Meinel & Herold

[ilan]

Anyone knows anything about this German maker? This one looks really nice. What's a good price in your opinion?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/153053231377

[Dave W]

€699 for "Funktion nicht geprüft"?

[exiledarchangel]

This thing is rather stylish, are we sure it was made in Germany?

[BTL]

That looks nice!

Google is of some assistance:

http://jedistar.com/meinel-herold/

https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?138918-So-what-is-Meinel-amp-Herold

[Dave W]

This thing is rather stylish, are we sure it was made in Germany?

Based on Brad's links, I'd guess they were distributors based in the former E. Germany. So it could have been made in another Iron Curtain country.

[Rob]

Based on Brad's links, I'd guess they were distributors based in the former E. Germany. So it could have been made in another Iron Curtain country.

The last post on the link said that they had a factory?

[Dave W]

The last post on the link said that they had a factory?

Possibly, or the old photos could be from a factory where the instruments they distributed were made, but that doesn't mean they owned the factory. If they did, it could have been long before this bass was made. Klingenthal is on the Czech border, so who knows where it was made.

[Chris P.]

Klingenthal is next to Markneukirchen and that area is called The Musical Instrument Area. In the past I believe 80% of all musical instruments sold in Europe came from that area. Okay, maybe 80% is a lot, I might be exaggerating, haha, but it used to be the center of instrument making in Europe.

I visited Markneukirchen often, cos Warwick is based there. But not only Warwick. You see an instrument maker on any street corner. From bowed instrumentys to brass and wood wind. It has a Framus Museum, a Instrument Museum, et cetera. The famous bow maker Pfretzschner is there too. And unknown to a lot of people: C.F. Martin was born there. He left for the US because of fights with the instrument builder's guild. He made guitars and they weren't seen as instruments, so he had to be part of the furniture maker's guild and he couldn't attend instrument fairs.

After the war it became Easter-Germany and guided by Framus boss Fred Wilfer (father of Warwick boss HP Wilfer) a lot of builders, Höfner among them, fled overnight with some trucks, wood and tools to Western Europe. Höfner is still close by and Warwick/Framus returned to the area, partly because of heritage and partly because of subsidy/Subvention of the German government for companies who wanted to start in the 'poor' former East.

But to cut a long story short: that area houses a lot of brands, builders, big and small, so hard to find out.



Note: I just googled and wikipedia is always right, isn't it?
"The town's instrument-making history stems from the 17th century arrival of a group of Protestants fleeing religious persecution across the border in Bohemia. Among them were some who already practised the instrument trade. By the 1900s, 80 percent of the world's musical instruments were made in this small town.[2]"

[ilan]

I had no idea, Chris. Now I want to visit there.

[Rob]

I had no idea, Chris. Now I want to visit there.

I do as well.

[Dave W]

I had no idea, Chris. Now I want to visit there.

I do as well.

Oh no! You'll both become Wankwick fans!

[ilan]

There's a couple of Warwicks I wouldn't mind owning, Dave. A red Dolphin in particular. Or the one with the sliding pickups they've built for Guy Pratt.

[Dave W]

Already too late! 

I wouldn't mind owning a neck-thru Thumb. Because Jack Bruce, that's why. But I wouldn't spend the money for one even if i had the money to spare.

[Chris P.]

  This is not about Warwick but about Höfner, Framus, Martin, and music legacy