‘In the tent and also in the paddle boat the Hohner-Harmonika should not be missing…’ Click here for more!
I think the melodeon is an example of the Hohner Liliput Preciosa, by the way, a compact and rather quiet single-reeded model. I wonder where the girl is today?
Something similar called a Liliput was I gather very popular with German servicemen during WWII because of its small size. I bet you all wanted to know that…
PS – A long-lost old friend has unexpectedly got in touch after three decades to say that this is not a melodeon, but a tiny piano accordion. She should know – she’s currently setting up an accordion museum in Inverness. Thanks Caroline Hunt! But I think I could be forgiven for being mistaken on this question – I think I see eight buttons on the left hand, which is at least suggestive of a melodeon, but the air holes on the side do look a lot like accordion bass buttons.
PPS – I like to take my one-row melodeon when cruising in our little 20-footer; it’s a great thing to have around when waiting for the tide. Does anyone else do this?
julieandhersqueeze.com is barred from my workplace . . .
That's very odd! I guess they think it's just too sexy 😉
I haven't played my concertina in a couple of years, having taken up the easier and more sing-along-able ukulele. I hope to build a Michalak AF3 by next summer, and I definitely will prepare a safe spot to stow the uke!
Ms. Hunt is incorrect — this is a melodeon. There was a similar piano accordion made by Hohner but the one in the picture is a melodeon (diatonic button accordion).
So… What's the thing that reveals that it's a melodeon please? Are the eight buttons arranged differently on an accordion? (I'm a melodeon player btw, but not an piano accordionist.)
Gavin
Hohner's piano box that was the same size as the Preciosa had a mini Stradella bass so the buttons were staggered, These tiny melodeons were actually two voice as was the Liliput.
The Preciosa is the better and more desirable of the two and both of these boxes were Cub models with different a bass layout to normal diatonics. They also have the Gleichton on the inside row – a button that plays the same note push/pull. Now that takes a bit of getting used to!
I have a C/F Liliput that's awaiting repair/tuning if you want to take a look sometime 🙂
I meant Club models of course!
I'm still coming to grips with the things you can do with the standard arrangement. I made Katie laugh the other day when I said that the day I discovered the Fdim chord on my GC I finally realised that the two-row is in fact the work of the Devil…
Those little Lilliputs and Preciosa's are sweet little boxes. One day I may move on to some kind of 2.5 row – perhaps – but actually, the little box I could be tempted by would be the tiny piano accordion! I know exactly who I'd want to give it to.
Gav
The mini piano box was called the Regina. Owen Woods recently had Mike Rowbotham fit a Regina bass end to his Preciosa – here's a youtube of the result:
Clive Williams had Theo Gibb completely redesign the bass end of his Preciosa – another youtube!
Outstanding stuff – both of them!