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[risto]

I'm probably totally getting out of my mind. Just yesterday ordered this tiny little chromatic 4-row accordion (EDIT: in red), just to see what happens to Irish tunes played with one of these, should have enough basses at least and should work in almost every key with no problem. Not much bigger than the prewar Erika size is 31 x 18,5 cm2:

http://www.hohner.eu/index.php?803

EDIT: I'll post first impressions and photos when I get it, will take 2-3 weeks.

[C age ing]

Risto,
You've forgotten the most important information,
What colour?

[risto]

DECEMBER 1.

- The accordion cost me 935 euros, which seems to be less than what the basic 3-row Nova II C-system is sold for in some internet shops in England.

- Just opened the packing and one of the treble buttons had come off and was lying somewhere on the bottom of the gig bag. The screw in the pearl button is glued on the pearl surfaced plastic (or what ever it is made of), instead of cast. Must remember to always carry Super Epoxy with Chinese Hohner products. This first of the first impressions made me think that I will never again buy accordions made by Hohner.

- No straps came with the thing so I have to take one from my Morgane and start with just one strap.

- The button grid spacing is about 18.5 mm compared to the 20 mm in the Morgane.

- The left hand strap has no adjustment screw like in the Morgane but is one of those sticker type straps. Remains to be seen will it work.

- The keyboard is stepped with ~ 4 mm increments.

- The buttons have same type felt washer stops as in the Morgane, the button travel is about 4 mm on the 2nd row.

- Would you believe this because I can't, once I touched the bass buttons one of the buttons fell off the same way as in the treble side!!!

- I am going to cancel this deal I'm so disspointed to get this kind of expensive crap. The bass button is on the first row somewhere in the middle of the pic. (I had glued the treble button so I can't show it. Wish I had taken a photo before gluing it, but I though it was a one time fault or damaged during the shipping so fixed it before trying to play):

http://www.kolumbus.fi/Slowsession/Morgane/NovaII_Button1.jpg


Nova vs Morgane:

http://www.kolumbus.fi/Slowsession/Morgane/Nova&Morgane.jpg


CONTINUING....

[Waltham]

What a pain.  If you get a chance before sending it back, would you mind terribly measuring the dimensions of the bellows frame?  I'm on the lookout for a small stradella bass to graft on to the other end of a Hohner Trichord, I've already done it once with (see Frankenstein's Accordion thread on the old forum) but I'd like more basses than I got that time.

Thanks.

[Jake Middleton (brinwins)]

blimy! brand new accordion falling apart? thats a sorry tale

while on the hohner website I had a look around, look at this: http://www.hohner.eu/index.php?1071        Useing nice looking girl as advertiseing for melodeon, ive never seen the like!

[risto]

What a pain. ...  If you get a chance before sending it back, would you mind terribly measuring the dimensions of the bellows frame?

Waltham, check the private meassage. BTW. I really fancy your idea to have Stradella bass in a diatonic, that will take it close to the 'perfect melodeon' (ever considered the melody bass (=free bass), also used in CBAs for classical music?)

blimy! brand new accordion falling apart? thats a sorry tale

Yes it is, I had high hopes for this one.

I have already put the accordion back in it's packing and will take it back to the dealer first thing on Monday morning. I hope our consumer laws are on my side on this, the life expectancy clearly isn't very long for a construction like that.

[A Nonny Mouse Esq]

while on the hohner website I had a look around, look at this: http://www.hohner.eu/index.php?1071        Useing nice looking girl as advertiseing for melodeon, ive never seen the like!

Lin, what are you doing with the extra money?
Squeak.

[Waltham]

BTW. I really fancy your idea to have Stradella bass in a diatonic, that will take it close to the 'perfect melodeon' (ever considered the melody bass (=free bass), also used in CBAs for classical music?)

Yes, but not for long!  Since I already played B/C/C# with a stradella bass and just wanted a lighter one the choice was fairly clear.  And it looks like the Nova/Bravo (piano accordion equivalent) II 60A could be the right bass donor for the next version, now I just have to see how cheaply I can find one.  I don't suppose Hohner would sell me just the bass end but I'll ask anyway.

