Perle or Hohnica? (48 bass)

[Montanagirl]

So I traded my Juwel in for an Aschat and now I kinda miss the little one.    

I don't miss the smaller keys, but I was able to play quieter on it.  The Aschat box is bigger and louder, of course, and closer to my head. I started developing worse tinnitus in lower tones than I already had from 50 years in the music business.  Now my mind is actually supplying circle-of-fifths bass lines...it's insane.  

Now I'm wearing earplugs while practicing, as I have done during performance since the 80s.  Not really what I wanted to do.

So maybe I need a smaller practice accordion?  Something like the Perle, or the 48 bass Hohner Hohnica?  I hate to go the Chinese manufacture route but there is not a lot out there in smaller sizes.

A month ago I ordered a used Hohnica from Germany but it never showed up and it's been impossible to track.  Am contesting the charge.

Anyone?   I guess it's a technique issue too but the nearness of the thing to my head is always going to be an issue, though I will need it if I ever get to jam with anyone again.

 

[Tiposx]

So I traded my Juwel in for an Aschat and now I kinda miss the little one.    

I don't miss the smaller keys, but I was able to play quieter on it.  The Aschat box is bigger and louder, of course, and closer to my head. I started developing worse tinnitus in lower tones than I already had from 50 years in the music business.  Now my mind is actually supplying circle-of-fifths bass lines...it's insane.  

Now I'm wearing earplugs while practicing, as I have done during performance since the 80s.  Not really what I wanted to do.

So maybe I need a smaller practice accordion?  Something like the Perle, or the 48 bass Hohner Hohnica?  I hate to go the Chinese manufacture route but there is not a lot out there in smaller sizes.

A month ago I ordered a used Hohnica from Germany but it never showed up and it's been impossible to track.  Am contesting the charge.

Anyone?   I guess it's a technique issue too but the nearness of the thing to my head is always going to be an issue, though I will need it if I ever get to jam with anyone again.

---

Wouldn't a Roland be ideal?

 

[Montanagirl]

So I traded my Juwel in for an Aschat and now I kinda miss the little one.    

I don't miss the smaller keys, but I was able to play quieter on it.  The Aschat box is bigger and louder, of course, and closer to my head. I started developing worse tinnitus in lower tones than I already had from 50 years in the music business.  Now my mind is actually supplying circle-of-fifths bass lines...it's insane.  

Now I'm wearing earplugs while practicing, as I have done during performance since the 80s.  Not really what I wanted to do.

So maybe I need a smaller practice accordion?  Something like the Perle, or the 48 bass Hohner Hohnica?  I hate to go the Chinese manufacture route but there is not a lot out there in smaller sizes.

A month ago I ordered a used Hohnica from Germany but it never showed up and it's been impossible to track.  Am contesting the charge.

Anyone?   I guess it's a technique issue too but the nearness of the thing to my head is always going to be an issue, though I will need it if I ever get to jam with anyone again.

---

Wouldn't a Roland be ideal?

---

I assume that's pretty expensive.  The Hohnica is much cheaper but if it sounds radically worse than the Weltmeister then I guess I shouldn't bother.

Should have said cost is an issue

 

[OuijaBoard]

Well, you know my view-Weltmeister Perle will be significantly more playable, responsive, and better-sounding than the Hohnica.

Hohnica is an even more cheaply-made Asian Hohner than the Asian Hohner that would be a rough, six-to-one-half-dozen-the-other equivalent to the Weltmeister Perle---That would be the Hohner Bravo II 48.    They come in various colors, you can check them out on Google.

The Hohner Bravo line and the Weltmeisters occasionally need a tweak when you get them---a couple high notes might feel slightly choked and need an air/tongue tweak, or a on couple of notes the musette might be a hair too wet and need a little tweak, but they are solid, playable instruments at their price point.   I prefer the Weltmeister Perle, but some like the Hohner Bravo in that price range.   Some people dont like the factory wetness setting on one or the other and have it thinned, but that is not a quality issue.

The Hohnica will be less enjoyable to play and might need more tuning and/or work to get it more comfortable.

 

[Montanagirl]

Well, you know my view-Weltmeister Perle will be significantly more playable, responsive, and better-sounding than the Hohnica.

Hohnica is an even more cheaply-made Asian Hohner than the Asian Hohner that would be a rough, six-to-one-half-dozen-the-other equivalent to the Weltmeister Perle---That would be the Hohner Bravo II 48.    They come in various colors, you can check them out on Google.

The Hohner Bravo line and the Weltmeisters occasionally need a tweak when you get them---a couple high notes might feel slightly choked and need an air/tongue tweak, or a on couple of notes the musette might be a hair too wet and need a little tweak, but they are solid, playable instruments at their price point.   I prefer the Weltmeister Perle, but some like the Hohner Bravo in that price range.   Some people dont like the factory wetness setting on one or the other and have it thinned, but that is not a quality issue.

The Hohnica will be less enjoyable to play and might need more tuning and/or work to get it more comfortable.

Thanks...Ive probably been spoiled playing new Weltmeisters anyway.

 

[JeffJetton]

Well, you know my view-Weltmeister Perle will be significantly more playable, responsive, and better-sounding than the Hohnica.

My sentiments as well. Playing a 48-bass Hohnica will be a chore and not worth the cost savings.

I'm a Welty fan--for me, they hit the sweet spot between price and quality, if you're buying new. The Bravo line is perfectly fine for the price too, although not as much of a bargain as they used to be.

A good, used Hohner Student 48 might fit the bill, although they're not particularly quiet.

 

[cat]

I just bought a (used) Delicia junior 48. I have issues with the weight of my larger accordions, and used to enjoy playing out with my little Paolo Soprani 32 bass until I wore it out. Of course it doesnt do everything, but what it does, it does well.

I'd been looking for a Welty but those rarely show up (I shop online as i'm in Montana too). The only 48s I see with any frequency are the Hohners.

 

[debra]

When an accordion is too loud for the player it may not because it is bigger or louder in an absolute sense. An accordion is designed to project the sound sideways and forwards, towards the audience. If you sit properly, with the accordion straight up, most of the sound is moving away from you as a player. You can plyy for a large audience and even though you are closest to the instrument you are not going deaf. But if you hold the instrument the wrong way (like a bit diagonal, too far forward on your legs, more sound is going towards you as player. I normally play a bayan, which is a button accordion with the keyboard further away from your body than many accordions. The bayan is a very loud instrument. But the sound is oriented strongly towards the audience. When I make recordings with different accordions I can easily see (on the volume meter) that the bayan is louder, but when I play it does not sound louder to me because the sound isn't oriented towards me.
So you have to check how to hold the accordion to have more of the sound going away from you as the player.

 

[byudzai]

I just got a sound level meter and had my wife hold it by my ear as I played my full-size accordion. It registered around 90 dB, borderline for OSHA ear-safe. That's about how it feels when I play, borderline. I got some musician earplugs but hate wearing them. Will probably tinker with over-ear lightweight options. Shouldn't take much to knock it down a few dB but needs to be easy, accessible, comfortable.

48 bass butons prevent you from playing in e-minor, right? I'm angling for a 60-bass small accordion but mostly for portability.