I tuned that old Shine, and I don't remember if it had metal slides, but thinking it did. What I do remember is that it sounds and plays really good. Love the sound of Hohner reeds.
I,too,am very fond of the Hohner reed sound when properly tuned. I think most of the criticism of Hohners relates to what I call Hohner's "almost" tuning. Properly tuned Hohner boxes have great charm.
In addition to my favorite Italian made Castagnaris, I also own Hohners, the older and funkier, the better. I jhave an HA 112 and an HA 113 both in A.
There is a Shine Mouton box here locally with Hohner slide parts and undefined reeds; it is one helluva box.
I think that there is entirely too much focus on the "high end" bits and pieces that go into boxes and not enough into the character and soul of them which cannot be learned.. you got it or you don't. Shine had it, Richard Richard had it, the old Saxon, Bohemian boxes had it ie Monarch and Sterling .
Tue best accordeon I ever played was a 2 row Italian box from the thirties. Plywood beech for the box, cheap spruce and rough maple for the reed blocks.. nothing fancy and what an incredible machine. Other than properly mitred joints, it was rather ordinary in its construction. Crude handmade reeds that sang.