Hohner Carmen II

[ShmoodleDoodle]

Hello

This is the Hohner I got off Ebay. It's certainly old, lot's of nicotine stains and plenty wrong with it (certain bass keys sound rumbly/crackly in certain directions of the bellows), but I'm having fun learning. I've played piano for over 30 years now so I decided to go straight in with learning a song. I don't read music, never learned how to, but play by ear. At the moment, I'm having a go at "When The Boat Comes In", an old Northumbrian (UK) folk song. Got the piano keys sorted, just trying to coordinate my right and left hands now, as well as coordinate the bellows. The accordion is a hard instrument with all it's multitasking

Anyway, I'm posting some pics in case anyone knows if this is older than I think it might be. I've looked up about it and as far as I can tell, it's probably a 60's/70's model, but maybe someone on here knows differently. Btw, the old straps were way too small for me, probably due to the leather shrinking with age. So I bought some nice padded ones.

Thanks for having a look

 

[Tom]

Congrats! With you accordion and your songs! I would guess “circa 1940s”. Let’s see if anyone else pipes in….

 

[ShmoodleDoodle]

Congrats! With you accordion and your songs! I would guess “circa 1940s”. Let’s see if anyone else pipes in….

Thanks! Very kind of you. And wow! That's older than I thought. No wonder the poor ol thing is creaking a little

 

[Dingo40]

Welcome SD!

Let’s see if anyone else pipes in….

Could be as early as the 1930s?

 

[ShmoodleDoodle]

Welcome SD!

Could be as early as the 1930s?

Really? That's crazy! Considering it's most likely in it's 70s/80s possibly 90s, it still works and is still in tune. Amazing really. Shows how well made it is. I managed to buy it for just under £40 too so what a steal

 

[dunlustin]

to add to D's "as early as the 1930s?"
I'm no PA expert - or any expert in fact.
that said, it looks quite Art Deco - so 1930s?
Also, I don't know how well Hohner exports went in the 1940s.
Wasn't Germany a bit busy with other things?
And the keys look quite long too?

 

[ShmoodleDoodle]

to add to D's "as early as the 1930s?"
I'm no PA expert - or any expert in fact.
that said, it looks quite Art Deco - so 1930s?
Also, I don't know how well Hohner exports went in the 1940s.
Wasn't Germany a bit busy with other things?
And the keys look quite long too?

I thought that about the design too. Very Art Deco. All the other Carmen II's I've seen online have a more floral design around the name. Heheh, aye...they might've had a few other things on their plate during that point. Thanks for commenting. It's nice to think this old accordion has seen some things in it's life

 

[Tom]

Yeah, could be 30s.

 

[Dingo40]

Also, I don't know how well Hohner exports went in the 1940s.

 

[Henry D]

Attached is a PDF listing Hohner models and their years of production (from Hohner GMBH). The Carmen 2 is at the bottom of page one with it's production period listed as "1930er"- by which I figure they intend the whole decade.

 

[Dingo40]

From examples advertised for sale on the web, it's clear Hohner produced several different versions of the Carmen ii over the space of a decade or more, differing somewhat in appearance.
You may find this video interesting:

Another:

https://auctions.goldingyoung.com/lot-details/index/catalog/490/lot/369976/A-mid-20thC-Hohner-Carmen-II-piano-accordion-in-red-trim-with-twenty-four-buttons-39cm-W-cased

 

[Dingo40]

I'm posting some pics in case anyone knows if this is older than I think it might be

Can you send a picture showing how the bass strap is attached and adjusted for tension?

 

[ShmoodleDoodle]

Attached is a PDF listing Hohner models and their years of production (from Hohner GMBH). The Carmen 2 is at the bottom of page one with it's production period listed as "1930er"- by which I figure they intend the whole decade.

Thanks for this list. Yeah, there it is...1930s! I must handle it with extra care

 

[ShmoodleDoodle]

From examples advertised for sale on the web, it's clear Hohner produced several different versions of the Carmen ii over the space of a decade or more, differing somewhat in appearance.
You may find this video interesting:

Another:

https://auctions.goldingyoung.com/lot-details/index/catalog/490/lot/369976/A-mid-20thC-Hohner-Carmen-II-piano-accordion-in-red-trim-with-twenty-four-buttons-39cm-W-cased

Oh, thanks for the video and the link! I got a couple extra pictures of the bass strap. It doesn't look like there's any way of adjusting it though. Cheers!

 

[Dingo40]

! I got a couple extra pictures of the bass strap. It doesn't look like there's any way of adjusting it though

Yes, thanks.
Not sure what to think of this.
(I think there was a thread asking about how to replace this type of bass strap)

 

[ShmoodleDoodle]

Yes, thanks.
Not sure what to think of this.
(I think there was a thread asking about how to replace this type of bass strap)

It would be nice to adjust it. It feels just a little tight, or maybe my hand isn't positioned quite right. I'll have a look for that thread. Thanks again! Oh, the bellows straps fall off easily. I'm assuming there were some kind of press stud button or something there to keep them on, but there's just the nut left now, so the straps slip off all the time. Looking into replacing those

 

[Dingo40]

Oh, the bellows straps fall off easily. I'm assuming there were some kind of press stud button or something there to keep them on, but there's just the nut left now,

I think the hole in the strap was meant to slip over the little peg, but with time the strap stretched and now won't stay in place.
There's a number of potential replacement bellows straps available in accordion parts shops (Google: accordion bellows straps for sale ).

 

[dunlustin]

Your type of bass strap is typically found on smaller ( non-PA) Hohner accordions: Corsa, Corona etc. Typically people complain they are too loose?
If you decide to replace, you can find straps with Velcro adjustment that are pretty much infinitely adjustable.
(Maybe hang on to the old one for completeness' sake)

 

[Dingo40]

It would be nice to adjust it. It feels just a little tight,

As dunlustin said, the age it is, people usually find the bass strap too loose.
The present arrangement means adjusting the tension will be somewhat problematic.
However, once again, there may be something suitable at the parts store: try Googling "accordion bass strap tension adjuster."
Here's a relevant thread:
Tap on this.

O

Thread 'Installing an external bass strap adjuster'

Feb 26, 2022

I'm thinking about getting an externally mounted bass strap adjuster for my 48-bass Hohner Concerto and was wondering if anyone had done something similar and been happy with the result. The original strap isn't a bad fit for my hand, but I'd like to replace it with something with a bit more padding, and it would be nice to be able to adjust it if needed. I'm assuming the part with the wheel should go on the top when the accordion is in playing position. My concerns are that there isn't a lot of room on the top edge of the accordion for mounting it and I don't know if it would stick out a...

• olivigus
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