@@soslothful I will be raising the price by the end of this week (changes march 7th) to 57. If you purchase it, you will have access to it forever, including all future updates. I don't have a demo, but if you are unhappy about your purchase I will gladly refund you. Hope that helps!
@@HarmonicaRevolution Forever? Even in the afterlife? I'm mostly interested in playing tunes, what I suppose would be campfire harmonica. Would this be helpful to me as an absolute beginner? I've been hinting to my cat he should buy me this for my fast approaching birthday.
@@soslothful I have had multiple beginner level students find it really helpful with their ability to play clean single notes especially, which is a must when playing 1st position "campfire" harmonica. However, 1st position is only one scale and the program covers more positions more suited to advanced playing w/ bends. Even 1st position harmonica uses bends in the lowest octave. What I'm trying to say is that, part of the program would be useful to you, but if you are keeping your goals limited to playing simple tunes in 1st position, you won't get the most benefit out of it.
Jonah, I hope you aren’t the type that looks at your sub count and thinks “why am I not growing?” Because you really have a lot offer the harp community that with these videos. You deserve more subs and I think they will come with time. Your videos are the most professional, RUclips-friendly harp instructional videos anywhere on this site. I really think with this channel, you have an opportunity to promote understanding of the instrument and the theory behind it, and reach a bigger audience than anyone else making these videos. You do the thumbnails right, the videos are structured well and engaging, just generally quality videos. Keep it up man, love this channel.
Thanks! I try. And I'm not that type, I'm pretty content, I'm growing steadily on here every month. Yeah, I'm not at Tomlin or Gussow levels, but they've been around for far longer. Thanks for the support!
I started playing Harmonica in the mid 1960's and played professionally from 1968 till about 1976 . A Hohner harmonica was $ 2 to $3.50 I have no idea why the same harmonicas are about $60 now , inflation was no where near this much. Thinking back a beer was 20 cents in the 1960's . I started playing Harmonica when I retired and now I play Lee Oscar melody harmonicas ($65 ) because the tuning allows me to play a lot of Celtic songs and Country songs , I still play Blues and use Diatonic Hohners . Thanks for the info .
Got a full Harp set for Christmas but was missing a C harp (Seydel Session steel with Stainless reeds). Now I've got all those recommendations to go through. Thank you so much for still being here and making content on harps and teaching people! It's a shame that this little instrument lost so much popularity.
I've owned a bunch of these over the years. I would easily place the Suzuki Promaster first, followed by Special20 and LeeOskar/Tombo tied on second place.
I too agree, that the Suzuki Promaster takes 1st place and the Hohner Special 20 in 2nd place.I didn't much care for the LEE OSKAR,as it seemed to take much more air for me to play it as well.
Put what harmonica you are playing in the on-screen graphics above/next to key and tuning text. Besides that, great info, awesome video, and impressive harp skills!! Thank you.
My favorite harmonica so far is the seydel blues session harmonica, as opposed to the seydel session steel I personally prefer the brass reedplate for occasional chords, even though I usually play melodies. I appreciate the ability to disassemble it, and replace the reedplates if need be.
I got one of these as my first harp - the booklet was good and the sound is good but I've found bends really hard to do. It's really comfy though and I like the leather pouch they come with.
Took my by surprise when you started riffing on Diggin my potato (Cowboy bebop) for the manji haha, nice! A cover of that song on a manji is one of my oldest videos =)
I’m a harp customizer (I don’t sell them, although they have professional quality setups and I could sell them, they take too much time and I couldn’t do that and my main job at the same time.) being a customizer, my favorite harmonica is the marine band deluxe. There are a few reasons for that. First, I like the marine band sound, but the only problem with the sound to me, is the train sound (45 draw) is a bit too compromised in its tuning, and the double stop doesn’t sound as good. The marine band deluxe fixes this issue by slightly sharpening the 5 and 9 draw, which makes those double stops sound perfect. Second, the marine band deluxe comes tapped for screws, and while I can convert a standard marine band to screws, it’s a pain and probably my least favorite mod to do on a harp. Another really important thing about the deluxe over the standard, it has a sealed comb so I don’t have to seal it myself with shellac. Lastly, the rounded cover plates of the deluxe (and crossover for that matter) are just so much more comfortable than the standard 1896. The standard marine band is, to be perfectly frank, the most uncomfortable harmonica on the market, but the deluxe makes a few key improvements that go a long way towards comfort, although it’s still not the most comfortable harp on the market. In my opinion that would the Suzuki olive or promaster, but the olive cover plates have a less “sticky” texture to them when compared to the promaster. This is why I like to get non glossy, non chrome cover plates, they are just way less stick on the lips and slide a lot better. My favorite cover plates are the ones on the kongsheng solist. They are anodized and have an almost matte texture, just perfect. The kongsheng solist is honestly a great harp for the price but it suffers from the same issue that a lot of non-Hohner harmonicas have which is squealing on overblows, I use overblows a lot so I can’t really play anything except marine bands, deluxes, and crossovers.
Great vid and honest appraisals. A few points. Marine Band Classics - the wood doesn't seem to swell anymore. You CAN prise the nails open and disassemble the harp. I have done it many times as per Adam Gussow's vids. I often chamfer the tooth corners to make them like a Deluxe and add extra sealant. But yes it is a bit fiddly and the Deluxe is better for maintenance. Otherwise I agree the Seydel 1847 and the Crossover are great harps. I also cannot get on with Manjis. The reeds feel like real hard work though the harps are really well made. I think it is just that I was raised on Hohners. The fat profile of the Lucky 13 I find pretty well impossible. (I mostly U-block, by the way).
Am I the only one who loves big rivers. They have always came perfectly gapped and tuned out of the box. Just reliable. They have a nice plastic comb with large holes. The only thing they are not is comfortable.
