Looking for a vintage 48 bass Piano accordion

[Plinky]

Hi, thank you for letting me join the forum. I'm new to the PA but have played the melodeon for several years.

I have a new Hohner 48 bass PA that I'm delighted with ,but being a vintage nut I would also like a vintage 48 bass PA

From my Hohner list , seems to be two options from the 50s/60s
Hohner student VM and the Concerto 1 ,but according to a couple of websites Hohner also made a LA Divina and also made instruments for the Bell Accordion company.

I'm getting some playing help and advice from a retired professional accordionist but he has a modern-ish 48 bass accordion and is rather sceptical of older instruments “money pits”LOL

I'm only interested in a 48 bass as having seen one played wonderfully it's more than enough buttons for me to contend with in my retirement and at around 5 kg is pretty comfortable with the old back.

I wondered if anyone knows anything about the LA Divina or any PA,s made by Hohner for the Bell Accordion company.

Thankyou for any information you may have

 

[Ikesaccordions]

IDK if you would want a 4X12 48 bass. They all need restoration and new bellows.

 

[Ventura]

the guy who was Bell accordion was one of the best in the business..
he could build an accordion himself from scratch and did so many times
on his way up to creating Bell as a top notch company

the mere idea that he would ever even consider badging a Hohner
product under the Bell brandname is ridiculous

i could be wrong, and i have no definitive information one way or the
other.. just the obvious knowledge that the Internet is full of bullshit like this
and a deep respect for Aldo Mencaccini

this inference, in my opinion, is an insult to his reputation and legacy

 

[Plinky]

IDK if you would want a 4X12 48 bass. They all need restoration and new bellows.

What all of them

 

[Plinky]

the guy who was Bell accordion was one of the best in the business..
he could build an accordion himself from scratch and did so many times
on his way up to creating Bell as a top notch company

the mere idea that he would ever even consider badging a Hohner
product under the Bell brandname is ridiculous

i could be wrong, and i have no definitive information one way or the
other.. just the obvious knowledge that the Internet is full of bullshit like this
and a deep respect for Aldo Mencaccini

this inference, in my opinion, is an insult to his reputation and legacy

So that's a definite,no then as its ridiculous
But followed by “I don't know”
Then followed by outrage at the mere inference?

Extraordinary response

 

[Dingo40]

Here's a vintage (1930s) 48 bass (4x12 layout) PA in action:

Here's 6x8 layout:

But...
Do you really need so many basses?

 

[Plinky]

Here's a vintage (1930s) 48 bass (4x12 layout) PA in action:

Here's 6x8 layout:

Hi Dingo I,m looking for a vintage 6x8 both the LA Divina and Bell Hohner's seem to come up quite often for sale but there is little information on them .The LA Divina is not listed in the hohner database but looks identical to the Bell Hohners I thought someone on the forum might have owned one or has some information

 

[OuijaBoard]

There was also the Hohner Junior 48, which came in several bright colors. Plastic chassis, IIRC, but light and with that inimitable Hohner folk music voice personality. I think those were 70s or 80s-ish. Then there's the Hohner Starlet, an older vintage in the red/gold grill combo. Starlet was a 40-bass MM tremolo with no register switch. Unique for weighing about 8 pounds. I see Liberty currently has one they're rating Excellent, priced at a grand.

And that's the thing--the vintage Hohner 26 48s have really risen in price, perhaps understandably given the flimsy build of the Bravos and the wince-worthy prices of new Italian 26-keys-- the rare offerings are running $2500 and upward, for a 2-voice. But believe it or not, the key action and soundboard on your Bravo is silky and fast compared to the classic Students and Concerto Is. There were improvements over the years, and the Bravo has the benefit of the "T" action that was the last and best action before H's West German Workhorse models started to be produced in Asia.

 

[OuijaBoard]

The action on an old classic Hohner Workhorse--in excellent repair, that is-- is hardly dreadful or unplayable, but the most recent action on the Hohner Workhorses is better.

A bit more: some of the vintage Hohner 26/48s were made in Czechoslovakia, International and Hohnica, but even some generations of the Student. I don't know which.

You can peruse lots of vintage Hohner 26-keys here. Note the prices for those rated Excellent or Mint--not unique to these folks--as noted in my last post LB is asking a grand for a 40-bass Starlet with no switches. I've purchased 2 accordions from these very nice people in Germany and had very good experiences, but they were brand-new 48-bass 3-row Hohner Nova CBAs that give me 30 treble notes in an 11.5-pound package the size of a 26-treble PA for outdoor folk festivals. "Never Say Never" and all that, but buying vintage long distance is a different proposition.

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[Walker]

Just to clarify - Bell Musical Instruments (Surbiton, Surrey, England) is not the same as the famous American Bell accordion company.

I actually have a 12 bass BELL (of Surbiton) accordion and a 48 bass LA DAVINA that were made by Hohner back in the day.

