Melodeon.net Forums
Discussions => Instrument Makes and Models => Topic started by: Theo on April 26, 2010, 01:18:57 PM
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My new ebay purchase (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180494033122) has just arrived, a "Beaver Brand" two row in Bb/Eb which looks every inch a Hohner, but I can see no sign of a Hohner name anywhere on the outside. Will have a look inside and posts some photos.
How many other brand names were hohners sold under?
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Hi Theo,
I have seen a few Beaver Brand accordions similar to the one you illustrate (all I think with the steel melody-side reed tongues on long aluminum plates that give these boxes a lovely warm but ringing tone quality). I have never seen any Hohner models built exactly like them however -- have you?
Most Beaver Brand instruments exported to North America seem to have been a notch or two below the quality of similar contemporaneous Hohners. I think I still have a little brass-reeded 2 voice 1-row in the key of F with nice Beaver Brand markings.
I have never seen a Beaver Brand diatonic box that is a fast or responsive player, but the unusual tone of the steel-reed long-aluminum-plate models (and the original tuning which was unequal-tempered, in my experience) make them very interesting for song accompaniment or slower tunes.
Paul Groff
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Hi Paul, interesting comments.
I have looked inside now, and I am sure its Hohner built. Separate zinc reedplates, stamped 'H', with steel tongues. B/Es stamped on the end of the treble fingerboard Hohner style. Hohner type metal action. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck....
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Photos of some Hohner specific features. If you enlarge the third picture you can make out the name and the picture of a beaver!
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Hi Theo,
I wonder if the ones I have seen might have been made prior to a Hohner buy-out or lease-of-production.
I agree with you, if it has the individual reeds with Hohner's markings and other parts identical to Hohner, that shows some standardization and probably Hohner ownership or lease of the factory.
I have an extensive and detailed late-1920s Hohner catalogue ("No. 700") that includes some other brands whose companies had been "taken over"* by Hohner at that point. These include Kalbe and its various labels, Gessner, Regal, Koch, and Mira .... but no Beaver Brand. Maybe that was a distributor's label, and many musical instrument distributors actually shopped around themselves for product from different companies. But the external decoration of your new box is very close to some of the other Beaver Brand types I described above, that are evidently quite different internally.
Supertone (a brand used by Sears, Roebuck) and Concertone (a brand used by Montgomery Wards) are labels I have seen on accordions made by Koch, Hohner, and others.
*The actual words used in this catalogue.
PG
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I hadn't taken in that melodeons had stencils as well as woodwind instruments, interesting.
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"Beaver Brand" boxes show up frequently on US eBay site, three at the moment. They certainly look like Hohner products, re-badged for the overseas market. Here's a fancy one (http://cgi.ebay.com/German-BEAVER-BRAND-21-BUTTON-ACCORDION-Works-Well-BOX-/290326690866?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4398d1bc32) on the block right now. "Venezia" seems to be another alias used by Hohner.
Just curious....are the reeds on yours waxed or held in with screws??
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That looks the same model as mine, but with the finish in much better condition. The reeds are waxed in.
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Hi,
'Beaver Brand' was a cheap line put out by Hohner, although I don't know if they were actually produced by them or not.
The following is from "Hamonica Makers from Germany and Austria" by Haeffner and Lindenmueller: "Special very cheap lines were offered by Hohner too. Mostly it was Klingenthal harmonicas, traded under the trademarks 'Pioneer Brand,' 'Beaver Brand,' and sometimes 'Lion Brand.'
Hope this helps some.
Regards,
Paul N.
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Hi all,
I got into a box of projects and found one of the cheap Beaver Brands I was writing about, above. Brass reeds on long plates. This one is in F and octave tuned. I guess it would be MH if you consider the F row of an FBbEb as "M" -- or it would be LM if you consider the F row of a CF as "M." Typical early unequal temperament, very original except for loss (as usual) of the bellows closures. Only one stop actually connected to a slider.
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My new ebay purchase (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180494033122) has just arrived, a "Beaver Brand" two row in Bb/Eb which looks every inch a Hohner
Does it look like it was gnawed out inside Theo ?...............................
Presses 'post' with long stick to reduce effect of fallout ;D ;D ;D
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Hi Theo and all,
Now on ebay is a very nice example of the kind of 2 row Beaver Brand I was discussing above. I would predict this model is *not* Hohner-like on the inside and has long aluminum plate reeds for the melody side, with steel tongues and a sweet, resonant tone (although maybe a little slower in response than a 1920s Hohner with steel reeds on individual plates). Great singer's instruments. Of course, you never really know in any particular case until you get it in hand! This one looks to be a C/F.