If you have a nickel allergy, be very careful if having a joint replaced and tell your dr. Don't let them just do the coin taped to your arm because usually the allergy is not just your skin. Some joints have lots mire nickel than ithers. I know sounds weird to say this here but because you mentioned it, which I appreciate. And I didn't kniw this about joints till I accidentally found out days before having my knee done. So whoever needs to read this. Great video. I'm just starting and bought a Lee Oskars, C.
You could drill out the Hohner Marine band nails and install nice little through bolts if you have a Dremel Tool with it's nifty little drill press attachment. Why not...? And if sharp edges bother you, get a jeweler's file, they're handy with three cutting sides.
Thanks for the video. It's very informative and well done. It's also very helpful to read these comments from user's experiences. I just got my first harmonica, as an adult a few days ago; a Special 20 in G, but quickly realize there's a LOT more to the harmonica than I ever imagined! I just ordered an East top in C because I can't justify spending a lot as a beginner. I'm mostly interested in playing blues, with all those wonderful bends which, are a lot more difficult that I thought.
Don't work on the bends too soon, focus on single notes with tongue blocking and a good tone first. Then after some draw bend tries move rather quickly to blow bends on the 8 hole. This will teach you what you have to do with your tongue to bend in general. Blow bends were an eye opener for me after playing shitty draw bends for way too long
Yes I like Big Rivers and never got a bad one. Use to play Lee Oskars but then I started getting bad ones that squealed like stuck pigs. Tried I think its called Hohner Blues harp but the reeds were too soft and it blew out the reeds too quickly. The Hohner Pro Harp I tried was good but not sure if they make that one anymore? I can not find it up here anyways. Between Special 20 and Big River I still prefer the Big River. For me IMHO I think it has a slightly "darker" sound that I like.
You can swap covers on Kongsheng Solist - I put Manji's covers on it (since Manji was trash) because I wanted to use it on Gecko rack and original covers were aluminum. They seem to fit and I think that Solist sound better with vented covers.
i bought seydel blues solist pro in LF tuning and i was so surprised, especially at the price 1/2 of rocket or thunderbird. i'm a beginner but it doesn't look like a piece of junk to me :)
Appreciate your take on the various harps, most of which I do not own, though I've been playing for almost 60 years, both professionally and just for fun. Have to disagree with you about the Seydel Blues Soloist Pro, however. I own 2 of these, a G and a Low F, and think they are just fine. Airtightness on mine is as good as any, and the wood comb is well-sealed. Maybe you just got a lemon. Cheers!
Great information 👍 love your videos and lessons. Personally I like the special 20 & Golden Meledy however I do play alott of gospel blues Todd Perott & buddy green. kinda stuff
I’m a beginner choosing between the rocket amp and special 20. Which should I go with? I’m thinking rocket amp over the rocket since I already have a recording setup since I’m a guitar player, but can’t choose between that and the sp 20
I like the lee oscar it can stand up to repeated cleaning allows reed changing. Like the Hohner marine band but for the wood comb it does not stand up to repeated cleaning. Lee Oskar wins it racks and plays well.
I'm so happy with my Hohner Crossover C. I'm 60 and I'm just starting to learn but I wanted a nice quality instrument, so that way I can just blame myself for the errors.
I rank my harmonica sets this way from my favorite set on down. #1 Hohner Rocket Amp-super smooth, respectfully airtight, and with the loudest volume of my sets which is great for acoustic playing, especially helpful for me as I practice most often without an amp for the sake of convenience. #2 is my Lee Oskars for some of the same reasons. They are also kind of loud and quite airtight playing with a lot of the qualities of the Rocket Amp harps. #3 is my set of Hohner Crossovers. They sound more precise than the others and are also quite airtight. Because of this they shine when playing through a mic, pedalboard and amp system. Although they have a more desirable sound than the first two, I don't use them for practice because the acoustical volume is so much lower than the Rocket Amps. I have a couple of Suzuki Manji's and they are somewhere in the middle. My Special 20's play well but don't have the volume of my more favored ones. #5 is my Marine Band harps because they are kind of stuck in a time warp using the old wooden comb that are sticky to my lips. There are a lot of great harmonica players that only play this harp as their harp of choice so it's all about personal preference. I only have one Hohner Blues harp and it's in the key of Bb and I hate it. Maybe I got the luck of the draw and just got a defective one. To me it leaks so much air it plays like a cheap leaky harp.
I own a big set of costum lightning and you get used to the weight but i still agree the classic is probably a better choice its allround one of the best and not that expensive compared to
Easttops are my "go to" harps. Rich tones, responsive, and easily bendable. The price is right. The only key I have had trouble with is in G. For some reason the G harps go out of tune quickly. I went through about 3 of them in a two year period. Other than that, Eastop makes good harps in my opinion.
@@MrSpanky2001 They make EXcellent harps! I hate the painted covers, though, so I swap those out for Hohner MS series Big River or Blues Harp covers. Much better glide, feel in mouth and hands, and even tone with the Hohner covers. I love all my Easttops.
Today's prices take my breath away! True, I'm now 70 years old and when I started getting serious with the harp back in 1971, the only choices were the Marine Band (retail $3.75) and the Blues Harp ($4.25). What justifies today's prices? Has the American dollar been devalued that much? In the mid-1970's, I went with the Golden Melody and would have stuck with that one if the quality hadn't slipped. I've been with the Lee Oskar since they came out because they are rugged and last longer than the others. By the way, back then there were 4 and 5-piece bar bands everywhere routinely playing 5 or 6 nights a week. We didn't need no stinkin' day jobs! Anybody doing that now?
$3.75 in 1971 is about $25 in 2022. So there’s more to the story than just inflation. There could be lots of factors such as cost of materials perhaps increasing more than inflation or demand being lower, but I don’t have any insight into this particular market.
What gets me about this amazing instrument is that you can snag one of professional quality for about half a ton up to sensible max of 125. Next best would be the penny whistle, from about 50 western fiat currency units up to about 300 tops, and they start at about 10. My beginner's Yamaha flute would be the thick end of half a grand new. My teacher's (she's 2 years older than my kid and has just graduated) was 5K and you can pick them out of an online catalogue for up to twenty-five grand. Then there's custom stuff. I like the harmonica.
