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Author Topic: Unknown old box  (Read 2433 times)

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Pierre B

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Unknown old box
« on: March 07, 2014, 01:00:10 AM »

Hello to all,

Here's some pictures of an old G/C box made in Germany, supposedly around 1973. Looks like a Pokerwork, but there's no brand print on the box. I opened it and the reeds are healthy. No maker name inside. It plays well, so defective button, but I hear the buttons "clicking" when I  play. The bellows look quite tight for its age. Sounds like an Hohner, but who knows.

 Can someone identify it? There's also the original selling or storage box with it (not the case).
« Last Edit: March 07, 2014, 01:15:50 AM by Pierre B »
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triskel

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Re: Unknown old box
« Reply #1 on: March 07, 2014, 02:30:34 AM »

Pierre,

It's the typical Communist East German model, made in Klingenthal. They were sold with, or without, various brand names - usually Harmona or Galotta, but nothing to do with Hohner I'm afraid.

Pierre B

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Re: Unknown old box
« Reply #2 on: March 07, 2014, 10:58:20 AM »

Thanks for the reply.
Well, not so bad news. It still very playable. I guess East German made is better than Chinese made on the long run. I have 2 recent Weltmeister made by Harmona. Love them.
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Kimric Smythe

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Re: Unknown old box
« Reply #3 on: March 09, 2014, 08:21:22 PM »

It was most likely made by Harmona. Before the wall came down their instruments were sold under a number of names. You will often find cajun boxes under the name "Regal" in the southwest US these were very popular. The same instrument is sold with the name "weltmeister" on it now, and the quality has even improved a bit. Nice thing is that almost all the parts are interchangeable.
It is also possible it was made by Sylvetta, another (now closed) factory in Klingenthal.
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triskel

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Re: Unknown old box
« Reply #4 on: March 09, 2014, 09:50:37 PM »

It is also possible it was made by Sylvetta, another (now closed) factory in Klingenthal.

'Fraid not Kimric, Beschäftigungsgesellschaft Klingenthal (manufacturer of the Silvetta brand) was only set up in 1991. They were in the newly-refurbished one-time Royal Standard accordion factory, where I visited them on a number of occasions.

You will often find cajun boxes under the name "Regal" in the southwest US these were very popular.

Back in the 1930s, Regal used to be a Hohner "bargain" brand, but I don't know about them after WW2.

Andrew Wigglesworth

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Re: Unknown old box
« Reply #5 on: March 10, 2014, 12:16:58 AM »

I think the dating of this box is rather out.

Firstly, I seem to remember that this model was introduced in the 1980's.

Secondly, if it was made in the German Democratic Republic, then it would have been labelled as such. All the ones I've seen have been labelled as such, as have the many other things I have seen and owned that were made in the GDR. I strongly suspect that this is a post reunification instrument, maybe from the early 1990's, maybe later.

triskel

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Re: Unknown old box
« Reply #6 on: March 10, 2014, 03:49:33 AM »

I agree that these would more usually have a GDR or DDR label on them (if they have one at all), but things aren't always done as we might think they should be (like it never said "made in GDR" on the pokerworks that Harmona built for Hohner  ;)) whilst "country of origin" labelling rules vary from country to country, in fact I believe it was originally done to comply with American legislation.

But I've been selling these boxes since the mid-1970s and this looks like one of the older versions - since they'd already started to improve the design/appearance of them, especially the grille and the keyboard, even before reunification, and more so since.

Kimric Smythe

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Re: Unknown old box
« Reply #7 on: March 10, 2014, 06:45:53 AM »

The "Regal" units I have seen do not appear to be more than 30 yrs old, I have one in my shop. Hot stamp is identical to weltmeister except name.
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triskel

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Re: Unknown old box
« Reply #8 on: April 25, 2014, 02:05:50 AM »

I think the dating of this box is rather out.

... I seem to remember that this model was introduced in the 1980's.

Here's one with Waltons' "Martini" brand on it, on a price list that Ted McGraw got from them in 1975: http://www.tedmcgraw.com/Catalogs.html
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