Hohner. A fancy pre-war model?

[Anton Helmut]

Good day, dear experts.

Can you, please, tell me what exactly did i just buy?

It does't have any other writings but the "Hohner" and "PAUL **E*CH". Another "H"-letter i've found under the grill. Looks somewhat similar to early morino or 5555.

It has 4 reed blocks LMMM (LM in cassotto) in the right and 5 reedblocks with winkelbass in the left. Left keyboard is 7 row (additional counter bass row with minor 3rd i.e. C-E-Eb). Right keyboard is curved.

It produses some sounds, as much as it's possible without decent half of reed valves. Discant reeds have no rust (i looked under reedvalves, since there are no reed valves holding tight). Bass reeds have little rust, but it doesn't look fatal.

I am going to rebuild it. Just want to know what exactly i am rebuilding.

 

[boxplayer4000]

Anton, I think you have a very unusual pre-war Morino on your hands. It's unusual (to me) because of the curved keyboard and the cassotto. The cassotto models are rare but they do exist. I'll be interested what other more knowledgeable people say on this site.

 

[JerryPH]

A 1-row free bass design is not useful. I bet one of the registers on the left hand turns the 2nd and 3rd rows in to a proper minor thirds free bass pattern. In the “old days” Hohner was always experimenting with designs and ideas. If something did not sell, they’d just stop and change designs. Many were ‘one-off” experiments. What I see a lot is that Hohner did not keep tabs on these and they got out in to the public, many are today all over the world.

In terms of value, I’d not place a big number here. Ultimately unless this accordion was professionally maintained through its life, cost to repair exceeds current market value.

It’s a pre-1945 design, the curved keyboard points that out and possibly a custom made model made by the specifications requested by this “Paul E?ch”. ‘Eich” is a fairly popular German name.

 

[Anton Helmut]

I hope i'll keep it when it's ready. So selling value doesn't bother me too much. As for repair costs it requires complete overhauling including new bellows.

However there is little rust. Mechanic parts work. Reedblocks are not bent. Nothing looks to be broken or damaged by weather. So the end result might be quite good.

 

[boxplayer4000]

Anton: I believe those early Morinos were made in 1938 and 1939. The Morino I had from that era (see below) had the original tuner's initials/name and date pencilled onto the reed blocks. You probably already know that Hohner can provide production date/first owner etc.
provided you can supply the instrument's identification/serial number (for a small fee of course).
I couldn't agree more with JerryPH's sentiments about Hohner experimenting extensively in design and materials
As is often the case the cost of overhaul will exceed the final value of so many instruments. This might well be the case with your accordion and as I'm not one of those persons 'who know the cost of everything and the value of nothing' then I wouldn't hesitate at an overhaul.
I owned this Hohner Morino (below) and restored it and was very pleased with the result:-

 

[wirralaccordion]

Anton: I believe those early Morinos were made in 1938 and 1939. The Morino I had from that era (see below) had the original tuner's initials/name and date pencilled onto the reed blocks. You probably already know that Hohner can provide production date/first owner etc.
provided you can supply the instrument's identification/serial number (for a small fee of course).
I couldn't agree more with JerryPH's sentiments about Hohner experimenting extensively in design and materials
As is often the case the cost of overhaul will exceed the final value of so many instruments. This might well be the case with your accordion and as I'm not one of those persons 'who know the cost of everything and the value of nothing' then I wouldn't hesitate at an overhaul.
I owned this Hohner Morino (below) and restored it and was very pleased with the result:-

And I haven't had any complaints since buying it off you. Boxplayer!

 

[boxplayer4000]

Thanks Wirral.

 

[noelekal]

Here's a pre-war "fancy" Hohner and the factory historical letter obtained for it.

 

[Anton Helmut]

It’s a pre-1945 design, the curved keyboard points that out and possibly a custom made model made by the specifications requested by this “Paul E?ch”. ‘Eich” is a fairly popular German name.

Closer examination of glue marks on the grill brought us to conclusion that there was "PAUL REICH" written.

The overhauling is started. Today i carried the accordion to "Jupiter" factory. It will take about two months.

