Hohner piano 27 Year of manufacturing?
- This topic has 9 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 4 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
I have the chance to buy used this Hohner piano 27 (see pics). I am new in melodicas.
The current owner does not know much about it. Can someone tell me the Year of manufacturing, quality, wood or plastic?
Convenience of buy it for a student? (maybe compared with another cheap models, such as Student 32, etc)
Thanks for your opinions!
Hello, Jaime. This Hohner Piano model was in production during the 1980s and continued until about 2011. There was a Piano 26, identified as soprano, and this Piano 27, identified as an alto. The 27 seems to be be rarer than the 26. It is plastic and nicely designed, though not of high quality construction. It is unusual in its sound, softer than most melodicas, and in the fact that sound actually comes out the holes in the bottom rather than just up through the keyboard. If you look though posts here by Lowboy Bootay, who is a blues player, you’ll see that he likes these models and has provided various sound samples demonstrating how he gets blues effects with them. I myself like the unique sound of these models; there also was a Piano 32. If you’re able to play it and have heard other melodicas, you’ll notice the difference right away.
The most likely defect would be leakiness. When you blow into it with no keys pressed or spit valve open, no air should be escaping. This particular instrument is not one of the older ones; it is fairly recent and should not have leakage. Prices on these vary widely. New ones were still being sold a few years ago for $58 by the Hohner Shoppe. I’ve seen used ones for as little as $30 and for over $100 (U.S.).
In my opinion, it is far superior to current generic melodicas such as the Student 32. But I probably wouldn’t buy it for a child.
Alan Brinton, thank you for your useful response. I live in Argentina, this instrument is from here, it´s price is about u$d 50 (I guess I can negotiate a little). It’s not for a child, it’s for me! (I am still an adult student)
The only point here is the melodica comes WITHOUT the flexible air tube, which I would need in many situations. And I think is difficult to find the spare air tube in our market, specialy for this Piano 27 model.
What you sugest about it? Is it possible to adapt generic air tube for this model?PS. Is really MADE IN GERMANY ? (I read about new Honhers are made in China)
Regards
Yes, these were really made in Germany. I have seen photos of them being made at the factory there. Since 2011 or so, I think ll Hohner Melodicas have been made in China and are not as good (in my opinion).
The tubes themselves are are usually all of the same diameter, so that the problem would be with the fitting that plugs into the hole in the Piano 27. This hole, the mouth piece receptacle, is quite a bit larger than the ones on current melodicas, the new Hohners, Yamahas, Suzukis, and so on. The fittings and tube can be ordered from this place in Germany:
http://www.akkordeonfreund.de/product_info.php?products_id=532
Yes, these were really made in Germany. I have seen photos of them being made at the factory there. Since 2011 or so, I think ll Hohner Melodicas have been made in China and are not as good (in my opinion).
The tubes themselves are are usually all of the same diameter, so that the problem would be with the fitting that plugs into the hole in the Piano 27. This hole, the mouth piece receptacle, is quite a bit larger than the ones on current melodicas, the new Hohners, Yamahas, Suzukis, and so on. The fittings and tube can be ordered from this place in Germany: http://www.akkordeonfreund.de/product_info.php?products_id=532
http://www.akkordeonfreund.de/index.php?language=en&cPath=4_82_104But it might be hard or too expensive for you to do that. I have heard that shipping to Argentina often does not work out well. I can try sending you a tube with fittings if there doesn’t seem to be any alternative.
I just took out a Hohner Piano 26 and compared it to the Hohner Student (Instructor) 32. The sound of the Piano 26 is much, much better. It has far more character. $50 U.S. is a reasonable price.
Alan, thanks again.
Yes I think that ordering to Germany (or any other country in this case) a cheap accesory (such tube and adaptor) is not a good idea. The shipping cost may exceed the product cost, no sense.
I wonder if one may make some DIY trick. But in the other hand, I think the tube should be FIT EXACTLY in the hole, no much place here to do “shit-hand-made” tricks (sorry for my creative bad english) :=)Well, I would visit a Ferrimart or other hardware store and look at plumbing supplies and at tubing. You may be able to find a kind of hard or semi-hard plastic or rubber tubing that fits snugly into the mouthpiece receptacle o or a plastic fitting for plastic tubing that does. That would be your foundation to make the connection. Then you can increase or decrease the size of the other end of a short piece by getting tubing that fits snugly over or inside that. I have used rubber tubing to extend a mouth piece. The kind of tubing that I have folds too easily to be used as your melodica hose. I have also used surgical latex tubing, which can be stretched to fit a fitting or tubing that is significantly larger. This kind of latex tubing is also used by scuba and diving shops. It can also be used as a longer melodica tube, although there is sometimes a problem with folding or with moisture collecting in it. Anyway, I think it is possible to rig something.
Hi Dos Tazas,
Alan has really fixed you up here with good information. I have been experimenting with tubing and mouthpieces for my Piano 26/27/32s and found 90 degree copper elbows at the hardware store that fit the the hole in these instruments. Then all you need to do is find tubing that fits the elbow (and perhaps a mouthpiece that fits the tubing if in fact you want a mouthpiece). I have posted a number of photos and recordings concerning these Piano 26/27/32s and they are my favorite melodica. I really don’t play anything else.
These instruments are pretty easy and responsive to play without any mouthpiece. You just press you lips up against the hole.
Unless you want to play using my technique or with two hands, I would not recommend using a tube. The rigid mouthpiece that is usually shipped with the melodica works pretty good.
A tube of the right diameter and of the right thickness/flexibility can be tricky to find.
Regards,
Lowboy
Lowboy, thanks! I heard a couple of your recordings and thechniques, they are really amazing. I couldn’t imagine those sounds from a simple melodica.
How do I play with 2 hands without a tube? Please tell me. I saw a guy in Youtube using both hands without a tube, but the instrument supported in his cheast or something. I find this position very uncomfortable for a newbie like me.Hi Dos Tazas:
Oh, perhaps my message was not clear. You really can’t play full two fisted-melodica in traditional fashion without a tube because the melodica must be on a table. That said, I think I remember seeing some people use a harness to hold the melodica in place on their chest while they play two-handed. Their left hand is playing notes coming in from the opposite side of the keyboard! A bit unorthodox but impressive skill. I hold the melodica at the water valve end and often use my left hand to hold any of the last four or five notes for accents and effects, but I do not play full two-fisted compositions this way.
My personal opinion is that the melodica was designed as a monophonic instrument (one note at a time) as demonstrated by 90 percent of the sheet music created for the instrument. A small percentage of music notates playing two-note intervals. Plus I like the freedom of playing a monophonic instrument.
However, I appreciate the efforts of those that are pushing the limits of the melodica and their playing skill by playing full two-handed compositions. You will need lots of air and consideration must be given to “air-robbing” from the higher notes by the lower notes.
I stab chords and intervals all the time, but mostly I think and play the instrument in monophonic fashion.
That said, if you want to play two-handed, you will likely need a tube.
My research with tubes reveals that a big-honking-inside diameter from you mouth to a big-honking-inside diameter copper elbow at the entrance hole of the melodica significantly deepens and thickens the sound you get, at least on a Hohner Piano 26/27/32. I just have not been able to find the right tubing. It must be 5/8 of an inch inside, flexible, pinch resistant, and light.
Lowboy
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.