The champagne BomBeat 40 - the myth examined

[mmcodomino]

First of all, this is just a thread I am opening out of interest. All the statements are just observations and thoughts I had and I would be interested in your opinions.

So, the champagne Bombeat 40 - probably the rarest box in the world as there is only one known to exist. (Please correct me if I am wrong)

Additionally to that, there are only two photos of it around. One on a chair and one on a table. Both with flash and not very good. (Once again, please correct if I am wrong)

Even though the bomBeat 40 itself is already really rare, there have been like 10 or 15 found in the world and the number keeps on growing. Yet, as far as I recall, the only BomBeat 40 that ever surfaced in the UK was this very champagne one. If it was sold there, why did only a champagne one surface and if it was a special UK edition, why is this still the only one known to exist even though there are many devoted members in the UK?

Here is one of the known pictures of the "holy grail":



As you can see, I marked a few things.

Orange: The MQJS buttons are light green while they are silver/chrome on the common BB40. It might be a design thing but I wonder why Toshiba would choose to make them green out of all available colors.

Red: Two MQJS logos. Yeah, I know the WX-1 also has two Passive Radiator logos but it is a three piecer which makes it understandable. But two MQJS logos only centimeters apart on a one piecer? Strange layout...

Yellow: Three Toshiba Logos. One in bold letters and two in the curvy style. I know the one on the aluminum is hard to spot but it is there. I mean okay, Toshiba was probably proud of their radio and the common BB40 also features two Toshiba logos but three? Why would that be?

Then one more thing is that the middle console with the tape deck and VU meters is silver on the common BB40 which makes it stand out in a great contrast and is appealing to the eye. The champagne one is champagne all over though. Just sayin'.

One more thing is that as far as I recall, the model number was RT-S913 just as well with no special suffix.


Okay...this is just what I observed. Of course there are some points that speak for originality as well.

1. The different graphics. The radio scale is black with green details and the VU meters also look different.
It could be done but it would be connected with a lot of effort.

2. The space around the buttons and the headphone jack is champagne as well. Yet again, a lot of effort to reproduce. But possible.

I would be interested in seeing the bottom of this radio to see how the feet are worn off...


So...could it be...is the infamous champagne BomBeat 40 a very, very well done custom job?
I would be very interested in your opinions.

 

[oldskool69]

I would say it is a custom job based on the inconsistent design elements alone. And not by Toshiba... Although there were many custom editions of boom boxes and other audio equipment, there was always a consistency about them from a parts/manufacturing standpoint. Especially in the casings/cosmetics themselves. The fun was usually in the added features (not cosmetics) between models. Look at a GF-7XX chassis for example, or different AKA's.

 

[im_alan_partridge]

Well rare or not i think the black one looks loads better imo

With regard to the box in guestion, you should ask some of the UK members on S2G, im pretty sure some of those guys have been into boxes for years, they may even know the actual photograph.

Also, as side note, i have often wondered about why these ultra rare boxes are actually rare. Did they sell really in bad, in low numbers?
Even if they sold in relatively low numbers, most of these really rare boxes were top of the range then must have pretty expensive which would lead a person to believe they would be well looked after leading to more surviving examples today. I dunno

 

[Beosystem10]

Maybe there a warehouse in Spain that's filled with these things? Wouldn't be the first time.

 

[hemiguy2006]

Not rare, I have like 10 of those Lying around here.
Somewhere...

 

[frontside5]

Most likely non-Toshiba customization but not definitively so. I also collect watches and on occasion a vintage model pops up that was a manufacturer one-off for a special client willing to pay the ridiculous amount for it. Paperwork can be forged so as you can imagine it's often tough to conclusively prove provenance to the satisfaction of a potential buyer much less forum members.

The back label would be a start but maybe a good indicator would be the inside case edges of the paint. I imagine it went through the exact same process so the spray pattern would have to match the standard models.

 

[Gluecifer]

I personally doubt it's a custom as Rich LitFan would've known this and said as such in his earlier posts.
He restored all his radios and it's impossible to hide a custom paint job on a radio once it's taken apart.

For all of us collectors and networks we have I still think our knowledge is but a drop in the ocean in regards to some models, like this one.

Didn't Radio Hier buy both BomBeat40s off Rich? Maybe you can contact them, Max, and find out.



Rock On.

 

[alfie]

I don't think its a custom job. I reckon too many features are slightly different to make it a paint job.
IMHO, I reckon it's a factory issue prototype that toshiba elected not to go with and instead went down the path of producing the more "common" black version.
Let's be honest the black bombeat 40 looks 10 times better than the champagne one, you'd be crazy to think different!
Saying that, I wouldn't knock one back!!

