Re: German harps...how much "German" are they?

["M. N." <mnessmith@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

smo-j wrote:
"Buying a harp made in Czechoslovakia may not be such a bad deal."

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With the exception of botching the name (Czechoslovakia ceased to exist as 
of Jan. 1, 1993, when it split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia), Joe 
has a fine point. The Czechs have a long history of industry and are 
world-class craftsmen with a tradition of quality. They produce a number of 
wonderful, respected instruments (for instance, Petrof, Delicia, Strunal, 
AMATI-Denak). I lived in the Czech Republic from 1993-98 and my (Czech) wife 
and I moved back here from Florida last summer. Back in - I'm guessing - 
1996 I wrote a story for a newspaper about a Czech musical instruments 
company that was manufacturing Les Paul Standard electric guitars for 
Epiphone. I toured the company's factory in the tiny village of Horovice, 
30-40 miles southwest of Prague, with the president of the Czech firm, 
Bohemia Musico-Delicia, which also produces accordians under their own name 
and for Hohner. While I was at the factory, the guy told me that their other 
factory, north of Prague, "produces harmonicas for Hohner."
"You mean mouth harmonicas?" I asked.
"Yes," he said. "Well, we don't make the whole harmonica, but we make the
reeds and send them to Germany."
MN

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