I feel silly having this many threads started by me in the forum, but I'm pretty new to the box. I'm running the search engine to check for more common questions, but getting nothing on "Bb".
Long/short, I bought a beat-up Bb Hohner for around $50 from a junk dealer. It leaks air at points around the seams where bellows jois the body, but the actual bellows folds seem solid. The pads on the keys are worn, but seal okay, probably most need replacing. It's hard to check on reeds with so little bellows pressure, but almost all seem to work and be in tune. I'm getting a pretty clear Bb scale (starting on push of 3d key from top), so that must be what it is.
Is this kind of box only useful for backing up a Salvation Army brass band? If I can get it fixed for, say $200-300, would it be worth that much to someone who plays solo, or for whatever reason plays with brass?
What is a Hohner 1-row in Bb good for?
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MatthewVanitas
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StevieJ
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I'd love a box in Bb just for a mellow sound, and for playing with friends who have Bb instruments - flute players particularly.
I'd really want a 2-row though tuned in A/A#. There are lots of Hohner Ericas and the like in A/D here in Quebec - I'm looking out for one going cheap so I could get the D row changed to A#!
But a one-row would be fun. Hang on to it!
I'd really want a 2-row though tuned in A/A#. There are lots of Hohner Ericas and the like in A/D here in Quebec - I'm looking out for one going cheap so I could get the D row changed to A#!
But a one-row would be fun. Hang on to it!
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MatthewVanitas
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It's lovely, but there's not really much I'd end up doing with it. I've got a good lead on a D melodeon too, which is what I really want.
Interesting day: I take the Bb box to O'Brien's.
Me: You said last week that 90% of old Hohners that come in are worth fixing, how about this one?
OBJr: Oh no boyo, those old ones have a single reed-plate, we don't mess around with those.
Me: The reeds sound decent actually, best as I can tell, it's just leaking air all around the seams of the bellows. Maybe it'd be decent with just a bellows sealing?
OBSr: It's not worth our while to work on them old ones, but I tell you what, go to a hardware shop and get some closed-cell weatherstripping, rip out that old and replace it, then maybe she'll work.
I walk out, pondering this repair, and go to pay a traffic ticket. As I'm coming out, a heavily-accented local starts admiring my squeezeboxes. I tell him that the Bb is leaky, and that O'Brien's said it's not worth them fixing, but I might be able to rig it up.
Local: Boyo, me uncle's been fixin' them squeezeboxes fer years, he can set it up right! I seen him crack 'em open and seal the bellows all the time! Come and see him, he's just up the block on Gower.
Turns out the uncle lives down the street from me, and I told the nephew I'd sell the box for $75 (enough to cover my costs, plus my parking ticket from last month), and he seemed most excited.
I'm not too worried about making any profit on this box, or keeping it for myself, but it would be cool to take a 'box of a shelf full of junk and let an old Newfoundlander make it sing again.
I'll let folks know how this one turns out. I've got another 1920-ish Hohner coming in, and if that one's in a C or D I might go see if the uncle can fix it up for me to keep...
EDIT: Little old Newfoundlander showed up on my doorstep with his black Lab, and bought the Bb for $75. I've got one more really old Hohner coming in (bought off eBay), so will check that one out and report back here...
Interesting day: I take the Bb box to O'Brien's.
Me: You said last week that 90% of old Hohners that come in are worth fixing, how about this one?
OBJr: Oh no boyo, those old ones have a single reed-plate, we don't mess around with those.
Me: The reeds sound decent actually, best as I can tell, it's just leaking air all around the seams of the bellows. Maybe it'd be decent with just a bellows sealing?
OBSr: It's not worth our while to work on them old ones, but I tell you what, go to a hardware shop and get some closed-cell weatherstripping, rip out that old and replace it, then maybe she'll work.
I walk out, pondering this repair, and go to pay a traffic ticket. As I'm coming out, a heavily-accented local starts admiring my squeezeboxes. I tell him that the Bb is leaky, and that O'Brien's said it's not worth them fixing, but I might be able to rig it up.
Local: Boyo, me uncle's been fixin' them squeezeboxes fer years, he can set it up right! I seen him crack 'em open and seal the bellows all the time! Come and see him, he's just up the block on Gower.
Turns out the uncle lives down the street from me, and I told the nephew I'd sell the box for $75 (enough to cover my costs, plus my parking ticket from last month), and he seemed most excited.
I'm not too worried about making any profit on this box, or keeping it for myself, but it would be cool to take a 'box of a shelf full of junk and let an old Newfoundlander make it sing again.
I'll let folks know how this one turns out. I've got another 1920-ish Hohner coming in, and if that one's in a C or D I might go see if the uncle can fix it up for me to keep...
EDIT: Little old Newfoundlander showed up on my doorstep with his black Lab, and bought the Bb for $75. I've got one more really old Hohner coming in (bought off eBay), so will check that one out and report back here...