 

[Plinky]

Hi thanks I have quite a lot of information on the starlet 40 Hohner ,student VM and the Concerto 1,but the LA Divina and the Bell company(Surbiton, Surrey UK)are not in my Hohner list

I'm assuming that the internals “reed blocks etc” are obviously Hohner so that's why they are being advertised as made by Hohner but one cant be sure if the quality of the mechanical /reeds is the same as the branded version.



The chap that played my Bravo is a retired professional accordionist and it was incredible what he could get out of his 48 bass.
He showed me a couple of useful “hacks” using the diminished row and he really liked the playability of my Hohner silent key but said see how you get on but forget an old Hohner and just buy a 48 bass Bugari like his.
But I kinda like the old Hohner,s

 

[Plinky]

Hi Walker I'm new to accordion so when looking for 48 bass 6x8 the LA Divina and the Bell company version keep coming up ,and as they are not on my Hohner list I wondered if they were made to the same quality as the 50/60s Hohners.

 

[TomBR]

Hi Plinky - good luck in your search. Here in the UK I'd just look for a Hohner badged 6x8. They're great little accordions.
Sandy Brechin does great things with one, and it's easy to fly with!

Depending on the music you're playing, (particularly with an eye to folk/trad of these islands) you might consider getting the bass reeds moved around to give a B row for that useful B minor! You lose your Eb row of course. On the other hand you have "all the notes" in the basses and counterbasses anyway.

 

[Plinky]

Hi Tom “Sandy Brechin”he is in my saved list absolutely wonderful playing
I'm getting some help from a professional accordionist. He also plays a 48 bass and it's quite frankly ridiculous ,all the different styles he can play on it and the left hand is just crazy.
His advice was “you have everything at your fingertips you just need to find it “

 

[Plinky]

Hi Walker, how much are you asking for it?.......When you say “might benefit from a check over by a technician” is it in tune?all the buttons keys work as they should?Are the bellows airtight? and is there any musty smell? sorry for all the questions these 50/60s Hohners are actually notoriously expensive if they need a re valve and tune.

 

[JerryPH]

Hi Walker I'm new to accordion so when looking for 48 bass 6x8 the LA Divina and the Bell company version keep coming up ,and as they are not on my Hohner list I wondered if they were made to the same quality as the 50/60s Hohners.

According to the Hohner models PDF which reaches out to as recent as 2006, the name "Divina" is not there anywhere, so I expect it would be manufactured in China and hence to a lower quality standard.

 

[Plinky]

Hi walker many thanks for the offer of pictures but I think I'm good with the basic design and layout.
And good luck with your daughters 72 bass

 

[Plinky]

Hi Jerry think they are 50/60s but not listed as made by hohner

La Divina 48 Bass Accordion

La Divina 48 Bass Accordion

theaccordionshop.co.uk

I,m not sure how they determined they were hohner made they are very different in look to the the hohners of the time
probably internals and reed blocks

 

[Plinky]

Many thanks for the info they all seem to be quite plentiful and relatively cheap in the uk

Hohner Accordions Starlet 40 Unused New Old Stock | eBay

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this starlet 40 seems to be mint condition but been on for ages .
I think 48 bass is viewed more as a starter instrument and I thought it would just be a stepping stone but now having seen whats possible on a 48 bass i,m thinking old hohner for tinkering with and eventually a swanky Italian 48 bass when I'm competent enough to play it

 

[OuijaBoard]

The La Divina gives me an East Germany feeling . . . but what do I know.

When you get ready for your swanky Italian 26-key MM, do keep the 60-bass option in mind. It's the same size and weight as the 48-bass, but with a tonic row for every note in the scale. The 26/72 config is also around--those are a bit heavier, they often seem to be LMM boxes. But the 26/60 MM is now starting to be the new 26/48 MM, at least in some of the swanky Italian versions. At the prices now being asked for Italian 26-key MM boxes, they jolly well should include 60 basses.

In Italian 26-key MMs--Beltuna and Bugari offer a 26/60, though you rarely see them in stock anywhere. Bugari used to do 26/48 and perhaps still does, but 26/60 in the same size chassis is much better, and they're now offering it. Dino Baffetti does a 26/48, but you rarely see one in a stock listing. Serenellini does a 26/60 LMM, as does Ottavianelli and as did Paolo Soprani, or whoever was making boxes under that badge. Piatanesi also does a nice 26-key LMM with voci armoniche reeds.

The PA models offered in the Hohner Anacleto line are the Hohner Anacleto Latino models. That line and Gabbanelli offer a good old-fashioned 26/48 MM with full decoration at shocking prices--like, $4500 or more for literally a 26/48MM. The Hohner Anacleto Latino is a mano reeds, the Gabbanelli . . . questionable at best. I see Gabbanelli is listing the 26/48 MM at $4600. Unbelievable.

It makes the premium-priced "Little Pro" LMM 26/72 offered by Petosa at $4500 look like a bargain.