PG
Ebay item # 150510749313
Link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150510749313
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Hi all,
I got into a box of projects and found one of the cheap Beaver Brands I was writing about, above. Brass reeds on long plates. This one is in F and octave tuned. I guess it would be MH if you consider the F row of an FBbEb as "M" -- or it would be LM if you consider the F row of a CF as "M." Typical early unequal temperament, very original except for loss (as usual) of the bellows closures. Only one stop actually connected to a slider.
And now there's one of the 1-row model I described above on ebay, maybe not as shiny as mine. The ebay one may possibly be in the key of E (hard to read the handwritten letter). Now I know mine may be model "No. 607" -- and what it would be worth if it had those bellows latches and the box!
;-)
ebay item #150516799357
link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ANTIQUE-GERMAN-BEAVER-BRAND-ACCORDIAN-SQUEEZEBOX-1870S-/150516799357
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Hi all,
In posts above, several melnet members have described Beaver Brand accordions that may have been made by Hohner (or in a factory whose production was taken over by Hohner). I have described, however, some of the many Beaver Brand accordions I have seen that don't share Hohner features -- but have similar external decoration to the "Hohner-like" Beaver Brands. Most Beaver Brand boxes I have seen are not just rebadged Hohners, but have the reeds arranged on long plates as I described above.*
This might be useful for ebay buyers to keep in mind -- as much as I like the long-plate-reed Beaver Brand accordions for slow music, a buyer might be disappointed to receive one of these if expecting typical Hohner-like construction for a 2 row box, with paired reeds on individual plates.
Recently, telemorris noted a current ebay auction for one such accordion, that happened to include pics of the reeds so we know for sure:
http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,5876.0.html
Here are some photos of another model of Beaver Brand 2-row box with steel reeds on long aluminum plates, typical of many I have seen, in original, probably unplayed, condition (except for normal issues due to time in storage).
PG
* Though some "Hohner" labeled boxes were made with reeds on long plates, I have never seen any with construction features quite like these particular Beaver Brands.
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@pgroff: I have "Continental" melodeon (21/8, 3 voice MMH, C/G) with a quite similar grille (even the curvature)
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Hi michik,
That's interesting -- I have seen some other boxes with a similar grille also. How are the reeds on yours mounted?
Here are the reeds on that Beaver Brand CF model No. 627:
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Hi michik,
That's interesting -- I have seen some other boxes with a similar grille also. How are the reeds on yours mounted?
Just plain-vanilla zinc reed plates, nothing special. On the treble side the pallets are made of metal (round ends)
which is quite uncommon
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bringing up this old thread to cross-reference to a Beaver Brand piano box, possibly made by Weidlich:
http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,12931
PG
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My new ebay purchase (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180494033122) has just arrived, a "Beaver Brand" two row in Bb/Eb which looks every inch a Hohner, but I can see no sign of a Hohner name anywhere on the outside. Will have a look inside and posts some photos.
How many other brand names were hohners sold under?
I hope it's not split........ >:E
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Hello, All.
Found this older thread, and wanted to resurrect it. While I have not just acquired mine, it has brought up some questions. Mine is a two-row in “H” and E, with “H” showing on the tuner as “B” and it’s the outside row. Box seems to me like 30’s/40’s, but lightly used. Individual waxed-in zing plates, like other Hohner products. I think this might be “built for Sears” or the like, but no ID showing, save the “Beaver Brand” words around the beaver picture stencil, and the separate metal plate saying “Steel Reeds” and “Made in Germany.” 16 fold bellows, with bright rose design all over the bellows. Actually, a pretty box, like one shown here as “just arrived....”
And, pretty sweet sounding, and reasonable action. Tuning OK for my ears, and probably just needs valves (“blat” noise on a couple of buttons.)
So, here’s the point....I don’t really use B and E, and while it sounds like it would be just right for song accompaniment, I really don’t sing much in either key. Might I swap the E row for a Pokerwork C row, and make a B/C of it? That way, I could torture myself trying to learn semi-tone box for Irish (which I now play along the rows on D boxes.). Or, swap both and make a C/G, D/G, or D/A? I can’t trade the whole box (gift from a dear friend, and first of MAD collection) but could swap reeds with clear conscience.
Suggestions appreciated!
Thanks, and regards,
David