I wish I had seen this before I picked up a Fender haha. It's not *the worst* for me, but I'm an experienced sax player who used to play harp years ago, and even I wish I'd just ponied up the extra $35 for a Hohner Special 20. The Fender's reeds aren't gapped right, and it's leaky leading to a lot of air required, except on the 9 and 10 (where it drops to almost nothing, abit jarring). Half step bends are all I can get out of it out of the box. I'll work on it later, but am definitely picking up 3 Hohners after payday
Thanks for the great review. So much valuable information. Is the shape of special 20 a problem to you? I feel the corners next to hole 1 and hole 10 make it harder to overblow/draw. Golden melody has the best shape, Seydel session steel’s shape looks also not bad.
Personally I find the Blues session steel or the Blues favorite (which I change to stainless reeds) are far better than any Hohner I have. (Marine, Blues. Special 20, Pro harp). Never tried a Crossover, probably wont. I searched for 20 years till I hit on the Seydels, doubt I'll ever change. YMMV
@@billmiller7138 Crossovers are really responsive and loud out of the box, loud like Hohner's Rocket. I was amazed at how much louder they are than ALL Hohners that I have played since 1972. Those two models are both excellent.
Blue Moon makes a custom comb for the Session, and it makes the harp play better. I don’t know how or why Seydel’s less expensive harps are so cruddy, and their high-end harps(ala 1847) are gems.
I’ll keep this conversation going. Agreed with Mr Fox on Seydel blues pro and blues session: weak reeds, poor durability, avoid them. Seydel STEEL reeds very durable. Gotta disagree on the Big River! It’s one of my faves! Yes, a leaky sound but sometimes I want that. Chop the chords in Apple Scruffs or Roadhouse Blues with a River. My teacher and friend, the great Rob Paparozzi, loves the Big River. As for Kongsheng, I love several of their models including Mars and Bluebird. And the Solist is one of my faves. I tend to avoid wood comb harps now.
Don't know exactly what it is, but but tone of Special 20s and Crossovers always leaps out at me in comparison vids. Gonna grab one or the other. Your vids are extremely helpful. Thanks.
What is this valved Promaster that is prone to sticking reeds? Is it different than a regular promaster which is known , and I agree, to be as good as a special 20 ?
Can I weigh in on the Kongsheng Mars? IMHO, it’s fantastic. The smoothest embouchure ever. Round holes, and you’ll fall in love with them instantly. The harp is so well rounded to hold and play. The tone is strong (but not as loud as some others). I wish I had a whole set of Mars. The one I have is the aluminum comb. When I get more, I’ll try the plastic comb ones.
So I bought those Amazing 20's on the recommendation of this video. And I have to say, they are built a little nicer than your average cheap harmonica. That said, I had a few little reed issues with some of them. Dead reeds or nearly dead. I could probably fix them by opening them up and straightening out the reeds but who has time for that. But, I really lucked out with the C. That one in particular was set up really well, I play it often and it sounds great. So, your experience with that particular brand might require a bit of luck. But if you don't mind waiting a long time and get them from like Ali express or whatever direct from China webstore you prefer, then at that price you can afford to experiment.
Hii sir, I want to gift harmonica to my dad but I am not able to understand which Hohner crossover harmonica should I choose for him please tell me which key harmonica should I buy which I can gift to my dad he likes to play harmonica but I have no knowledge about it.. and also tell me when i search hohmer crossover harmonica in it bronze, metal, wood all types come which one will be good for them…
great review and very helpful. I just bought my first harp 2 weeks back and settled on the Marine Band 1896 in the key if C. I assume this is middle C. When buying another harp such as in the key of D or A, how do I know if its D or A above or below middle C?
Normal keys go from G to F. So, an A would be a lower key, a D is above C and is getting high. High F is really high, and the F below a normal G harp is the start of low keys.
I like the Dabell Story. To me its a cheaper Special 20 that comes in alternate tunings. I agree with the Noble being S tier. It's probably my favorite harp amplified. I still need to try all the different Hohner harps, but I like to just stick to what Im used to at this points.
@@JLee-bi4es oh yeah. I honestly can't bring myself to buy more expensive harps when they're so good and cheap. You can buy almost 3 Storys for one 1847 lol.
@@chickenman7252 that's very true I also like those East top harps especially if you want to play some dirty blues real good for that chugging and rhythm playing
After playing for years and using different harps I now like the Big River. Being in Canada where prices on harmonicas are not cheap its a more reasonably priced harmonica. If we want or need to get all the keys for playing in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. positions then that is a lot of harmonicas. Then you maybe need a few backups in certain keys . So would I like to get a more expensive one ? Maybe but I can barely afford these.
Thank you for this extensive review. I have a question that may be off topic but because this is a relatively new video I will ask anyway. I have a set of Kongsheng Baby Fat harmonicas. Do you know how to install the lanyard? There is a little tab on each harmonica with a small circular hole in it. The lanyard cord seems too thick to push through the hole. I have tried to search for "how to install lanyard on baby fat" but all the results that come back are Baby Fat reviews.
Would a Hohner Marine Band Deluxe be good for me, as a beginner with the intent of being self-taught? I'm not really looking for anything "bluesy", because I'll mostly be playing pop songs. I'm a little iffy about the classic Marine Band, because of the way it might feel on the lips, especially since I'll most likely be using the puckering method for a long time. At the same time, I'm also torn between something with a wooden comb, or something with an ABS comb, like a Special 20. What do you think sounds best for me, as a beginner? I'm also looking for something with a bit of a darker tone. And, also, what does the sealed wood comb of the Marine Band Deluxe feel like on the lips, compared to the ABS comb of the Special 20?
Speaking of nickel allergy--when I was young, long ago, the cover plates of most harmonicas were nickel plated steel. It caused enough problems for Hohner to market the "pro harp", which at that time was a Spec 20 with black enameled covers. They use the same name for their MS harp now, but it's not the same. I suppose the selling point for the original pro became out of date when the stainless steel covers became the industry standard.