[risto]

... And it looks like the Nova/Bravo (piano accordion equivalent) II 60A could be the right bass donor for the next version, now I just have to see how cheaply I can find one.  I don't suppose Hohner would sell me just the bass end but I'll ask anyway.

Have you tried the German Ebay, I have seen lots of cheap piano accordions there; and good luck for the hunting.

[risto]

The dealer was very friendly and understanding and did not want to argue with me in any way. I have to think very carefully what to do and what NOT to do next.

EDIT:

To Waltham:

Just want to let you know that if you plan to use the Nova bass end, the distances of the bass buttons in the diagonal (chord) direction is about 12 mm. I found the buttons to be too close to one another for an adult.

[Bill Young]

Just want to let you know that if you plan to use the Nova bass end, the distances of the bass buttons in the diagonal (chord) direction is about 12 mm. I found the buttons to be too close to one another for an adult.

That sounds about normal. I have 3 stradella bass accordions. The diagonal button spacings are: 120 bass - 12.4mm;
80 bass - 12.5mm; 50 bass - 12mm. None of these gives a problem. I think I've got fairly normal-size hands. In playing stradella bass, one needs to play the buttons with the very tips of the fingers, i.e. with the distal phalange co-axial with the buttons. The stradella bass cannot be played properly with the pads of the fingers, i.e. with the fingers at 45 or 90 degrees to the button axis, like one might play the treble side.

[risto]

That sounds about normal....

All right, good that you pointed that out. The ones I have seen haven't had that tight a layout.

[Waltham]

Glad to hear the dealer did the decent thing, sounds like a good guy, care to name him?

If you still want a small C-griff CBA you might want to take a look at ebay item 110202078392, an "AKKORDEON PICCOLISSIMA SIWA & FIGLI PER BAMBINI", yours for 850 euros plus postage.

[risto]

Glad to hear the dealer did the decent thing, sounds like a good guy, care to name him?

Check the private message.

If you still want a small C-griff CBA you might want to take a look at ebay item 110202078392, an "AKKORDEON PICCOLISSIMA SIWA & FIGLI PER BAMBINI", yours for 850 euros plus postage.

I'm now after one used 5-row which I can try before buy.

[Lars]

I would go with the "try before buy" or at least "being able to CARRY home" with the large.

I have a 96 bass 5-row for sale in Denmark, and I'd rather not send it by ANY sort of postal service!

These things are quite heavy compared to a diatonic, and I think most of us have had, or heard of, troubles with the handling of boxes in the mail...

/Lars

[risto]

I have a 96 bass 5-row for sale in Denmark...
/Lars

Here we have almost nothing but 5-rows and PAs. Anything but an Italian made w/ Finnish C-system you will get for very cheap. For instance, there is now a decent Weltmaister C-system for about 240 euros, which I perhaps should go and check.

[oldclubII]

- Would you believe this because I can't, once I touched the bass buttons one of the buttons fell off the same way as in the treble side!!!

What a disappointment! I guess the quality control on Chinese production isn't always working... That's why I prefer to buy from a local shop, even if it costs ore money. If the buttons fall in the shop while trying the instrument, it makes a stronger point!

[risto]

What a disappointment! I guess the quality control on Chinese production isn't always working... .

We had a discussion about the Hohner's "Chinese connection" here on our local bulletin board and it came out that 4 out of the 6 the members in the Hohner's Supervisory Board - members of which are usually selected by the share holders -  are Taiwanese i.e. Chinese. Since 1996/7 about 70% of the shares of Matth. Hohner AG have been owned by HS Investment Group Inc, a company registered to Tortola, a tax paradise in the British Virgin Islands. in 1995/6 Hohner had about 600 workers in Germany but after the majority of the shares were sold to HS Investment Group Inc people were laid off to about one third.  HS Investment Group Inc is a Taiwanese company involved in the musical instrument business throughout the Far East. You can read more by Googling with "HS Investment Group".

It seems that the influence of these Chinese owners has reached the design of the Nova, the whole instrument felt like a Chinese toy to me, far from a qenuine German quality product.  Keep your old Pokerworks and all the old real Hohners , one day they may even be valuable.