Discussions > Other Free Reed Instruments
Creating a D/G Hohner Student II
Tone Dumb Greg:
Asking for a friend.
How feasible would it be to convert standard Hohner Student II basses from Bb,F,C,G,D,A to C, G, D, E, B, to create a D/G friendly box?
If it is, what is the easiest way to do it?
Is this the best way to do it?
Greg
Rog:
It is relatively easy, but it takes time and requires some reeds/wax and valves. This is because the bass end has to be rebuilt, by shifting the reeds along and replacing/tuning Bb and F with E and B fundamentals and chord reeds. The Student II doesn’t have a stradella bass machine...it works inside much more like a melodeon, with static chords. You will need 10 reeds, two bass and three chord reeds for each note. I haven’t worked out which of the removed Bb/F reeds are reusable. Obviously these are unisoric PA reeds so a bit easier to source/repurpose from a donor box.
You would want to keep the Stradella sequence, which is the circle of 5ths, so CGDAEB.
I have done this before. It’s more complicated with a stradella in place. I’ve done it also on a Chinese stradella (shifting everything along). I had to work out the permutations on paper in that case, because the reed arrangement was quirky to say the least.
I think I replied to an enquiry from your friend.
Tone Dumb Greg:
Thanks Roger.
Rog:
I should also add....the thirds are v easy to tape off, to give you that nice 3rdless sound...
Tone Dumb Greg:
--- Quote from: RogerT on September 11, 2018, 07:13:18 AM ---I should also add....the thirds are v easy to tape off, to give you that nice 3rdless sound...
--- End quote ---
I read, somewhere, that they were thirdless as standard. Didn't realise they weren't. I am trying to sell the idea to my friend on that basis. Maybe the comment came from someone with a third taped box.
I really know very little about them. Not even any idea what the reed voicings are, for instance.
Are the older Hohner Student IIs really as light as they look?
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