a knack of getting guitars that are different to the catalogue version...my Ibanez Ric 480 copy has a different tailpiece to the published versions(and a set neck)..but is most definitely original..and the Ibanez forum guys are pretty convinced it's an Ibanez oddity..and there's no sign that my Columbus tailpiece isn't original

[VintAxe]

I've looked through all of my Bell Musical Instruments Ltd. catalogs for the 1970's and there isn't a Columbus 335 copy with a stop tailpiece.

I don't have a complete collection of 70's Bell literature but I do have 1970, 73-74, 74-75, 76, 77-78, 80-81.

Were there other UK distributors that sold Columbus? I associate the Columbus brand with Bell but that is probably just my ignorance.

[Crisanto]

Hi VintAxe!!

1st of all..., thanx A LOT for your help!!

And unfortunately no: that is not 'my' guitar...

The model I'm looking for was SMALLER than the "335" models. Body was smaller (=I think it was more similar to the Fender Coronado body), red cherry coloured, or 'very' red indeed, and probably 'fatter' than the "335" (=I mean with 'higher' body sides...) I remember that some mates usually laughed as the guitar resembled for them a 'toy' guitar...

I think (=although I'm not sure) that head was with the...'all_in_a_line' tuners...

I know it's not a very good description (=and my English is not good enough to do it better) but is all I can remember...

Regarding year, I'm talking about an instrument in N.W. Spain in 1979, something which could point to a 1976-78 instrument...

Anyway... thanx a lot for your help!!

Best,

Crisanto

[Bassassin]

SNtoV - I'd say your Columbus (series 2/3?) is late 70s/early 80s, & it'll probably be Korean rather than MIJ. The headstock shape & logos were changed on these later models.

Crisanto - I have a mental picture of the guitar you're describing - did it have a metal headstock logo badge, and chrome, probably single-coil pickups? Ones like that come up on Ebay from time to time, I think they're quite early, possibly late 60s or early 70s - sometimes the name's spelled "Colombus".

There's this one on at the moment, but I don't think it's exactly what you're describing:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Columbus-Guitar-s ... 0255202880

This is a no-brander - was it anything like this?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage-Semi-Acou ... 0282453515

I'm familiar with seeing the Columbus range in Bells catalogues - although I don't know if they were the brand owner/distributor. Columbus was one of the most common brands of "budget" guitar in the UK in the 70s - most music shops seemed to sell them! VA - I take it you don't have any specific Columbus catalogues?

Jon.

[Crisanto]

Hi Bassassin!!

Thank you very much for your help!!

I think the guitar I'm looking for is NEARLY like the one whose link you have uploaded in second place, i.e.:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage-Semi-Acou ... 0282453515

BUT... I think neck & head was also red. I don't know why but I think it was smaller...

I will show those photos to several colleagues from those old times. Maybe they can remember the instrument better than me...

Anyway we are in the right way... Thank you very much!!

Crisanto

[Crisanto]