I agree with you on the Manji. I bought mine because Jason Ricci plays them. But The Bb and Db just don’t work for me. A bit leaky and Hard to draw bend (for me)! However my Manji low tuned C and F and they are excellent, especially the low C with the Filisko covers.
Hi Jonah, thanks for running through the different types of harps, it's given me an idea of what to look for ☺. Much Appreciated, my birthday coming up so I am going to try one of your recommendations in the top tier 👌
Great break down, you have a lot of harps! Similar to your issue with hitting your teeth with the aluminum comb, having a coverplate rip mustache or beard hairs is a no go for me. Seydel Session Steels are what I play pretty exclusively, hard to beat quality for the price, and recessed combs are a must. Also very easy to work on and get parts. I still have a bag of various Hohners(even a Steven Tyler one lol), one suziki and a Lee Oscar.
Not good. They would be at the very bottom of the list. If they work for you, that's fine.I really recommend getting at least one quality (~$50) harp. The cheap ones will make learning much difficult, and without trying a better harp, you don't know what you're missing in terms of airtightness and bend difficulty.
Most are okay. Special 20s are a pain and marine bands are a nightmare. Pretty sure seydels, Dabell, and Kongsheng have been easy. Just curious, what do you usually play?
@@HarmonicaRevolution I usually play special 20s which are a pain as you said lol. Also Dabells which is the first harp I've had that is easy to take apart. I couldn't get my one harmo and few eastops apart so I barely play them and will never buy them again.
I’d love a wooden box like that. But with just the diatonic slots filling most of it since I don’t need mics or chromatics. Maybe just a little slot on the side for my Victorinox and field recorder.
Have you performed the bluesy Amazing Grace publicly? How was it received? Seems it would be either loved as an exciting, new take, or hated for being too untraditional.
@@HarmonicaRevolution I had played bagpipe for some years and Amazing Grace is the quintessential pipe tune, I suspect at any playing there were people crying. It is my suspicion the bluesy version would not be well received.
Marine Band or Special 20 for $49.99??? Where? I cant get em for less than $69 online, and have paid up to $85/pop !! Love them... but they cost an arm and a leg.
You mention the Marine Band comb as swelling. I thought they had sorted that out? I'm sure i read they treat the comb now to stop that happening. Just checked it Hohner say it's double lacquered to stop swelling so that shouldn't be an issue. However the problems with the nails assembly is huge for me also and the reason i've never bought one of these.
@@HarmonicaRevolution Yeah but just through normal playing? If that's the case then it's pretty much an unplayable instrument yet those are the harps Adam Gussow has used forever. So i don't know.. But Hohner say on their site the comb is double lacquered definitely.
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How long will you hold this price? Is a sample preview possible, and once purchased does one have it for all time or does it time out at some point?
@@soslothful I will be raising the price by the end of this week (changes march 7th) to 57. If you purchase it, you will have access to it forever, including all future updates. I don't have a demo, but if you are unhappy about your purchase I will gladly refund you. Hope that helps!
@@HarmonicaRevolution Forever? Even in the afterlife? I'm mostly interested in playing tunes, what I suppose would be campfire harmonica. Would this be helpful to me as an absolute beginner? I've been hinting to my cat he should buy me this for my fast approaching birthday.
@@soslothful I have had multiple beginner level students find it really helpful with their ability to play clean single notes especially, which is a must when playing 1st position "campfire" harmonica. However, 1st position is only one scale and the program covers more positions more suited to advanced playing w/ bends. Even 1st position harmonica uses bends in the lowest octave. What I'm trying to say is that, part of the program would be useful to you, but if you are keeping your goals limited to playing simple tunes in 1st position, you won't get the most benefit out of it.
@@HarmonicaRevolution Thanks for the honest review. I'll think on it but it does not seem to be what would be helpful to me, at least for now.
Jonah, I hope you aren’t the type that looks at your sub count and thinks “why am I not growing?” Because you really have a lot offer the harp community that with these videos. You deserve more subs and I think they will come with time. Your videos are the most professional, RUclips-friendly harp instructional videos anywhere on this site. I really think with this channel, you have an opportunity to promote understanding of the instrument and the theory behind it, and reach a bigger audience than anyone else making these videos. You do the thumbnails right, the videos are structured well and engaging, just generally quality videos. Keep it up man, love this channel.
Thanks! I try. And I'm not that type, I'm pretty content, I'm growing steadily on here every month. Yeah, I'm not at Tomlin or Gussow levels, but they've been around for far longer. Thanks for the support!
I totally agree with this guy's assessment... You're knowledgeable FAR beyond your years... 👍
Digging my patato on the manji. Nice one
I started playing Harmonica in the mid 1960's and played professionally from 1968 till about 1976 . A Hohner harmonica was $ 2 to $3.50
I have no idea why the same harmonicas are about $60 now , inflation was no where near this much. Thinking back a beer was 20 cents in the 1960's . I started playing Harmonica when I retired and now I play Lee Oscar melody harmonicas ($65 ) because the tuning allows me to play
a lot of Celtic songs and Country songs , I still play Blues and use Diatonic Hohners . Thanks for the info .
Im subbing now. I just started a week ago, and I'm going to need your videos
I'm a beginner and I bought 2 today. The Silverstar in C and the Big River in G. I love the Big River in G.
Big River is every bit as good as a Blues Harp. Haters gonna hate.
Got a full Harp set for Christmas but was missing a C harp (Seydel Session steel with Stainless reeds). Now I've got all those recommendations to go through.
Thank you so much for still being here and making content on harps and teaching people! It's a shame that this little instrument lost so much popularity.
I've owned a bunch of these over the years. I would easily place the Suzuki Promaster first, followed by Special20 and LeeOskar/Tombo tied on second place.
I too agree, that the Suzuki Promaster takes 1st place and the Hohner Special 20 in 2nd place.I didn't much care for the LEE OSKAR,as it seemed to take much more air for me to play it as well.