 

[JerryPH]

Wow, that sent me thinking… imagine if they could graft bayan reeds to this accordion??

 

[Anton Helmut]

I am sure they can produce a multi-reed rivets for existing reed blocks (i asked them before out of curiocity). But no one garantees that the existing wood with it will sound better than with the original reeds.

And it would ruin the idea of restoration of the old instrument. )

Much easier to buy new or used akko if you wish PA on bayan multi-reeds rivets. And the good result will be garanteed.)

 

[boxplayer4000]

noelekal: the pictures you published on Thursday are in a format that my Mac won't open. Is is possible you could re-publish them in, say, jpeg form?

 

[noelekal]

I closed my Photobucket account. It had gotten buggy, losing a complete album and loading from two to five duplicates of photos faster than I could delete them. When annual membership went up exorbitantly it was the last straw.

Hopefully these will work.

 

[lmschgo]

Good day, dear experts.

Can you, please, tell me what exactly did i just buy?

It does't have any other writings but the "Hohner" and "PAUL **E*CH". Another "H"-letter i've found under the grill. Looks somewhat similar to early morino or 5555.

It has 4 reed blocks LMMM (LM in cassotto) in the right and 5 reedblocks with winkelbass in the left. Left keyboard is 7 row (additional counter bass row with minor 3rd i.e. C-E-Eb). Right keyboard is curved.

It produses some sounds, as much as it's possible without decent half of reed valves. Discant reeds have no rust (i looked under reedvalves, since there are no reed valves holding tight). Bass reeds have little rust, but it doesn't look fatal.

I am going to rebuild it. Just want to know what exactly i am rebuilding.

Paul Reich was a German composer/arranger of accordion music. Your instrument might be one of his.

Reich, Paul (composer) - Accordion (page 1 of 1) | Presto Music

Browse and buy all Sheet Music titles composed by Paul Reich.

www.prestomusic.com

 

[Big Squeezy Accordions]

This is a very cool, custom-built Morino. I have one of these original Morinos, but without the cassotto, curved keyboard, or extra bass row. The extra bass row has nothing to do with free bass, as some have claimed. It's not uncommon, though I've mainly seen it on Paolo Sopranis. I wish curved keyboards would make a comeback, as they are not only very beautiful, but easier on the wrist for those high notes. They must have been difficult and expensive to make, and were thus discontinued. Have you checked the tuning? Some German accordions from this era were tuned very flat, I think A432 or 435.

 

[GeekyPirate]

In awe! Good luck with restoring it to it's former glory! You should definitely keep us posted on the progress you make with it!

 

[noelekal]

This is a very cool, custom-built Morino. I have one of these original Morinos, but without the cassotto, curved keyboard, or extra bass row. The extra bass row has nothing to do with free bass, as some have claimed. It's not uncommon, though I've mainly seen it on Paolo Sopranis. I wish curved keyboards would make a comeback, as they are not only very beautiful, but easier on the wrist for those high notes. They must have been difficult and expensive to make, and were thus discontinued. Have you checked the tuning? Some German accordions from this era were tuned very flat, I think A432 or 435.

I have a bad right shoulder and the curved keyboard is easier on the shoulder when playing its length. Ergonomically, it works really well. The elbow simply pivots naturally while shoulder remains untroubled.

That is balanced out by the pre-war Hohner being relatively primitive to play. Key travel is long and thwarts my efforts on rapid passages in "Clarinet Polka." While the accordion is tight when gravity tugs at the bellows, it flows a lot of air when played, well, more than my main squeeze accordion. The bass shift is inconvenient and actually uncomfortable underneath the base of the palm of the left hand as the little nubs offered to slide the shift bar rub the base of the palm constantly. The bass wrist strap is one-size-fits-all.

All in all playing the pre-war Hohner is a big hoot, however it's much like driving a very early automobile having no electric starter, no automatic transmission, no synchronized gears, no power steering, power brakes, or windshield wipers when compared to the ease of playing a modern accordion.

