Avoid Hohner Concertinas Like The Plague!

[polkabeast]

Hello, all.

 

In the past year-and-a-half, I have sent my Hohner 20-button Anglo back to Virginia Beach (manufacturer) twice for broken reeds. I have two other factory mass-produced 20-Button Anglos whose bellows have cashed out. Never. NEVER a reed problem. All bellows.

 

Now that I have a HOHNER concertina with replacable parts (bellows), I have nothing but reed parts. The Hohner people are nice enough, and they always fix my box, but I'm starting to get the impression that Hohner, even though I play several other string and reed instruments made by them -- I'd have to say that Hohner 20-button Anglos are substandard. They might work for a year or two, but then the concertina player is at the mercy of meatball-surgery versus timing versus wasted money.

 

Most recently, my concertina melted. I removed the crowns to find piles of amber wax and reeds (both previously functioning and nonfunctioning.) I know Texas is hot with a capital "H", but I got no warning when I got my box saying something like, "box will melt after 100 degrees." "Internal organs held together by wax: keep out of extreme heat.

 

Oh well. I guess it's still fun when it is working.

 

Yes. The plague is too strong a line. I'm trying to figure out how to edit my subject line.

Edited September 12, 2006 by polkabeast

[Alan Day]

Michael I think your headline is a bit strong,I started with a Hohner many years ago and for the cost I expected it to have a minimum playing time,for me it was a starter instrument something to see if I liked playing a concertina and then move on to a better concertina.It did me two seasons of Morris Dance playing and then one of the reeds broke.I must say however that I partly blamed myself for this as I did play the instrument very aggressivly and I would suggest from the number of broken reeds you have experienced you do not exactly treat the instrument gently.We get what we pay for, a Hohner is not a Jeffries it is a fraction of the cost and if the manufacturers are changing the reeds for you then I would take that as an honerable jesture.

Time to move on Michael and spend a few quid on something decent.

Al

[Guest Mick Diles]

Michael I think your headline is a bit strong

I agree with Alan. My Hohner D40 served me very well for more than 10 years.

[CaryK]

Michael I think your headline is a bit strong,I started with a Hohner many years ago Al

 

I think the key here is that Hohner concertinas used to be better as a starting instrument. The current D40s are made in China and a number of folks report problems with them. My two Hohners lasted one month and 5 minutes, respectively, before buttons stuck and they became unplayable. I have since upgraded.

 

Would recommend Wakker's Rochelle anglo, which though made in China, uses better designed action and bellows than Hohner. The Rochelle could be a good starter, accordion-reeded, instrument from which one would chose to upgrade. I am currently comparing a Stagi and a Rochelle. Also, play an Edgley, which is far and away a much, much better instrument as one would expect.

[catty]

I wouldn't be playing concertina today if someone hadn't abandonded their D40 at a nearby pawnshop--there is quite a dearth of such instruments in Montana. I've been entertaining with it several days per week for nine months with no sign of any problems.

 

One good thing, however, about such a lack of instruments here: There was a Jackie in a pawnshop around here--they said no one could play it, so they let me have it for $115 USD.

Edited September 12, 2006 by catty

[geoffwright]

I'd have to say that Hohner 20-button Anglos suck

I have to say they also blow.

[groeswenphil]

I would tend to agree.........but on the other hand, I bet that a large proportion of us started with a Hohner instrument.

 

I bought a 40 button Hohner Anglo about 20 years ago......and even after really heavy playing, nothing has ever gone wrong with it........but it came from SOuth Africa, and that's another story.

 

You get what you pay for after all.

 

Some years ago, I was asked to review a set of Hohner concertinas......they have a main distribution warehouse just down the road. At the time, they had a new design........sort of white unvarnished pine wood. They would have looked very much at home in the Seven Dwarves cottage.

Anyway, on the whole, they were bad.........not desperately bad.......but bad all the same. I suggested some alterations, and thankfully, the ideas got back to the design team and they took up my suggestions. One that I remember was that the handstraps were so thin that they cut the back of your hands.

One of the models actually had a whole octave missing ! The left hand side played in this wonderfully deep register, then you went over to the right........and went an octave higher than expected.

[Rhomylly]

I played my 20-button Hohner to death in six months of almost daily playing. Even Bob Tedrow couldn't permanently fix it.

 

Pay the extra $50 or so and get a Wakker Rochelle, if you want my $.02

[catty]

By all means: if you can buy a d40 for $200, and a Rochelle for $350, buy the Rochelle.