Squeezebox greeting from South Africa

[mjdewet]

Good day all,
I'm from sunny South Africa, which used to be the land of "Braaivleis(BBQ meat), Rugby, Sunny skies and Chevrolet" from a GM advert of years gone by. Chevy has left us, rugby is a topic I'll not discuss, and the price of meat has gone up considerably, so we're still left with the sunny skies at least.

I've got two accordions: A 80 bass Frontalini with one voice and octave coupler, and a 72 bass Hohner Verdi.

The Frontalini is in tip top condition, and played very regularly, which I bought in 1974 for the (then) equivalent price of about £40...

The Hohner is a very old one that I picked last year, and in need of some TLC.

Having lurked here over the last few days, I'm confident that the Hohner could be healed of it's brocheal tendencies on some notes and also on the bass.

 

[jozz]

A good day to you too! And a good year {}

hope you will find time for the TLC!

 

[Morne]

Welkom, Thys! Eks bly om nog n landsgenoot hierso te sien.

so were still left with the sunny skies at least.

And no water... :hb

What kind of music do you play on the accordion?

Show us some photos of the Frontalini and the Hohner.

Depending on the extent of the Hohners TLC - and whether you want to attempt it yourself - I can put you in touch with two repairmen in Cape Town. It might turn out to not be economical to repair or it might be a case of merely getting it playable as opposed to top condition.

 

[Soulsaver]

Hi Welcome here. We could do with some of that sun... and plenty of boerworse.. mmm. Sod the diet!

 

[mjdewet]

Thanks guys!

I'm part of a song group where we perform in old age homes to try and bring some cheer in the lives of the old bullets!
We do everything from 'boeremusiek' to Beethoven, Bach and The Beatles.

I took the PA's to Danté Malan. He tuned the Frontalini, but he recons the Hohner is not commercially repairable.
Some of the valves were lying loose inside the case, and some reeds are very coarse and rough sounding.

So now of course I see that as a challenge. Some 30 years ago I restored and tuned my wife's grandmother's old harmonium without any of the modern day tools like digital tuners, etc...