Put what harmonica you are playing in the on-screen graphics above/next to key and tuning text. Besides that, great info, awesome video, and impressive harp skills!! Thank you.
Suzuki olive and hammond review
Agree about the Solist Pro. Mine lost two reeds, never played well. Took the plunge and got new Reed plates. Transformation. Now fantastic.
Great review!
Like that, I can follow the chapters along with what you’re showing, and they even move up into place as you are talking about each one, kind of cool
My favorite harmonica so far is the seydel blues session harmonica, as opposed to the seydel session steel I personally prefer the brass reedplate for occasional chords, even though I usually play melodies. I appreciate the ability to disassemble it, and replace the reedplates if need be.
I got one of these as my first harp - the booklet was good and the sound is good but I've found bends really hard to do. It's really comfy though and I like the leather pouch they come with.
Took my by surprise when you started riffing on Diggin my potato (Cowboy bebop) for the manji haha, nice! A cover of that song on a manji is one of my oldest videos =)
Thanks very informative especially for beginners
I’m a harp customizer (I don’t sell them, although they have professional quality setups and I could sell them, they take too much time and I couldn’t do that and my main job at the same time.) being a customizer, my favorite harmonica is the marine band deluxe. There are a few reasons for that. First, I like the marine band sound, but the only problem with the sound to me, is the train sound (45 draw) is a bit too compromised in its tuning, and the double stop doesn’t sound as good. The marine band deluxe fixes this issue by slightly sharpening the 5 and 9 draw, which makes those double stops sound perfect. Second, the marine band deluxe comes tapped for screws, and while I can convert a standard marine band to screws, it’s a pain and probably my least favorite mod to do on a harp. Another really important thing about the deluxe over the standard, it has a sealed comb so I don’t have to seal it myself with shellac. Lastly, the rounded cover plates of the deluxe (and crossover for that matter) are just so much more comfortable than the standard 1896. The standard marine band is, to be perfectly frank, the most uncomfortable harmonica on the market, but the deluxe makes a few key improvements that go a long way towards comfort, although it’s still not the most comfortable harp on the market. In my opinion that would the Suzuki olive or promaster, but the olive cover plates have a less “sticky” texture to them when compared to the promaster. This is why I like to get non glossy, non chrome cover plates, they are just way less stick on the lips and slide a lot better. My favorite cover plates are the ones on the kongsheng solist. They are anodized and have an almost matte texture, just perfect. The kongsheng solist is honestly a great harp for the price but it suffers from the same issue that a lot of non-Hohner harmonicas have which is squealing on overblows, I use overblows a lot so I can’t really play anything except marine bands, deluxes, and crossovers.
Great vid and honest appraisals. A few points. Marine Band Classics - the wood doesn't seem to swell anymore. You CAN prise the nails open and disassemble the harp. I have done it many times as per Adam Gussow's vids. I often chamfer the tooth corners to make them like a Deluxe and add extra sealant. But yes it is a bit fiddly and the Deluxe is better for maintenance. Otherwise I agree the Seydel 1847 and the Crossover are great harps. I also cannot get on with Manjis. The reeds feel like real hard work though the harps are really well made. I think it is just that I was raised on Hohners. The fat profile of the Lucky 13 I find pretty well impossible. (I mostly U-block, by the way).
Am I the only one who loves big rivers. They have always came perfectly gapped and tuned out of the box. Just reliable. They have a nice plastic comb with large holes. The only thing they are not is comfortable.
I like em'. Good value for the price.. and they seem to be durable (in my experience).
If I've got the cash, I'd go Marine Band or Special 20 though.
And/ but... I think the sound is a little too bright, and virtually no sustain (the Big River)
If you have a nickel allergy, be very careful if having a joint replaced and tell your dr. Don't let them just do the coin taped to your arm because usually the allergy is not just your skin. Some joints have lots mire nickel than ithers. I know sounds weird to say this here but because you mentioned it, which I appreciate. And I didn't kniw this about joints till I accidentally found out days before having my knee done. So whoever needs to read this.
Great video. I'm just starting and bought a Lee Oskars, C.
@@AmethystWoman thanks for the heads up. I’ll keep this in mind for the future.
nice vid thank you .ever thought of reviewing Mini Harps
Since 1972 I have owned many of the harps in your list. Few disagreements. Very gutsy of you to offer this evaluation -- thank you!
I'm considering a seydel
The big river harp seems to have gone down in quality
You could drill out the Hohner Marine band nails and install nice little through bolts if you have a Dremel Tool with it's nifty little drill press attachment. Why not...? And if sharp edges bother you, get a jeweler's file, they're handy with three cutting sides.
Thank you very much. Please what you think of the Suzuki Harmonicas? Thks
Which ones would you recommend to pair with guitar?
Thanks for the video. It's very informative and well done. It's also very helpful to read these comments from user's experiences. I just got my first harmonica, as an adult a few days ago; a Special 20 in G, but quickly realize there's a LOT more to the harmonica than I ever imagined! I just ordered an East top in C because I can't justify spending a lot as a beginner. I'm mostly interested in playing blues, with all those wonderful bends which, are a lot more difficult that I thought.
Don't work on the bends too soon, focus on single notes with tongue blocking and a good tone first. Then after some draw bend tries move rather quickly to blow bends on the 8 hole. This will teach you what you have to do with your tongue to bend in general. Blow bends were an eye opener for me after playing shitty draw bends for way too long
@@marsh_usa thank you, I will do that.
Marine band deluxe is top top for me. Then 1847 seydel
Yes I like Big Rivers and never got a bad one. Use to play Lee Oskars but then I started getting bad ones that squealed like stuck pigs. Tried I think its called Hohner Blues harp but the reeds were too soft and it blew out the reeds too quickly. The Hohner Pro Harp I tried was good but not sure if they make that one anymore? I can not find it up here anyways. Between Special 20 and Big River I still prefer the Big River. For me IMHO I think it has a slightly "darker" sound that I like.
