Hohner Cassotto 26 Made in Germany

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  • #6034
    Javi
    Participant

    Hi all!
    A few days ago I found this melodica at a friend´s recently closed musical instruments store.
    A Hohner Cassotto 26 Made in Germany brand new. It had been there for years! maybe 15? 20 years?? He didn´t know. He gave me the melodica so I´m really happy with it 🙂
    Here are some pictures:

    HohnerCassotto1

    HohnerCassotto2

    HohnerCassotto3

    HohnerCassotto4

    HohnerCassotto5

    HohnerCassotto6

    HohnerCassotto7

    HohnerCassotto8

    #6036
    Melodica-Me
    Participant

    Welcome to the forum Javi, that is a great looking Cassotto. I have been looking for one myself, but have not found one I like, maybe i am getting to picky lo.

    Melodica-Me
    Monsters of Melodica

    #6038
    Javi
    Participant

    Thank you Melodica-Me, I’m pretty sure I will enjoy around here 🙂
    Yes, I suppose its very difficult to find one in good condition, but if I was lucky maybe you are too 🙂

    #6043
    Lowboy
    Participant

    Hi Java,

    Nice Cassotto 26. Brand new. That is a rarity.

    I have several cassottos, and personally, I like the sound. I am playing them more and more these days. Many people don’t care for the sound, however, as it is quite different from most melodicas.

    Perhaps it is an acquired taste.

    Regards,

    Lowboy

    #6694
    Pam A
    Participant

    So excited about my “new” Hohner Cassotto 26. It arrived today. I bought it on Ebay recently from a lovely seller in Bulgaria! Plays nicely and fully functioning. So happy!!!!

    Hohner Cassotto 26

    #6696
    Pam A
    Participant

    Well that didn’t work so well. Will try to figure out how to upload pictures of my Cassotto.

    #6697
    Pam A
    Participant

    #6699
    Alan Brinton
    Participant

    Congratulations on your good luck, Javi. That’s a beauty. I also like the unique cassotto sound. I have one and have that brochure, but I hadn’t noticed before that it’s “casotto” on the brochure and “cassotto” on the instrument. Officially, it’s “cassotto.”

    #6700
    Pam A
    Participant

    Here is my try once again at posting pics of my “new” vintage Hohner Cassotto. If pictures don’t appear at least the links should be there for anyone interested.

    My "new" vintage Hohner Cassette melodica

    My "new" vintage Hohner Cassette melodica

    My "new" vintage Hohner Cassette melodica

    My "new" vintage Hohner Cassette melodica

    My "new" vintage Hohner Cassette melodica

    My "new" vintage Hohner Cassette melodica

    #6701
    Alan Brinton
    Participant

    Is that one of the two that were recently on eBay, Pam? If so, what kind of playing condition is it in? Is it relatively air tight?

    #6702
    Pam A
    Participant

    Yes it is one of the two listed on eBay. It is really very tight and all keys function quite well. I just got it and haven’t played it a lot but so far so good. Case isn’t in great shape but not really bad. Will keep you informed as I play it more.

    #6703
    Pam A
    Participant

    Hi Alan! Played my Cassotto a bit today. It is very tight. The lowest C is a tad sticky but immediately opens up once it is played. The keys are a bit “clacky” when played as compared to my Hohner 26 and 27 as well as my Yamaha P37D BUT that being said, I really love the sound of this little baby. It is rather light and breathy compared to the others, especially the Hohner 26 and 27. It is very reminiscent of a harmonica to my untrained ear. I did contact the seller before buying and they responded promptly with accurate information. If they still have the other one available and you are interested, I would definitely contact them. They did a good job wrapping it up and shipping it. It arrived in good shape and I had to work at unwrapping it. Best wishes.

    #6704
    Alan Brinton
    Participant

    The other one seems to be gone, Pam. I have a black Cassotto 26 and like it quite a lot, as I do the standard HM-26, of which I have several, and the HM-32. But I’d be glad to have one of those red cassottos in good condition for what you paid for that one. Good purchase! All these models are clacky, but that’s part of their charm!

    My guess is that you could work the stickiness out of that C by submerging the cassotto in warm water, flushing it and working the keys a bit. But these procedures are always done at one’s own risk, and I haven’t done it with a Hohner cassotto or HM.

    #6705
    Lowboy
    Participant

    Nice melodica Pam.

    Yes, these P26/27/32s, including the cassottos, are not very refined instruments. They are clanky and feel and sound rough from a players standpoint. They feel/sound/play rough compared to say the super precise Yamaha professional models. A good analogy for those of us in the USA who are over 50 is that a Yamaha is like a brand new Honda Accord with 10 miles on it and a Hohner P26/27/32 is like a 1965 Chevy Nova with 80,000 miles on it. But as Alan points out, there is a charm about them that some people appreciate. For me it is the sound and the ability to further mute the sound by holding the sound holes against my body.

    The first thing I do when I get a new (used) melodica is to play octaves up the keyboard to check the relative tuning of the instrument.

    By the way, I am going to be trying a vinegar/water soak followed by a dishwasher cycle on several of my P26/27/32s. I will document the process and results.

    Have you tried holding the Hohners against your body to mute the sound when you play? Usually a short tube is needed to do this easily.

    Lowboy

    #6707
    Pam A
    Participant

    Thanks for the advice Lowboy.

    I will definitely try the muting trick. I think it will sound nice and add even more charm. I too love the charm of the Cassotto voice. And definitely post how the vinegar/water rinse and dishwasher experiment works. I have a Hohner Piano 36 that still has a faint mustiness despite airing it out. I have hesitated to try out the rinsing and washing in a dishwasher on it but would do it if your experiment goes well, especially if I didn’t have to take it apart. I opened it up twice and gapped a few keys but I really don’t like doing that too often. Afraid I will strip the screws putting it back together.

    Warmly

    Pam

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