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Hohner Student 48 bass

Garve

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I have been offered a Hohner Student 48 bass which is in good condition and plays well. The only issue I have is that the bass sounds very heavy and I have been told this is common with German accordions. Is there any way to quieten the bass such as internal muffler or will that just ruin the overall bass sound.
Also, can anyone recommend a 48 bass that has a better balanced bass sound, I have been told that I should look for an Italian made but anything decent seems quite expensive.
 
As a learner - 8 months after 1st picking up an accordion - I commented that the bass was loud/heavy. It was suggested that I play more staccato in the bass and when I manage that, wow! the bass is lighter.
 
One idea: Have a competent tech block off the 4th bass reed that is a 2nd low octave reed. It's usually easily accomplished with paper or some such. Larger boxes often have a bass register switch to enable you to lighten the bass at will, but with the little folk boxes you often don't get that feature. I've had the 2nd low bass reed blocked in more than one little box, as I play a lot of melody music on small accordions and hate crashing bass.

Another idea: Weltmeister offers two small MM treble models where the bass side has only 3 voices. The 26/48 Perle with full-size keys, and the 30/60 Rubin giving you 30 slimmed treble keys in a chassis the same size as the 26 key Perle. Their quote-unquote "weak" bass side is one, but only one reason I love those little guys for certain uses. You could look for a recent, pristine condition Perle, say. Emilio Allodi at Allodi Accordions in London often has used and new examples on hand. Liberty Bellows in Philly usually has both in stock new in an array of color choices.
 
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As a learner - 8 months after 1st picking up an accordion - I commented that the bass was loud/heavy. It was suggested that I play more staccato in the bass and when I manage that, wow! the bass is lighter.

^^^ This.

In most cases, you gotta imagine those bass buttons are red hot and give them only a quick jab. Any accordion will sound subpar if you stomp all over the basses.

FWIW, I have a Hohner Student 48, and I think it sounds great. A good little "throw it in the back of the car and take it to a picnic" sort of accordion. If the price is right, the OP should snap that one up!
 
Perhaps I am expecting too much from what is a cheap accordion. I often hear a Vignoni being played at a local group and it sounds amazing and nicely balanced but you have to pay for that quality
 
Perhaps I am expecting too much from what is a cheap accordion. I often hear a Vignoni being played at a local group and it sounds amazing and nicely balanced but you have to pay for that quality
How's the vignoni player's experience? Good players will make any instrument sound OK-to-good-to-excellent, but inexperienced beginners will still sound like beginners even on the best instrument.
 
I have been offered a Hohner Student 48 bass which is in good condition and plays well. The only issue I have is that the bass sounds very heavy and I have been told this is common with German accordions. Is there any way to quieten the bass such as internal muffler or will that just ruin the overall bass sound.
Also, can anyone recommend a 48 bass that has a better balanced bass sound, I have been told that I should look for an Italian made but anything decent seems quite expensive.

It's worth noting that the sound you hear from behind the accordion will differ from that heard by your audience.

You could try:
  • Recording yourself playing
  • Get another accordionist to play it to you
  • Ask the opinion of listeners.
The balance could well be better than you think!
 
Years ago on accordion forums or blogs (remember blogs?), you used to come across debates between the sound of German vs Italian reeds and accordions, all in good humor, of course. This would usually concern standard or folk instruments, as at the higher end reeds tended to be Italian or have a more refined tone even if not.

The "Italian sound" you like in the Vignoni is simply a different tone personality than what you hear from what I call the Hohner "West German Workhorses" like the Hohner Students, the Concertos, or the bisonoric Coronas or Double Rays. They sent production of the workhorses to China around Y2K, but even now the more expensive Chinese Hohners get pretty close to that mojo in their sound, though the parts and components don't seem as likely to hold up for 60 years.