You can swap covers on Kongsheng Solist - I put Manji's covers on it (since Manji was trash) because I wanted to use it on Gecko rack and original covers were aluminum. They seem to fit and I think that Solist sound better with vented covers.
I’ve had all the Honher my favorite is Lee Oskar.
I pesonally like Suzuki Manji harmonicas. They really sound well. Thanks for your review on harmonicas.
Thanks Jonah 😊 ... Helpful advice for me on a budget .. I like special 20s , Manjis and I have crossovers ... I think I might try a rocket
I like the Hohner Golden Melody.
What do you think of the new one
@@sepultura7771 I'll have to check one out.
Amazing video bro! Thank you!
i bought seydel blues solist pro in LF tuning and i was so surprised, especially at the price 1/2 of rocket or thunderbird. i'm a beginner but it doesn't look like a piece of junk to me :)
My marineband 1896 have had two years no swelling and I’m a tongue blocker as well and you can pop covers and and push them back down
Just getting into harmonicas. Luckily there was an auction locally with several hohners as well as hearings. But the coolest is the hohners sextet
Appreciate your take on the various harps, most of which I do not own, though I've been playing for almost 60 years, both professionally and just for fun. Have to disagree with you about the Seydel Blues Soloist Pro, however. I own 2 of these, a G and a Low F, and think they are just fine. Airtightness on mine is as good as any, and the wood comb is well-sealed. Maybe you just got a lemon. Cheers!
Great information 👍 love your videos and lessons. Personally I like the special 20 & Golden Meledy however I do play alott of gospel blues Todd Perott & buddy green. kinda stuff
Thank you very much Jonah, take care.
Enjoyed this.. thank you.
Can you do some reviews of Fender harps?
I’m a beginner choosing between the rocket amp and special 20. Which should I go with? I’m thinking rocket amp over the rocket since I already have a recording setup since I’m a guitar player, but can’t choose between that and the sp 20
I like the lee oscar it can stand up to repeated cleaning allows reed changing. Like the Hohner marine band but for the wood comb it does not stand up to repeated cleaning. Lee Oskar wins it racks and plays well.
Seydel lightning & Golden melody ,are my. Favorites , with marine band deluxe special mention
I'm so happy with my Hohner Crossover C. I'm 60 and I'm just starting to learn but I wanted a nice quality instrument, so that way I can just blame myself for the errors.
I am a beginner, but I like blues music, which key is the best for learning to bend? Thanks
Probably C, right in the middle
What's your tier opinion on the Kongsheng Mars?
Have been playing with LEE OSCARS'S for awhile. I am looking to move up my sound level. Thanks for the Harmonica reveiw.
Promaster with suzuki overdrives reeds is my favorite harmonica.
Totally agree with you !!!
I rank my harmonica sets this way from my favorite set on down. #1 Hohner Rocket Amp-super smooth, respectfully airtight, and with the loudest volume of my sets which is great for acoustic playing, especially helpful for me as I practice most often without an amp for the sake of convenience. #2 is my Lee Oskars for some of the same reasons. They are also kind of loud and quite airtight playing with a lot of the qualities of the Rocket Amp harps. #3 is my set of Hohner Crossovers. They sound more precise than the others and are also quite airtight. Because of this they shine when playing through a mic, pedalboard and amp system. Although they have a more desirable sound than the first two, I don't use them for practice because the acoustical volume is so much lower than the Rocket Amps. I have a couple of Suzuki Manji's and they are somewhere in the middle. My Special 20's play well but don't have the volume of my more favored ones. #5 is my Marine Band harps because they are kind of stuck in a time warp using the old wooden comb that are sticky to my lips. There are a lot of great harmonica players that only play this harp as their harp of choice so it's all about personal preference. I only have one Hohner Blues harp and it's in the key of Bb and I hate it. Maybe I got the luck of the draw and just got a defective one. To me it leaks so much air it plays like a cheap leaky harp.
Thanks for the list. Could you try the Kongsheng Mars?
Eventually! I plan on doing one of these a year, along with review when I pick up new harps. Been meaning to try it!
What is that pirate sounding song you played on the promaster? It was awsome!
I’m pretty sure it was shipping up to Boston by the Dropkick Murphys
Everything sounds good on a Promaster !!!
I own a big set of costum lightning and you get used to the weight but i still agree the classic is probably a better choice its allround one of the best and not that expensive compared to
How about easttop 008k ?
That’s the easttop blues pro, I mentioned it in the video
Easttops are my "go to" harps. Rich tones, responsive, and easily bendable. The price is right. The only key I have had trouble with is in G. For some reason the G harps go out of tune quickly. I went through about 3 of them in a two year period. Other than that, Eastop makes good harps in my opinion.
@@MrSpanky2001 hope get seydel but pricing is very high for newbie 😀
@@MrSpanky2001 They make EXcellent harps! I hate the painted covers, though, so I swap those out for Hohner MS series Big River or Blues Harp covers. Much better glide, feel in mouth and hands, and even tone with the Hohner covers. I love all my Easttops.
Today's prices take my breath away! True, I'm now 70 years old and when I started getting serious with the harp back in 1971, the only choices were the Marine Band (retail $3.75) and the Blues Harp ($4.25). What justifies today's prices? Has the American dollar been devalued that much? In the mid-1970's, I went with the Golden Melody and would have stuck with that one if the quality hadn't slipped. I've been with the Lee Oskar since they came out because they are rugged and last longer than the others. By the way, back then there were 4 and 5-piece bar bands everywhere routinely playing 5 or 6 nights a week. We didn't need no stinkin' day jobs! Anybody doing that now?
$3.75 in 1971 is about $25 in 2022. So there’s more to the story than just inflation. There could be lots of factors such as cost of materials perhaps increasing more than inflation or demand being lower, but I don’t have any insight into this particular market.
Full time musician here.
I’m in the Lee Oskar group as my favorite. I’ve had all the different Horhner. Been playing for about 3 decades.
