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Author Topic: Are Pokerworks still "Made in Germany"?  (Read 1779 times)

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Daniel W.

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Are Pokerworks still "Made in Germany"?
« on: August 12, 2018, 02:07:35 PM »

Hi all, I newly joined this forum, as I just have bought my first melodeon, a Hohner Pokerwork.

Playing the button box is still a trial for me. I usually play the piano accordion, but found myself listening more and more to recordings of melodeon artists and loving the sound those boxes produces. So I wanted to try one myself, starting with a cheap one I can get on ebay. I went for a Hohner Pokerwork, which has been sold by an old lady. She was claiming, that she has bought it new in 2015 for her nephew, who then only tried it shortly until he lost interest and returned it back to her. An almost new Pokerwork for a reasonable price seemed like a safe bet to me.

The box that arrived, is indeed in a good state (I have bought quite some used accordions, so I have some experience). The only sign of wear that made me wonder a bit, was the felt below the bass buttons, which seemed to have already started to disappear on some of the buttons. What, however, really made me wonder with regards to the trueness of the Ladies story, is that the box has “Made in Germany” imprinted on the back. As far as I understand, Pokerworks haven’t been made in Germany for a very long time.

So don’t understand me wrong: I am satisfied with this box. Nevertheless I would like to know more about its origin: Are there still Pokerworks made in Germany, do the Chinese ones also have this imprint, or might it be a much older maybe forgotten or refurbished box and the Ladie’s story is just not completely true?
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pgroff

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Re: Are Pokerworks still "Made in Germany"?
« Reply #1 on: August 12, 2018, 02:19:34 PM »

Her story could be completely accurate and not unusual if the instrument was "NOS," (new old stock), meaning that it was made some time ago but in inventory, never sold, until she bought it. This happens all the time with Hohner accordions in the US. I'm sure that some distributors or shops still have made-in-Germany Hohners still in the shipping boxes and never sold.

But also memories are fallible, and furthermore people get told all kinds of stories when someone is making a sale. So it could also be the case that the adjective "new" was not completely accurate for any number of reasons.

Some of the melnetters who work in retail shops selling new Hohners would know better than I whether any "pokerworks" could have been made in Germany up to 2014 or so, but I doubt it.

PG
« Last Edit: August 12, 2018, 02:21:56 PM by pgroff »
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triskel

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Re: Are Pokerworks still "Made in Germany"?
« Reply #2 on: August 12, 2018, 11:05:31 PM »

I occasionally trot-out this old Hohner press release:

In February 1998 Hohner issued the following press release :

The Matth. Hohner AG has started to reduce their production as planned. As already disclosed at the general meeting by the management board on November 26th 1997, plans for re-organization and to relocate parts of the production line to the new partners of China have begun.

Hohner production islands have been installed in the production plants of partners in China and Taiwan. In these units the production of assembly groups for mouth organs, accordions and wooden recorders is carried out by Hohner machines.

In December woodworking machines as well as machines for the production of spare parts and accessories and pre production materials were shipped to China. A group of Hohner employees left for China at the beginning of February to supervise the installation of the production plant and to implement the respective production process. After component production begins in China, the quality and Hohner standards of the assembly groups will be monitored and guaranteed by specialists employed by Hohner.

Speaker for the board, Helmut Menges said that first experiences are very positive. "Our staff is very pleased by the helpfulness, the effort and the specialized knowledge of our Chinese partners," Menges said. Hohner expects the first fabricating parts and assembly groups to arrive in Trossingen in May to be refined, tuned and assembled. These production processes which raise the value of the instruments will still be offered by Hohner in the future.


So, basically, the production line moved to China 20 years ago, but I remember the first Chinese Hohners as having their keyboards painted black, to hide the "Made in Germany" that had already been painted on them.

I find them easy to tell apart anyway - the German Pokerworks have a dull-gold painted design on them, whilst the Chinese ones use a very shiny gold foil.

Mind you, never mind "New Old Stock" German Hohners from 20+ years ago - I'm the very happy owner of a "New Old Stock" Paolo Soprani from 65 years ago, which came from the storeroom of an old accordion shop in Chicago... ;)

Rog

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Re: Are Pokerworks still "Made in Germany"?
« Reply #3 on: August 13, 2018, 08:52:07 PM »

I have a very playable (actually virtually new) Hohner Arietta 1M, which is kind of the Hohner Corona of the PA world...super box...but it says on the back...'made in Switzerland'. Were any Hohner melodeons made in Switzerland?
« Last Edit: August 13, 2018, 08:54:41 PM by RogerT »
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Helena Handcart

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Re: Are Pokerworks still "Made in Germany"?
« Reply #4 on: August 13, 2018, 09:02:57 PM »

I have a very playable (actually virtually new) Hohner Arietta 1M, which is kind of the Hohner Corona of the PA world...super box...but it says on the back...'made in Switzerland'. Were any Hohner melodeons made in Switzerland?

I believe they were - albeit briefly after WW2. If we wait a moment Lester is sure to come along and enlighten us but in the meantime I know he used to own a beautiful Swiss made Erica called Swiss Tony.
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triskel

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Re: Are Pokerworks still "Made in Germany"?
« Reply #5 on: August 13, 2018, 10:11:35 PM »

I have a very playable (actually virtually new) Hohner Arietta 1M, which is kind of the Hohner Corona of the PA world...super box...but it says on the back...'made in Switzerland'. Were any Hohner melodeons made in Switzerland?


Yes, "Accordina Inc." (Hohner's Swiss subsidiary Accordina AG, of Bolligen, Bern) made Hohner's Amatonas, Gaelics and postwar Club IIIM models, and some PAs and 1600s too, to a high standard.

Accordina AG has since become Hohner-Sonor AG, and the firm is still based in the same place.
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