Now, whether you find the Hohner Workhorse tone "vibrant," or "strident," is all a matter of subjective preference. But for some players of folk or roots genres, that Hohner sound is the sound of joy in a bottle--some roots players hunt for vintage Hohner Students, Concertos, or Coronas, specifically to get that sound.

Others would find the "Italian sound" more lyrical, romantic, and richer, with more dynamic shading. If that is what makes your heart skip a beat, great. I love both, personally. You can save for a new Vignoni, or hunt for a used Italian accordion with the tone personality you like. But there's nothing wrong with the Hohner Student so long as the example is in good repair. For certain use cases, it's a classic in its own right.
 
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The Hohner bass sound vs Italian right hand sound is exactly what I see when I play the Morino and Beltuna back to back. Once used to it, the bass on the Beltuna sounds weak compared to the Morino, but in actuality when you record both back to back, the balance on both is really quite close but there is a tonal difference. I can say that after many years I prefer the more powerful bass sound and it CAN sound overbearing to the wearer, but its not like that for the audience.

In the end, the Hohner maybe a little deeper but the "Italian sound" is a little richer, so it really comes out to the balance you are looking for.

And most definitely, playing technique and (in cases like me, where the choice exists), the registration chosen makes an even bigger difference and you can literally toss the balance from one hand over the other and it becomes part of the game, part of the fun, if you will. :)
 
But for some players of folk or roots genres, that Hohner sound is the sound of joy in a bottle--some roots players hunt for vintage Hohner Students, Concertos, or Coronas, specifically to get that sound.

How beautifully put! I was offered a part-ex on my Concerto last week, I didn't for a moment think of parting with it - I love its sound.
 
Last week I was watching a 60-bass two-voice MM Saltarelle Clifden PA that was at Liberty Bellows used, described as excellent condition. Offered used, for a "mere" used price of $3,000.00. Current new price for that model in the U.S. is around $5500.00. I see one in stock at a Netherlands dealer for 6,060.00 euro. For a 2-voice MM 60-bass. True, they are lovely, with cherry wood cabinets and a mano reeds. But honestly, at the end of the day for trad/roots/folk . . . . in a 2-voice MM I'd just as soon have a Student or a Concerto II in excellent nick. You can have the tremolo tuned to your taste and cover the 2nd low octave bass reed if you don't like it.
 
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Thank you all for your helpful and interesting comments. My choice - sound wise, would be for the 'Italian tones' but that is nether practical or sensible for a beginner. I need to prove to myself first of all that I can get the most out of an accordion or else just stick to playing my acoustic guitar.
 
Thank you all for your helpful and interesting comments. My choice - sound wise, would be for the 'Italian tones' but that is nether practical or sensible for a beginner. I need to prove to myself first of all that I can get the most out of an accordion or else just stick to playing my acoustic guitar.
There's something to be said for having access to instruments deserving more skilled players: they make improvements (accidental or planned) quite more obvious and thus provide more incentives for practice. But of course it makes sense to balance the costs with the reasonably expected returns.
 
Thank you all for your helpful and interesting comments. My choice - sound wise, would be for the 'Italian tones' but that is nether practical or sensible for a beginner. I need to prove to myself first of all that I can get the most out of an accordion or else just stick to playing my acoustic guitar.
Nah, don’t wait. Play any accordion you can get your hands on. In fact, stop over here this afternoon and I’ll give you one (but I’m not shipping it). You’ll likely upgrade anyway. If only people who “can get the most out” played, there would only be 5 people on this forum. And how fun would that be?
 
Good players will make any instrument sound OK-to-good-to-excellent, but inexperienced beginners will still sound like beginners even on the best instrument.
I think you're very right.
From that point of view I'm not sure I deserved the instruments I indulged myself. :ROFLMAO:
 
I think you're very right.
From that point of view I'm not sure I deserved the instruments I indulged myself. :ROFLMAO:
Oh, I am sure I don't deserve the instruments I play. Sometimes you just have to accept being lucky. When I am gone, the instruments can look for better players.
 
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