 

[Big Squeezy Accordions]

I have a bad right shoulder and the curved keyboard is easier on the shoulder when playing its length. Ergonomically, it works really well. The elbow simply pivots naturally while shoulder remains untroubled.

That is balanced out by the pre-war Hohner being relatively primitive to play. Key travel is long and thwarts my efforts on rapid passages in "Clarinet Polka." While the accordion is tight when gravity tugs at the bellows, it flows a lot of air when played, well, more than my main squeeze accordion. The bass shift is inconvenient and actually uncomfortable underneath the base of the palm of the left hand as the little nubs offered to slide the shift bar rub the base of the palm constantly. The bass wrist strap is one-size-fits-all.

All in all playing the pre-war Hohner is a big hoot, however it's much like driving a very early automobile having no electric starter, no automatic transmission, no synchronized gears, no power steering, power brakes, or windshield wipers when compared to the ease of playing a modern accordion.

One of these problems is relatively easy to fix and will make a world of difference to your playing. You can reduce the key throw by taking apart the keyboard and putting thicker felt under the keys. Of course, if you overdo it, it can effect the tuning, particular on the black keys. I do this with most of the pre-WW2 accordions I refurbish. Since they all need a complete tuning anyway, any slight change is not an issue. Actually, I'm curious how these curved keyboards work, as I haven't had the opportunity to take one apart. It seems like a regular key spindle would be out of the question, and other, non-spindle keyboard designs did not appear until a later era.

 

[John Doe]

Actually, I'm curious how these curved keyboards work

The keys in the Hohner "curved" accordions pivot on two straight axles- one for the white and one for the black. It's business as usual. Wooden pallets waxed in, metal arms, ETC.

The difference comes in where the pivot holes in the keys are drilled. The lower end keys have the pivot placed close to the grill about where you'd normally find them. As you go towards the chin end of the keyboard the pivots (all in a straight line to accomodate the axle) wind up farther and farther down the key's length. This means that at the end the section of key that depresses is shorter. The end result in terms of key pressure et al turns out to be not really noticeable and hence no issue (for me at least).

What IS an issue with the passage of time is that any wear in the pivot holes in the keys (and they're drilled at varied angles as you'd expect, to accomodate the straight rods through the ends of keys arrayed in an arc) is accentuated at the pallets on the keys toward the end of the arc. The differing pivot points in the keys and resultant different lengths in the portion of the keys above the pivot means odd lengths in the arms. For many of the keys the length from key tip to pallet is quite a bit longer than on a "normal" accordion meaning that any play at the pivot means greater movement at the pallet than you'd normally expect) and this can amount to quite the pain as one tries to tidy things up and ensure consistent action with a good seal.

The accordion from the foundation plate on back is standard.

(Quoted, slightly edited, from an earlier thread on Hohner curved keyboard accordion repair.)

 

[Big Squeezy Accordions]

The keys in the Hohner "curved" accordions pivot on two straight axles- one for the white and one for the black. It's business as usual. Wooden pallets waxed in, metal arms, ETC.

The difference comes in where the pivot holes in the keys are drilled. The lower end keys have the pivot placed close to the grill about where you'd normally find them. As you go towards the chin end of the keyboard the pivots (all in a straight line to accomodate the axle) wind up farther and farther down the key's length. This means that at the end the section of key that depresses is shorter. The end result in terms of key pressure et al turns out to be not really noticeable and hence no issue (for me at least).

What IS an issue with the passage of time is that any wear in the pivot holes in the keys (and they're drilled at varied angles as you'd expect, to accomodate the straight rods through the ends of keys arrayed in an arc) is accentuated at the pallets on the keys toward the end of the arc. The differing pivot points in the keys and resultant different lengths in the portion of the keys above the pivot means odd lengths in the arms. For many of the keys the length from key tip to pallet is quite a bit longer than on a "normal" accordion meaning that any play at the pivot means greater movement at the pallet than you'd normally expect) and this can amount to quite the pain as one tries to tidy things up and ensure consistent action with a good seal.

The accordion from the foundation plate on back is standard.

(Quoted, slightly edited, from an earlier thread on Hohner curved keyboard accordion repair.)

Fascinating. Thanks.