 

[Lasonic TRC-920]

Well rare or not i think the black one looks loads better imo

With regard to the box in guestion, you should ask some of the UK members on S2G, im pretty sure some of those guys have been into boxes for years, they may even know the actual photograph.

Also, as side note, i have often wondered about why these ultra rare boxes are actually rare. Did they sell really in bad, in low numbers?
Even if they sold in relatively low numbers, most of these really rare boxes were top of the range then must have pretty expensive which would lead a person to believe they would be well looked after leading to more surviving examples today. I dunno

I too think the BB40 is THE Best looking radio there is...but in Black.

Without examining the radio first hand, there is no way to know if it's custom. But there are some rare Toshiba's in this world, to mention another Toshiba, the RT-9990S of which I brought home two from Japan is a super rare box. To my knowlage I have seen two on Youtube, the Two I had, one other on Yahoo.Jp and one other seen on a Russian website, making 6 that I have seen or spoken of. Of the two I had, one went to Reli and one went to Blasterpunk. The latter being used in last years calendar (Thanks for that Max!).

Those radio's however were Japanese Domestic Only with all Japanese writing on the controls.

Getting back to the Champagne BB40, it could be, as FrontSide5 said, a factory special. A customer one off. A vendor of Toshiba's award for selling the most radios.....the speculation could go on and on.

I think this subject should be brought up at S2G and see if they have any info or can track it down...

Why there are these rare radio's....I don't know....but think of how many Lasonic TRC-975's there are....fairly common box wouldn't you say.....But when I met with Albert a month or so back, the 3rd generation owner of Lasonic, he said that they shipped 800,000 TRC-975's! It was the biggest seller they had....800,000! WHERE DID THEY ALL GO? Albert said as a kid he remembers seeing shipping container after shipping container come in filled with them.

WHERE DID THEY ALL GO?

If you take into consideration the percentage lost to the thrash dump, the house fire, the earthquake or the tsunami.
How many of the 975's are left....doesn't seem like allot really....out of 800,000?

Maybe the BB40 was a much lower production model....said a few thousand....something that you would actually be put into production....and a HUGE percentage were just thrown out over time....then you're just left with a few examples....

AND....if just a few "Especial" models were made....even fewer percentages may have survived!

Like the looks or not, that thing would bring big bucks on the open market!

 

[mmcodomino]

@Gluecifer: Thanks for your additional info. I heard that it came from Rich and went to RadioHier but what I did not know is that Rich restored it. That explains the shiny chrome rings which I was wondering about as well.
The thing is Radiohier aka Ralf Bühring is very hard to get in touch with. I have written him many emails but it seems he is not interested in the collectors community a lot even though he was featured on Germany TV a few times already. Maybe it might be worth a try to just drive to Hamburg and appear at his shop...

@Lasonic TRC-920: You are in the very lucky situation to actually be in touch with the CEO of one of the best known companies that produced and still produces boomboxes. 800,000 975s...holy moly! But you are right...it makes you wonder where they ended up and also why other models are so damn rare. I cannot imagine only 5,000 being produced with the Bombeat 40. Even though it uses the same rear case as the S90, the front is completely different and needed its own cast for production. SUch a cast is very expensive and needs to produce a whole lot of radios to make it worth it.

The thing is, we all know about special editions. Some examples:
Sanyo BigBen --> Silver BigBen
JVC M70 --> M70GX, M75, etc.
C100 --> golden C100
RC-550 --> Silver RC-550
VZ-V20 --> VZ-V20R

The thing with those very rare special editions is that there are at least a couple ones known to exist so we know they are no custom jobs but actually legit.
This Bombeat 40 is champagne...well, it could be a one-of-a-kind indeed if it is a prototype...but why would it end up in the UK and why would a prototype be so drastically different from the final product?
I sure wish I could examine the box myself...as I said, I would be more than happy to find out that it is the real deal.

 

[Beosystem10]

why would it end up in the UK

Harrods and Fenwicks both commissioned custom versions of Hacker, Dynatron and Roberts radios back in their golden era, I have both Golden and Jade green versions of Hacker's best-selling Sovereign III for example. But this wasn't just an arrangement they had with the famous Maidenhead-based manufacturer and Roberts.
I know for certain that Harrods also sold a metallic gunmetal edition of the (black as standard) Panasonic-badged, Slough-built version of the SAC05L so who's to say that - with their sheer clout with suppliers - either of that two exclusive retailers couldn't also have similar arrangements with importers for limited editions of their products?
I'd start by asking them, nothing to be lost by doing so.