Your not crazy about the manji but it makes you sound good and you played it longer than the other.
Extracting 8 pins and replacing them with 8 self tapping wood screws is easily done on a Hohner Maraine Band, for to love care maintenance ❤❤❤😊😊😊
What gets me about this amazing instrument is that you can snag one of professional quality for about half a ton up to sensible max of 125. Next best would be the penny whistle, from about 50 western fiat currency units up to about 300 tops, and they start at about 10. My beginner's Yamaha flute would be the thick end of half a grand new. My teacher's (she's 2 years older than my kid and has just graduated) was 5K and you can pick them out of an online catalogue for up to twenty-five grand. Then there's custom stuff. I like the harmonica.
I wish I had seen this before I picked up a Fender haha. It's not *the worst* for me, but I'm an experienced sax player who used to play harp years ago, and even I wish I'd just ponied up the extra $35 for a Hohner Special 20. The Fender's reeds aren't gapped right, and it's leaky leading to a lot of air required, except on the 9 and 10 (where it drops to almost nothing, abit jarring). Half step bends are all I can get out of it out of the box. I'll work on it later, but am definitely picking up 3 Hohners after payday
Thanks for the great review. So much valuable information. Is the shape of special 20 a problem to you? I feel the corners next to hole 1 and hole 10 make it harder to overblow/draw. Golden melody has the best shape, Seydel session steel’s shape looks also not bad.
The shape is okay for me! I tongue block, not sure if that matters. Golden Melody's have the best shape by far. Wish they made one with brass reeds.
Personally I find the Blues session steel or the Blues favorite (which I change to stainless reeds) are far better than any Hohner I have. (Marine, Blues. Special 20, Pro harp). Never tried a Crossover, probably wont. I searched for 20 years till I hit on the Seydels, doubt I'll ever change. YMMV
@@billmiller7138 Crossovers are really responsive and loud out of the box, loud like Hohner's Rocket. I was amazed at how much louder they are than ALL Hohners that I have played since 1972. Those two models are both excellent.
@@HarmonicaRevolution Golden Melodys ARE made with brass reeds.
@@roberttemple2521 I like the Crossover, i have several. So I bought a Rocket in A and quickly blew out draw 5, not even playing hard.
A nice review, but I'm a little bit disappointed to find Hohner Marine Band 1896 somewhere in the middle! It deserves a top grade!
Verry helpful
Blue Moon makes a custom comb for the Session, and it makes the harp play better. I don’t know how or why Seydel’s less expensive harps are so cruddy, and their high-end harps(ala 1847) are gems.
I’ll keep this conversation going. Agreed with Mr Fox on Seydel blues pro and blues session: weak reeds, poor durability, avoid them. Seydel STEEL reeds very durable. Gotta disagree on the Big River! It’s one of my faves! Yes, a leaky sound but sometimes I want that. Chop the chords in Apple Scruffs or Roadhouse Blues with a River. My teacher and friend, the great Rob Paparozzi, loves the Big River. As for Kongsheng, I love several of their models including Mars and Bluebird. And the Solist is one of my faves. I tend to avoid wood comb harps now.
Don't know exactly what it is, but but tone of Special 20s and Crossovers always leaps out at me in comparison vids. Gonna grab one or the other. Your vids are extremely helpful. Thanks.
What is this valved Promaster that is prone to sticking reeds? Is it different than a regular promaster which is known , and I agree, to be as good as a special 20 ?
Bushman Harmonicas? Any opinions?
What do people think about the Hohner Meisterklasse
Can I weigh in on the Kongsheng Mars? IMHO, it’s fantastic. The smoothest embouchure ever. Round holes, and you’ll fall in love with them instantly. The harp is so well rounded to hold and play. The tone is strong (but not as loud as some others). I wish I had a whole set of Mars. The one I have is the aluminum comb. When I get more, I’ll try the plastic comb ones.
Cool! I’m looking forward to picking one up soon!
I agree. The Mars is a great harp and reasonably priced.
I love my mats too. It’s great
I also have several Mars and really like them.
Are round holes advantageous?
So I bought those Amazing 20's on the recommendation of this video. And I have to say, they are built a little nicer than your average cheap harmonica. That said, I had a few little reed issues with some of them. Dead reeds or nearly dead. I could probably fix them by opening them up and straightening out the reeds but who has time for that. But, I really lucked out with the C. That one in particular was set up really well, I play it often and it sounds great. So, your experience with that particular brand might require a bit of luck. But if you don't mind waiting a long time and get them from like Ali express or whatever direct from China webstore you prefer, then at that price you can afford to experiment.
I took a chance on a Hohner Rocket, blew out draw five almost immediately, never even took it on on a gig.
The Crossover seems like the clear choice to me!
Hii sir, I want to gift harmonica to my dad but I am not able to understand which Hohner crossover harmonica should I choose for him please tell me which key harmonica should I buy which I can gift to my dad he likes to play harmonica but I have no knowledge about it..
and also tell me when i search hohmer crossover harmonica in it bronze, metal, wood all types come which one will be good for them…
Hohner Special 20 in key of G !!!
great review and very helpful. I just bought my first harp 2 weeks back and settled on the Marine Band 1896 in the key if C. I assume this is middle C. When buying another harp such as in the key of D or A, how do I know if its D or A above or below middle C?
Normal keys go from G to F. So, an A would be a lower key, a D is above C and is getting high. High F is really high, and the F below a normal G harp is the start of low keys.
G3 to F#4 are the standard keys.
I like the Dabell Story. To me its a cheaper Special 20 that comes in alternate tunings. I agree with the Noble being S tier. It's probably my favorite harp amplified. I still need to try all the different Hohner harps, but I like to just stick to what Im used to at this points.
Dabell story is what I play they're great harps and reasonably priced
@@JLee-bi4es hear harps?
@@chickenman7252 lol stupid phone I corrected my comment
@@JLee-bi4es oh yeah. I honestly can't bring myself to buy more expensive harps when they're so good and cheap. You can buy almost 3 Storys for one 1847 lol.
