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[bear]

Hello everybody, has any one ever herd of a button accordion made in Czechoslovakia called a "Popular"?
Its black in color. I would like to know anything about this instrument. Is it good or bad, maybe in between.

[Pete Dunk]

I may be wrong but I think this is a Delicia Popular Black Pearl and from what I've read this is 'in between', cheapish but not very cheap, in the Hohner Pokerwork price range. I haven't played one so I've no idea how it compares with a modern Chinese Hohner. There's a picture of one a little way down this page

Pete.

[Theo]

Yes it is the Delicia Popular.   Not Black Pearl that is a different make.

[mikesamwild]

Decent little box just a bit below Erica or Pokerwork good for a beginner
They are making some nice boxes nowadays (The Skoda of the box world?)

[Pete Dunk]

Not Black Pearl that is a different make.

I wasn't confusing it with the Baffetti, it is listed as 'Black Pearl' though.

[meltzer]

(The Skoda of the box world?)

Good analogy. Reliable, not flashy, and less likely to get nicked. 

[Bill Young]

Not Black Pearl that is a different make.

I wasn't confusing it with the Baffetti, it is listed as 'Black Pearl' though.

[Québécois]

I'm also a Scotsman who drives a Skoda. Does that make me an expert on value-for-money, or what?  :)

Let's not start anything about Scotsmen and money matters :)

[Lars]

I too started out on a Delicia Popular D/G, old model with the offset basses. Not a great box - I did go up-scale when I switched to a Hohner Erica months later. I found the basses ackward, and the bellow and button action a bit too hard. But for the price, I'd say it's an okay STARTER box. That is, for a few months - much more than that, and I got tired with the box. Sounded okay though - Delicia used to have a great reputation for reeds - don't know about the modern after they merged/moved/was bought.

[bear]

I wish I had seen that one...LOL, I bought mine on ebay last week myself but the one I got is a little older and shows it. Its not a pretty box to look at but it does sound good. I'm still waiting for it to get to me (shipping it from Canada to me in the USA) but I did hear a couple of sound clips from it.

Anyway I really appreciate everybody helping me out on this. At lest I know its a step up from those chines boxes everybody is selling on ebay. You know what, those people in China may know how to build things fast and cheap but they sure know how to screw up a musical instrument. Years ago I had a Hohner concertina (back then they were red in color) that had leather bellows, plenty of belows to play with and a very good sound. A few months ago I bought myself another Hohner D 40 concertina. Very nice looking concertina but thats as far as it goes. Plastic belows, one button that does not play at all, and another that has half the volume of the rest. And the belows only opens to about half of what the "Made in Germany" concertinas used to. If I was Hohner I'd be ashamed to put my name on junk like that.

Again thank you everybody for your comments.......

[an bosca ceoil]

Careful what you say about the Chinese, someone might be taking names!
Thought it rather apt that you put "Made in Germany" in parentheses when referring to concertinas since few, if any, were actually produced in Hohners own factories for years before the move to China

[bear]

I'm not knocking the Chinese people, people are the same all over the world. I'm knocking the money hungry people that run the factories (not all but most) in China. You'll have to admit a lot of musical instrument that are made in China are nothing but junk.

And if they want to know who said that. Its me "bear" aka BillyRay Opdycke

PS: We have some factories right here in the USA (as well as the rest of the world) but China produces the most of the junk. Maybe its because they produce more then most countries (good stuff and bad) so therefore they produce the most junk...........LOL

[buttonmasher]

Hi,
I learned on a "Pop" and had it for about 2 years.  A bit "wooly" and a little slow to speak but much better than the budget Chinese boxes, both in sound and quality.  Not as good as a German Pokerwork though.  Worst thing about it was its plain looks.  The person who bought it from me 3 years ago is still playing it and enjoying it.
Regards,
Ralph.