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[Winston Smith]

Aaah! But I now know where you live, BB!

[Kimric Smythe]

Why do you think they are unpopular Baz?    Judging by the number I get asked to renovate, and considering how long it is since any were made I think they are quite popular.
 I have them in my shop from time to time and they are pretty slow to sell, I have a couple in G right now. I think they are more popular in the UK than the US.
 They were more popular before the art scene was hollowed out by the high rents and the backlash from the Ghost Ship fire.

[David Colpitts]

I had one in D and loved it, but just couldn’t keep them all.  Now, all I play is concertinas, due to the weight of boxes and the increasing decrepitude of aging shoulders.  I still have two boxes which were gifts from dear friends, and imagine my self trying again.  But, none will be as easy nor as loud (as another member here has mentioned) as the flat-mounted Hohner.

David

[Simon W]

 Funnily enough in another context I came across this. From a photo elsewhere it seems that the box has a stop on both ends but I can't work out who the maker is. Nice playing though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glIWTrLJhOU

Simon

[Tone Dumb Greg]

There's a recent discussion here

http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,24811.0.html

[Simon W]

Thanks. I'd missed that. Christmas obviously got in the way.

Simon

[Jason]

In some ways the Italian-made Busilacchio 1-row boxes from the 1950s - 1960s, with MM voicing, flat-mounted reeds, and 4 basses fulfill that role of a round-bodied box with specs similar to a  Hohner 1040.

PG

Ah hah! This is what I have just bought. A 1040c and a 10 hole busilacchio as mentioned (brown celluloid is a bit naff) ... I opened them both and they are very similar inside. Both are waxed messily and are also both waxed onto the case rather than fixed with screws. The busilacchio has stronger key mechanisms by a long shot but it’s in worse overall condition and is leaking a lot so doesn’t make much music. I presume I would have to take the reeds out and clean them all. Can I not just pin them in place afterward rather than wax them?

[Theo]

You can fix them in place with screws, but first you must cover the surface they rest on with a gasket material. The original pins will not hold the reeds firmly enough.

[Jason]

Ok. So they are held with pins and then waxed?
I do love a good forum! I read somewhere that I can find a leak on my bellows best with my face as it is more sensitive (I live in Australia and I always aim the aircon in the car at my face). So I found the leak in my Hohner straight away after reading that - coming out of area where the bellows meets the bass side ... clear as a, uhhhm, breath of fresh air on my face! I sealed it with gaffs tape for the moment and it seemed to get rid of all but a smidgen of leak. I was sure to cut the tape so it barely touched anything else. I have gathered a lot of old instruments over the years and try hard to keep original bits in ship shape. Thanks Theo!

[Lester]

Ok. So they are held with pins and then waxed?

Whenever I fettle a box with pins and wax I invariably just bin the pins as they fulfil little practical use other than preventing the reed falling out when the wax fails.

[Graham Spencer]

Ok. So they are held with pins and then waxed?

Whenever I fettle a box with pins and wax I invariably just bin the pins as they fulfil little practical use other than preventing the reed falling out when the wax fails.

I always discard tem too; I have a box with hundreds of them in it - why do I keep them ?

[mselic]

Bin the pins!

[baz parkes]

Whenever I fettle a box with pins and wax I invariably just bin the pins as they fulfil little practical use other than preventing the reed falling out when the wax fails.

I always discard tem too; I have a box with hundreds of them in it - why do I keep them ?
[/quote]

Because you're a bloke, and they'll come in handy one day...

[Graham Spencer]

Because you're a bloke, and they'll come in handy one day...

Funny you should say that..........

[rees]

I made a little chicken coop, the aluminium ridge is fixed on with Hohner pins. They look proper tidy!

[Theo]

They are just the job if you want to fix the traditional metal corners on a 4-stop one-row

[Rog]

I have a Coleman mustard tin full of them. It makes a very handy paperweight.

[Chris Taylor]

ok I'm a bit late catching up with this ! I have at various times, owned a G and a C 1040, quite enjoyed playing them, found the G maybe a bit groany pitched below the G row on a pokerwork? The most interesting thing, I used to have a Hackberry Ramblers lp on the Arhoolie label, the cover photo showed the accordian player holding what appeared to be a 1040 , the only time I've ever seen a Cajun musician playing anything other than a 4 stop. Sounded different on the tunes too.

[hickory-wind]

I have sold 32 of the 4 bass Hohner one rows: 14-C, 11-G, 3-D, 2-A, 2-E

I currently have a few in C and a rare one in F (see pic).

I find them delightfully light and nice to play.

Scott

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