@@chickenman7252 that's very true I also like those East top harps especially if you want to play some dirty blues real good for that chugging and rhythm playing
After playing for years and using different harps I now like the Big River. Being in Canada where prices on harmonicas are not cheap its a more reasonably priced harmonica. If we want or need to get all the keys for playing in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. positions then that is a lot of harmonicas. Then you maybe need a few backups in certain keys . So would I like to get a more expensive one ? Maybe but I can barely afford these.
¡Un grande de la armónica! Saludos desde Chile
YOU, Make it make sense. Thank you
Thank you for this extensive review. I have a question that may be off topic but because this is a relatively new video I will ask anyway. I have a set of Kongsheng Baby Fat harmonicas. Do you know how to install the lanyard? There is a little tab on each harmonica with a small circular hole in it. The lanyard cord seems too thick to push through the hole. I have tried to search for "how to install lanyard on baby fat" but all the results that come back are Baby Fat reviews.
Thank you very much
My first real harmonica was the Hohner Marine Band. Now I have a Seydel Big Six and I'm even happier.
Would a Hohner Marine Band Deluxe be good for me, as a beginner with the intent of being self-taught? I'm not really looking for anything "bluesy", because I'll mostly be playing pop songs. I'm a little iffy about the classic Marine Band, because of the way it might feel on the lips, especially since I'll most likely be using the puckering method for a long time. At the same time, I'm also torn between something with a wooden comb, or something with an ABS comb, like a Special 20. What do you think sounds best for me, as a beginner? I'm also looking for something with a bit of a darker tone. And, also, what does the sealed wood comb of the Marine Band Deluxe feel like on the lips, compared to the ABS comb of the Special 20?
Speaking of nickel allergy--when I was young, long ago, the cover plates of most harmonicas were nickel plated steel. It caused enough problems for Hohner to market the "pro harp", which at that time was a Spec 20 with black enameled covers. They use the same name for their MS harp now, but it's not the same. I suppose the selling point for the original pro became out of date when the stainless steel covers became the industry standard.
I agree with you on the Manji. I bought mine because Jason Ricci plays them. But The Bb and Db just don’t work for me. A bit leaky and Hard to draw bend (for me)! However my Manji low tuned C and F and they are excellent, especially the low C with the Filisko covers.
Wow my blues session is one of my best harps. But I've only tried the one
Hi Jonah, thanks for running through the different types of harps, it's given me an idea of what to look for ☺.
Much Appreciated, my birthday coming up so I am going to try one of your recommendations in the top tier 👌
Cool! Get yourself something nice!
Happy Birthday! Watch this -> ruclips.net/video/fUhMDoU0sAY/видео.html
My favorite is the Hohner Thunderbird, pricey, but special.
Great break down, you have a lot of harps! Similar to your issue with hitting your teeth with the aluminum comb, having a coverplate rip mustache or beard hairs is a no go for me. Seydel Session Steels are what I play pretty exclusively, hard to beat quality for the price, and recessed combs are a must. Also very easy to work on and get parts. I still have a bag of various Hohners(even a Steven Tyler one lol), one suziki and a Lee Oscar.
You think you can just slip Cowboy Bebop in at 15:30 and i wouldnt notice? Easy like from me lol great video
Cowboy Bebop got me into harmonica. Legit. I wouldn’t be doing this without that show.
How to order harmonica original.like that .im from philippines
Me too !... the Seydel blew out in a few weeks... in the bin... wasted my money
I have manji and they are good but they are bamboo combs that's why they aren't not great but passable
I bought a 7 key set of harmonicas at GC, named Silver Creek. Seem pretty good for the money. Plastic comb. Ever heard of? Opinion of?
Not good. They would be at the very bottom of the list. If they work for you, that's fine.I really recommend getting at least one quality (~$50) harp. The cheap ones will make learning much difficult, and without trying a better harp, you don't know what you're missing in terms of airtightness and bend difficulty.
What's the easiest harmonica to take apart? Drives me nuts when I can't get them apart for gapping.
Most are okay. Special 20s are a pain and marine bands are a nightmare. Pretty sure seydels, Dabell, and Kongsheng have been easy. Just curious, what do you usually play?
@@HarmonicaRevolution I usually play special 20s which are a pain as you said lol. Also Dabells which is the first harp I've had that is easy to take apart. I couldn't get my one harmo and few eastops apart so I barely play them and will never buy them again.
I’d love a wooden box like that. But with just the diatonic slots filling most of it since I don’t need mics or chromatics. Maybe just a little slot on the side for my Victorinox and field recorder.
I would love a review when cost made not diffrance only the harmanica.
Have you performed the bluesy Amazing Grace publicly? How was it received? Seems it would be either loved as an exciting, new take, or hated for being too untraditional.
Not at a show or online yet, though I should probably record it properly at some point.
@@HarmonicaRevolution I had played bagpipe for some years and Amazing Grace is the quintessential pipe tune, I suspect at any playing there were people crying. It is my suspicion the bluesy version would not be well received.
Marine Band or Special 20 for $49.99??? Where?
I cant get em for less than $69 online, and have paid up to $85/pop !!
Love them... but they cost an arm and a leg.
Im in the US, $39 on amazon www.amazon.com/Hohner-Special-20-Harmonica-Major/dp/B007J49GPK?th=1
You mention the Marine Band comb as swelling. I thought they had sorted that out? I'm sure i read they treat the comb now to stop that happening. Just checked it Hohner say it's double lacquered to stop swelling so that shouldn't be an issue. However the problems with the nails assembly is huge for me also and the reason i've never bought one of these.
Oh, well that’s news to me. The comb on the one I demoed definitely swells.
@@HarmonicaRevolution Yeah but just through normal playing? If that's the case then it's pretty much an unplayable instrument yet those are the harps Adam Gussow has used forever. So i don't know.. But Hohner say on their site the comb is double lacquered definitely.