Thought For The Day

[RGF]

Two more for you today:

First, an item for those who might be looking for something merely ornamental. (Does the fact that they can be used for ANY kind of decorating make them...well... chromatic

[Anahata]

I was given a Hohner 1 row in C and had it sitting around the house (I thought it was sort of...ornamental  ) for many years before finding out that it was a 'real' instrument.

Understandable.
I came to a Pig Dyke Molly practice one night to find two women struggling with a Hohner 1-row melodeon to get it to produce any sound at all. One had inherited it but wasn't a player, the other already plays a pokerwork so understands a bit about melodeons, but neither had figured out that you have to pull the knobs out to get it to make any sound. (hint: no, Turning the knobs doesn't help...)

[Marje]

Those wonderful quotatons, RGF, remind me of those catalogues you get that try to sell you various "useful" gadgets that you'd somehow never known you needed. You could tweak the descriptions along those lines:
 
"No more lugging seven intruments around with you to get the right key! With the touch of a button..." etc

"At last, and end to fiddling around with those pesky basses! With our "Sticky Bass" accessory, you can arrange it so that all your basses play at once, eliminating the need to choose one!"

"Can only play right-handed? Too lazy to learn to use the basses? This is the instrument for you - the left-hand side of the instrument is purely a dummy feature!"

"Can't play at all? Just want a charming accessory to hang on the wall? Forget about "free reeds," try our totally "reed-free" squeezebox. It's light as a feather and comes with its own suction pads to fit on any smooth surface. It will be an instant talking point with all your friends!"

I know, I know, I should have gone into advertising ...

Actually, even a simple instrument can bamboozle people. I once saw an ocarina in a charity shop. I picked it up and played a few notes on it, and the women who worked there said, "Ooh! Ah! So that's what it does! We had no idea what it was !"

[RGF]

Marje,

Took the words right out of my mouth there, when you said, "I should have gone into advertising!"

Your descriptions are quite funny, yet actually not that much farther removed from plausibility than some of those I've been posting here!...... It chops, it peels, it dices, it's chromatic!

Bob

(Interestingly, I began to play the PA back in the early-mid 1950's, when my mother heard a knock at the front door, and it was a salesman from the local music school. I imagine it was something like, "Good afternoon, ma'm.....would your little boy like to become the life of the party? Then he needs to have some accordion lessons!")

[juker]

I was given a Hohner 1 row in C and had it sitting around the house (I thought it was sort of...ornamental  ) for many years before finding out that it was a 'real' instrument.

Understandable.
I came to a Pig Dyke Molly practice one night to find two women struggling with a Hohner 1-row melodeon to get it to produce any sound at all. One had inherited it but wasn't a player, the other already plays a pokerwork so understands a bit about melodeons, but neither had figured out that you have to pull the knobs out to get it to make any sound. (hint: no, Turning the knobs doesn't help...)

I totally know what those girls were feeling!!!!!

[RGF]

And this one, I think, is helping me to see inside the mystique of the Chinese accordion! (I did not save the photos, but just think "rare artwork" with infrequent strings. )

>exquisite wonderful infrequent string accordion I am a businessmen in Beijing.As you know,the culture of Chinese 5,000 years history contains  inestimable history and culture all the arts.So the craft arts have a long history.Now the craft men use the ancient technics to creat beautiful and wonder craft arts such as jade,jewelry and silver carving and stone artifacts.*  All of them are the symbol of happyness and lucky,so they are worth to collect! Now this time I will show you an exquisite and excellent treasure!!! From the photoes, you can see it is very well. With the perfect style,nice design, wonderful workmanship, it is really a rare artwork and worth collecting!!! It is in good condition. Look at the pictures you can see the shape is very well; So wonderful item . If you like Chinese culture, please don't miss this item.

*And also accordions, apparently!

[dogbox]

On ebay.com.au today:

Vintage Italian Scandalli Accordion

If you are looking for a nice vintage instrument to have lying around your house, then this is it!
It is NOT in playing condition; it makes plenty of sound but many keys do not work. Three keys are missing.
Although it is not playable it is a wonderful vintage instrument that would look great as a bar piece or collection in any games room, shed, kitchen or living room.

