The First Hohner Melodica and Clones

[Paul Durham]

041262 could also stand for April 12. It is very common to place the month first so that numerical order is preseerved in date calculations.

[Quetscher]

That’s right Paul, but usually they spell it the other way round in Germany…

[Alan Brinton]

Actually, almost everywhere it’s day-month-year. They (Germans, Japanese, Italians, etc.) have no respect for us Americans and refuse to adopt our customs. But they do make better melodicas, with the exception of Oscar Verdugo’s Diamante Wind Vox.

[Alan Brinton]

I have a “010363” on a recently acquired Professional 36, indicating 1 March 1963.

[Luis melodion]

Wow, you are my hero Alan 😀

[Luis melodion]

I found this model too on internet.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1790kw98lg49Ex-y_rUo6tXF6iicfcAvl

[Alan Brinton]

Can you tell who the maker of this ancient melodica roja is, Luis?

[Michael]

hi alan,
perhaps this is the right place to continue our conversion from the soprano cleaningthread some days ago.
now i got also a woodenbody soprano and found this info on the first side of this thread:

In the first half of the production, the soundboard was made of pearwood, but they then switched to injection molded parts because of the persistent problems with swelling of the wood.

(the first half year of production is the right translation)

so the wooden ones should be the real first melodicas from hohner.

the left soprano with yellowish plasticbody
in the middle and right soprano and alto with woodbody and whiter tint.
you can identify them with the third screw at the end.

the soprano had a broken key i just fixed quick and dirty to get her airtight. she seems to had fallen on the edge.

i can not compare the sound at the moment, because i am a little ill, but will ask my girlfriend to test them.

• This reply was modified 3 weeks ago by Michael.

[Alan Brinton]

Terrific! Thanks for the photo and the information about the original use of pearwood, Michael. I’m watching eBay for a Piano model with wood.

[Author]

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