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Author Topic: Needing Information on this box Please.  (Read 4889 times)

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bear

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Needing Information on this box Please.
« on: May 23, 2008, 02:25:02 PM »

Hello,     I'm a new member and I have come into a really nice looking instrument but cannot find anything about it. I've been told it may be a Hohner made back in the 20's or 30's.
Dose anyone know anthing about it. the only markings on it is a metal tag stating it has steal reeds and made in Germany, and the name Venezia on the front.

http://www.boomspeed.com/bearbro54/Venezia-01.jpg

http://www.boomspeed.com/bearbro54/Venezia-02.jpg

Any information anyone can offer will be greatly appreciated.
« Last Edit: May 23, 2008, 02:39:08 PM by bear »
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Theo

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Re: Needing Information on this box Please.
« Reply #1 on: May 23, 2008, 03:38:09 PM »

Hohner produced almost identical ones with their own name on.  This might be a Hohner, or it could have been made by Koch, one of Hohners competitors which was eventually taken over by hohner in the late 1920s.
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Theo Gibb - Gateshead UK

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bear

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Re: Needing Information on this box Please.
« Reply #2 on: May 23, 2008, 04:28:15 PM »

What I was told is
"The story behind these 'Venezia' melodeons is that Hohner found its products boycotted during the second World War and so adopted other brand names - eg 'Venezia' and 'Superba' - whilst craftily retaining the Hohner image in elements of the design."

Dose this seem right?
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Theo

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Re: Needing Information on this box Please.
« Reply #3 on: May 23, 2008, 06:23:35 PM »

Not second world war for that instrument, its much older.
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Theo Gibb - Gateshead UK

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Theo

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Re: Needing Information on this box Please.
« Reply #5 on: May 23, 2008, 11:00:42 PM »

That ebay seller does not give any sources for his dates, and reliable information on Hohner dates is hard to come by.  The only source I have is "History Unfolds" the book Hohner published in 2004 to celebrate 100 years  of Hohner accordion production.  This includes a picture showing the wide bellows frame and wooden grill as shown in Bears's original post  on an instrument dated 1914.  All the illustrations of boxes from the 1920s and 1930s have the narrow bellows frames that we are used to today. 
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an bosca ceoil

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Re: Needing Information on this box Please.
« Reply #6 on: May 24, 2008, 12:42:03 AM »

Sorry, I was indulging in Friday night flippancy!
I think Bears example is a Hohner from the  late twenties, when I imagine that they were sharing Koch facilities and parts.
I have  both Hohner and  Anders Koch with  that stepped and patterned  keyboard but the Koch casings are typically embossed with roses (like the tin grilled "Original Hohner" KOCH)
As you say, the Venezia is almost identical to the one in History Unfolds except for the casing design (holly leaves instead of lilies?
All a bit academic and perhaps a bit like the "badge engineering" that BMC engaged in to appeal to devotees of the different brands.
Regards, Bruce
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bear

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Re: Needing Information on this box Please.
« Reply #7 on: May 24, 2008, 04:02:04 AM »

So what does everybody think, is this a Hohner, or what?
And where can I get a copy of this Hohner history book?
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Malcolm Clapp

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Re: Needing Information on this box Please.
« Reply #8 on: May 24, 2008, 05:57:15 AM »

What I was told is
"The story behind these 'Venezia' melodeons is that Hohner found its products boycotted during the second World War and so adopted other brand names - eg 'Venezia' and 'Superba' - whilst craftily retaining the Hohner image in elements of the design."

Dose this seem right?

After the First World War, there seems to be many accordion models Made in Germany (small letters) with very Italian looking names (large letters).

History books (British Empire and USA) tell us that the Italians were on "our" side in
that one.... ;)  , so I suppose there may have been a good merchandising reason for adopting Italian names for German goods.

Or maybe an influx of Italians to postwar German factories may have also had some bearing???
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Malcolm Clapp

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Re: Needing Information on this box Please.
« Reply #9 on: May 24, 2008, 05:58:36 AM »

So what does everybody think, is this a Hohner, or what?

A definite maybe.... :-\ :-\ :-\
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bear

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Re: Needing Information on this box Please.
« Reply #10 on: May 24, 2008, 11:47:07 AM »

Hey everybody I believe I found the right answer.  I talked to a guy selling one of these on ebay from Cornwall, in the United Kingdom. He said that it is a Hohner and that Venezia was a brand name of Hohner.

Here is the one he is selling, his has a metal grill whereas mine has a wooden carved grill. He said that the earlier models had wooden grills.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270238012471&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.ebay.com%3A80%2Fsearch%2Fsearch.dll%3Ffrom%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dm37%26satitle%3D270238012471%26fvi%3D1

Thank you everybody for all the help. He is right about one thing no matter what. This instrument sure has a sweet sound.
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an bosca ceoil

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Re: Needing Information on this box Please.
« Reply #11 on: May 27, 2008, 02:43:03 PM »

If you still want the book try
Norbert Winter
Hubertsallee 23B
Berlin
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