[RGF]

"...look great in the shed."  Wow!......If I had a shed, I'd have to bid on that one!

Been away for a few days, but I'll post some more tomorrow.

Bob

[Malcolm Clapp]

Just noticed an eBay listing for a Hohner Coroner ll.
Surprisingly, not from a deceased estate....

[RGF]

Bit of an absence, there, but I'm back with a few more tidbits. Today we have on offer......John & Audrey models!


You are bidding on a USED John Custom Built Accordion in good condition. Though this accordion is taken apart, it seems to me that all pieces are in good condition. The plates will probably need to be replaced because they are cracking, some are missing and it seems like the rest are ready to go at any time. Other than that, the keys themselves seem to cover the holes well and react accuratly. In addition, the bellows are flexable and un- rotted, a definite plus. Cosmetically this accordion is vey clean and still very shiny with glittery silver instument keys that let you select one of 11 different instruments to mimic. All together i would say this is a great instrument. I dont think it needs an entire over-haul probably just keys and a couple of screws to hole it together. I guess what it really needs is a bit of attention and love. Now's your chance. Oh yeah, and it comes with its own very nice custom box.


You are viewing an Italian made S. Soprani accordion. The model name is Audrey.  I know nothing about accordions.  I do NOT know how to play this item.  It seems very difficult. I can however stand and pretend to play. It does sound good.

[catty]

Just noticed an eBay listing for a Hohner Coroner ll.
Surprisingly, not from a deceased estate....

Perhaps they're spelling phonetically -- folks in parts of the USA insert an "r" haphazardly into words..."Warshington," for example. 

[RGF]

And here are some little-used instruments, I might surmise:

>This instrument was only used about 6 times by a frail woman during lessons.

>It Had One Owner - A Young Lady Who Seldom Looked At It After the Initial Excitement of Owning It Wore Off. Quick As A Flash The Interest Is Gone! Along Comes a Honda ... End of Titano!!!

> It is in pretty good shape considering the age. Actually I don't know the age.

[Marje]

This is getting to sound a bit like used cars, where "one lady owner" is supposed to confer some sort of advantage. Anyone who thinks that a car I've been in charge of (or indeed an instrument I've owned) is going to have been lovingly maintained will be sadly disappointed.

I have no intention of selling my melodeon, but if anyone's interested in a used Toyota, I can explain about the knock on the front bumper, and those scratches over the wheel arch would soon clean up with a bit of T-cut, I'm told. And when it's washed, you'll find it's actually green, not khaki-grey.

[Chris Ryall]

I think only in 2 of the last 20 years has my car been worth more than the melodeons in its boot. 

[risto]

I think only in 2 of the last 20 years has my car been worth more than the melodeons in its boot.  

On the spot; I don't see why anybody would like to have an ugly and expensive painted box made out of sheet metal when there are very nice looking wooden boxes to choose from.  

[strad]

Wooden boxes?? With brass handles etc? And possibly a little owners plate on the top at the widest point.
Lined within with red velvet. Never been used before!

Nigel

[Ebor_fiddler]

I had a fiddle case like that! 

[RGF]

Well, I know I've ignored this thread for a while, although I still have a few gems collected here that are waiting to be posted. (Something to do, it seems, with a small rowing skiff that has begun to take shape in the other half of the garage, and there goes my attention span.) But!..... I just at this moment came across this advertisement on the local Craig's List, and found it very illuminating. I had no idea that the Titano PA was first manufactured in 1729!

"I am selling my vintage Titano accordian. This would be great for a beginner or for a collector. The impressed date on the body is 1729 made in Italy. The most impressive things is that the serial number is 006 meaning this accordian could be a gold mine because i've read that when numbers are that low it means it was the 6th one made before it went in to production. Everything works perfect on this accordian but because it needs a tiny bit of body work I will accept reasonable offers."

THIS re-writes the history of the instrument, doesn't it!?

Bob

[Malcolm Clapp]

A classic "Ask seller a question" spotted on eBay today regarding a p/accordion....

Q: Hello can you tell me the weight Thank you       
A: It feels quite heavy.

Hmmm.

Maybe if he'd said "Please" it may have generated a little more enthusiasm....   

[boaz-1990]