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Author Topic: Creating a D/G Hohner Student II  (Read 2919 times)

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Tone Dumb Greg

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Creating a D/G Hohner Student II
« on: September 01, 2018, 08:26:34 PM »

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
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Greg Smith
DG/GC Pokerwork, DG 2.4 Saltarelle, pre-war CF Hohner, Hohner 1040 Vienna style, old  BbEb Hohner that needs a lot of work.

ACCORDION, n. An instrument in harmony with the sentiments of an assassin. Ambrose Bierce

Rog

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Re: Creating a D/G Hohner Student II
« Reply #1 on: September 07, 2018, 09:25:39 PM »

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

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Re: Creating a D/G Hohner Student II
« Reply #2 on: September 10, 2018, 01:49:32 AM »

Thanks Roger.
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Greg Smith
DG/GC Pokerwork, DG 2.4 Saltarelle, pre-war CF Hohner, Hohner 1040 Vienna style, old  BbEb Hohner that needs a lot of work.

ACCORDION, n. An instrument in harmony with the sentiments of an assassin. Ambrose Bierce

Rog

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Re: Creating a D/G Hohner Student II
« Reply #3 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...

Tone Dumb Greg

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Re: Creating a D/G Hohner Student II
« Reply #4 on: September 11, 2018, 08:16:08 PM »

I should also add....the thirds are v easy to tape off, to give you that nice 3rdless sound...

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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Greg Smith
DG/GC Pokerwork, DG 2.4 Saltarelle, pre-war CF Hohner, Hohner 1040 Vienna style, old  BbEb Hohner that needs a lot of work.

ACCORDION, n. An instrument in harmony with the sentiments of an assassin. Ambrose Bierce

Rog

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Re: Creating a D/G Hohner Student II
« Reply #5 on: September 12, 2018, 10:44:44 AM »

They are pretty light for a PA and v good. I have one for sale on my website...here
http://www.jollyrogeraccordions.co.uk/for-sale/sale-hohner-student-ii-piano-accordion-275/
I can be a bit flexible on the price. They are v popular and I’ve sold quite a few.
They are two voice, with a really nice bright Hohner sound, far superior to the little Chinese two octave ones you see about the place. Folk musicians tend to like them, esp those who play button instruments. In the UK piano accordion world, however, which is v different to melodeon/concertina world, serious PA players see these little boxes as only suitable for children. And many can’t be doing without 120 bass and 41 treble keys...but then they weigh about the same as a wardrobe... (:)
« Last Edit: September 12, 2018, 10:49:40 AM by RogerT »
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Tone Dumb Greg

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Re: Creating a D/G Hohner Student II
« Reply #6 on: September 12, 2018, 11:14:59 AM »

Thanks Roger. My plan is to try and get hold of one at an entry level price (maybe I need advice from Edward Winston here) and fettle it myself. Whoops!  Did I say that in print?

Thanks to you and Microbot for your advice. I think I know what I would be taking on now and how bright the prospect is of sunshine at the end of it (:)
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Greg Smith
DG/GC Pokerwork, DG 2.4 Saltarelle, pre-war CF Hohner, Hohner 1040 Vienna style, old  BbEb Hohner that needs a lot of work.

ACCORDION, n. An instrument in harmony with the sentiments of an assassin. Ambrose Bierce

Rog

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Re: Creating a D/G Hohner Student II
« Reply #7 on: September 12, 2018, 07:38:48 PM »

They are pretty much like a melodeon inside, the main difference is the unisoric reeds. But you can get them very reasonably, so it would be a good intro to fettling. My only tip is: don’t felt tip pen all over the reed blocks. Stick some masking tape on the blocks, annotate that, and when you have finished you can pull it off and it will all look nice and clean.  (:)

Lester

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Re: Creating a D/G Hohner Student II
« Reply #8 on: September 12, 2018, 07:47:16 PM »

My only tip is: don’t felt tip pen all over the reed blocks. Stick some masking tape on the blocks, annotate that, and when you have finished you can pull it off and it will all look nice and clean.  (:)

Not just me then (:)

Theo

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Re: Creating a D/G Hohner Student II
« Reply #9 on: September 12, 2018, 08:27:05 PM »

My only tip is: don’t felt tip pen all over the reed blocks. Stick some masking tape on the blocks, annotate that, and when you have finished you can pull it off and it will all look nice and clean.  (:)

Not just me then (:)

No not just you Lester!

I hate to see stuff scrawled everywhere.  Ballpoint pen is the worst, or maybe felt tip, and not just on the reed blocks, but on the reed plates too sometimes, and bellows frames marked with front, back, top bottom, left right.  All totally unnecessary. 

On the other hand I think it is good practice for repairers to discretely date and sign their work.  It can be helpful to future owners and repairers.
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george garside

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Re: Creating a D/G Hohner Student II
« Reply #10 on: September 12, 2018, 08:49:03 PM »

there is  a hohner student 2 for fettling on ebay at £20 with 3 days to go

george
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Rog

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Re: Creating a D/G Hohner Student II
« Reply #11 on: September 12, 2018, 09:28:24 PM »

Perfect!
The only mark I leave is a pencilled R on the top right corner of the bellows frame, so I always get it back on the right way round...(:)

Tone Dumb Greg

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Re: Creating a D/G Hohner Student II
« Reply #12 on: September 13, 2018, 01:54:02 AM »

there is  a hohner student 2 for fettling on ebay at £20 with 3 days to go

george

Shh!
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Greg Smith
DG/GC Pokerwork, DG 2.4 Saltarelle, pre-war CF Hohner, Hohner 1040 Vienna style, old  BbEb Hohner that needs a lot of work.

ACCORDION, n. An instrument in harmony with the sentiments of an assassin. Ambrose Bierce
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