Jon's Seal of Approval.

[Stephen Hawkins]

I took my new (old) Hohner IV M 120/41 to Jon Brindley's home yesterday afternoon. Jon knows more about accordions than I do, and he had offered to help me fix it.

Jon normally plays a Bugari when performing, but also plays the 120/41 Hohner which his Father left to him. After playing my Arietta, Jon stated that it is sweeter than the Atlantic. He went on to say that my Arietta is probably as good as we are going to get it.

Everything now is working well, and we have freed off the key changers. Now all I have to do is convert from a 72 to a 120.

Please have a look in the events section, as Jon has a gig on Saturday. He will be playing his Bugari, and he is certainly worth the very modest ticket price of £5.

Kind Regards,

Stephen.

 

[debra]

Glad to hear everything is fine with the Arietta. I can certainly believe that it is "sweeter" than an Atlantic. The Atlantic can be called many things, but "sweet" would not come to mind. Its more metal construction gives it a harsh sound, a lot of volume but not refined. The old Atlantic IV at least has the "jalousie" to mellow the tone somewhat but the IV N does not. It is literally a screamer. My wife still has a Verdi V and I much prefer the sound of the Verdi over that of an Atlantic. (Both of course are miles away from the Morino sound which is again quite a distance away from the Gola sound...)

 

[Stephen Hawkins]

Hi Paul,

It is almost unbelievable that an instrument which has spent 29 years in an unheated garage can sound so sweet. I honestly thought that it would cost me a small fortune to get the Arietta working properly, but it has actually cost me nothing.

I have managed to get the key changers working, which had been a major concern. There will, of course, be better accordions out there, but I am now deeply in love with my Arietta.

Kind Regards,

Stephen.

 

[JerryPH]

Isn't that wonderful when you expect the worst and get the best outcome possible.

When do we get to hear you with this little gem, Stephen?

 

[Stephen Hawkins]

Hi Jerry,

You are quite right, it is marvellous when something far exceeds your expectations, and the Arietta has certainly done that.

I would not have trusted my own judgement on this matter but, if Jon Brindley says it is okay, it is okay. Jon played at least ten tunes on the Arietta, many of them his own composition.

I can't even post a photograph on here, much less a recording. If I do get around to it, I will most assuredly let you know.

All The Best,

Stephen.

 

[Shand79MorinoMan]

In the past here in Scotland the Morino was always thought of as the work horse in band work and the Gola was more fo solo work as
it's construction was thought to be more robust. This refered to yhe domino coupler versions
Roy

 

[Stephen Hawkins]

Hello Roy,

I really don't know all that much about Hohner instruments, though I am learning a bit as I go along. The Arietta was made between 1952 & 1961, and mine is the IV M model 120/41.

It was previously owned by a Scottish gentleman, living in England, and was passed on to me by his daughter. He sadly died 29 years ago, and the Arietta has languished in a garage ever since.

Given that the Arietta has been poorly stored for such a long period of time, I am truly amazed that it still plays so well.

Kind Regards,

Stephen.