 

[floyd]

i'm pretty sure that gold bb40 belonged "litfan" over at stereo2go.

 

[mmcodomino]

Harrods and Fenwicks both commissioned custom versions of Hacker, Dynatron and Roberts radios back in their golden era, I have both Golden and Jade green versions of Hacker's best-selling Sovereign III for example. But this wasn't just an arrangement they had with the famous Maidenhead-based manufacturer and Roberts.
I know for certain that Harrods also sold a metallic gunmetal edition of the (black as standard) Panasonic-badged, Slough-built version of the SAC05L so who's to say that - with their sheer clout with suppliers - either of that two exclusive retailers couldn't also have similar arrangements with importers for limited editions of their products?
I'd start by asking them, nothing to be lost by doing so.

Coming from Germany, I did not really understand a lot of what you said since I don't know any of those stores/distributors.
Do you maybe have the chance to send them a short email asking about that model?
I for my part may be planning a trip to Hamburg to check out the real deal if Ralf lets me see his collection. Kinda feels like getting a chance to see the Vatican archives .

 

[Beosystem10]

Do you maybe have the chance to send them a short email asking about that model?

No problem, consider it done. As soon as I get home from work, I shall find out the names of those with whom we need to communicate at both retailers, then I'll put together a message. Nothing to lose, potentially some useful information to gain.

 

[Lasonic TRC-920]

Coming from Germany, I did not really understand a lot of what you said since I don't know any of those stores/distributors.
Do you maybe have the chance to send them a short email asking about that model?
I for my part may be planning a trip to Hamburg to check out the real deal if Ralf lets me see his collection. Kinda feels like getting a chance to see the Vatican archives .

Bring a screw driver....maybe he will let you open it and you can see if there are paint lines and you can tell if it has been repainted. ALSO, take lots of pictures!

This is really interesting....it may unlock the mystery of other rare boxes.

 

[oldskool69]

Bring a screw driver....maybe he will let you open it and you can see if there are paint lines and you can tell if it has been repainted. ALSO, take lots of pictures!

This is really interesting....it may unlock the mystery of other rare boxes.

I'd certainly like to know. I of course will remain a doubter unless it's proven otherwise. There are so many mods, let alone knockoff "repros" out there that based on what was presented, I can't see it otherwise...until the autopsy is complete.

 

[stormsven]

Im betting for the original too. How many Lucky TRC 931 we know too ??? I know for just one.... So who know. And love the adventure part of those stories - thats makes us waiting for new discoveries and more fun of collecting. Dammit last night i was looking the blak elephant... and just found that actually is a two way boomer ( i have it for years and never read the big letters saying "two way" and the size of the speakers) . So i hope we will discover new cool models and variants. Why not silver M90, or black C100. That we didnt saw something dont mean it does not exist .

 

[Gluecifer]

Stormsven brings up a very good point, as did you Max.

Let's compare the champagne BB to the gold C100, as it seems to be a pretty good comparison.

How many C100s are out there? Hundreds? Thousands? (And that's just at Gordies!). My point is that we know there are a tonne of C100s, but how many gold ones have we seen in total? Ten? Twenty? Even twenty seems to be pushing it.

If you looks at the ratio of thousands of stock C100s compared to the minuscule amount of gold C100s around it gives credence to the theory of the champagne BomBeat 40 being a genuine factory colour.

I doubt we've seen more than 20 BB40's in total, and to have seen one champagne one to those twenty makes it a possibility that proportionately a lot more were made, just based on what we've seen.

The same could be said about the silver 550.

I still reckon theres hundreds of BB40s in south america, but all my hypotheses are based only what I've seen on the internet over the last seven or eight years, I think there's still much undiscovered caches of BB40s, silver 550s and other gems dotted around the planet we're still unaware of online.



Rock On.

 

[Beosystem10]

I've just sent off email to the HODs responsible for the home audio departments in both Fenwicks and Harrods, c/o these companies' marketing managers. I have attached a copy of the photograph of the Tosh on the chair to see whether there's anyone still working for whom that might ring bells. I'll forward any relevant information that comes to light.
For anyone else who perhaps fancies having a crack at them too, the marketroids' names that you need are Vernon Osborne Jr (Fenwicks) and Lisa Windsor (Harrods).

 

[oldskool69]

What a fun thread! It's almost like a giant game of "Clue - BomBeat40 Edition".