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I’ve played harmonica for over 35 years and I’ve played a lot of different harmonicas. I hope this little article is of some help to you in sorting through all the different harmonica brands out there now. This is, of course, not comprehensive guide, because I have not tried everything –but I have tried more than a few brands! You can do a web search for reviews of specific models. Some links at the end have reviews of various specific models. I’m trying to give some general help on brands here. I have tried to be objective and I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes, though I might, but here goes anyway!
NOT JUST HOHNER! (OR, "TOTO, WE'RE NOT IN TROSSINGEN ANY MORE!")
In the early days there were many companies that made harmonicas. Seydel, for instance, started 10 years before Hohner and Seydel rivaled Hohner until Seydel ended up on the wrong side of the Iron curtain. During World War II the American company Kratt had an up turn because Hohners come from Germany. Eventually Hohner emerged as the primary manufacturer of the instrument and for a period there was a virtual monopoly in the harmonica market. Today the harmonica market has exploded and there are many new brands now being marketed. Are any of them any good? SOME YES!
Let’s consider the brands. Everybody knows Hohner, and Hohner certainly makes good harmonicas, but of course realize that not all Hohner models are the same in quality and sometimes you can get a clunker, even from Hohner. There is a world of difference between a Hohner Meisterklasse or XB-40, a Blues Band, and a Fuego Azul. The first two are Cadillacs and the last two are closer to Yugos! Now, maybe a Yugo will get you someplace just as sure as a Cadillac, but it will get you there less comfortably, less reliably, and will not last as long. A Simple 10 hole Hohner harmonica can sell for over $100, such as the XB-40 or a specially modified harmonica, or as little as $4.50, such as the Fuego Azul. You get what you pay for. And now there are other brands that are easily as good as Hohner
NAME BRANDS: Hohner, Hering, Lee Oskar, Suzuki, Seydel, Bushman and Huang
What about other brands? Some people think Hohner is it, period, but they are grossly mistaken! The free market has produced brands that are equal to Hohner. Some of these companies do not as yet have the extensive catalogue Hohner has, but they have models that are as good as Hohner, better in some cases, and there are, beyond any question, models from other companies that surpass lesser models from Hohner. For example, a Lee Oskar, Hering, Seydel, Bushman, or Suzuki diatonic is FAR SUPERIOR to a Hohner Blues Band, and of course also sells for much more, as it should. A $10 Huang Star Performer or Silvertone Deluxe is also superior to the Hohner Blues Band, which sells for about $5 at Cracker Barrel and is also made in China, not Germany. That’s right, Hohner makes some in China, too. Hohner Fuego Azuls and Piedmonts are definitely of lesser quality. Hohner also makes some cheap harps of lower quality, so don’t assume that just because it is a Hohner it will always be better than another brand! That is a very serious mistake!
Blues harp players, and harp players in general, all have personal preferences and, even if they play Hohners, they still debate which Hohner model is better! Many players prefer other brands over Hohners. Lee Oskar makes a very nice harmonica. Hering harmonicas are also catching on and are challenging Hohner. Some players prefer them, especially when it comes to chromatics. Seydel makes some excellent harmonicas but are less known in the USA at this point, but they are now entering the US market and are excellent harps. Charlie Musselwhite endorses them. I recently visited the Seydel factory in Klingenthal Germany and got the grand tour. They still make harmonicas by hand and take great pride in their instruments. Based on what I saw and the harps I sampled I decided to become a Seydel dealer, to give full disclosure here. Their new model 1847 with stainless steel reedplates is a new innovation, is great to play and compares to customized harps. It is pricey, but cheaper then the customizers charge. They are coming out with a dishwasher safe harp with stainless steel reeds soon! The Seydel Soloist is a very nice harp and has a wooden body and their Session harmonica has a great sleek design with a plastic body. It has rounded edges and is sleeker to hold than most harps. Both are high quality harps. They also have a Blues Favorite with a metal comb that is similar to the Hohner Meisterklasse, but again, rounded edges. Regarding Huangs, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the Huangs I’ve tried. They are less expensive, a real bargain, but still good harps and I’ve played them publicly. I think they are surprisingly good for the price. Bushman also makes a decent harps. Suzuki makes some excellent very top line harmonicas. Their Promaster line is similar to Hohner Meisterklasse, with metal combs. It has a bit brighter sound. Their Bluesmasters are very nice harps and reasonably priced. All of these brands are respectable harps and to some degree the differences between harps of a similar price are a matter of taste and personal preference rather than quality. One harp player may love the Hohner Golden Melody and another may prefer a different model. Hohner, Hering, Lee Oskar, Suzuki, Seydel, Bushman and Huang are what you would call “name brands" and they all make high quality harmonicas. I suggest you get a harmonica from one of these brands and spend at least about $20-30. (Some of these same companies also make cheaper models, like the very mediocre Hohner Piedmonts. Any harmonicas in the $5 range are not as good as more expensive harps, of course! See below.)
CHEAP HARMONICAS: $5 TO $6 RANGE -- YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR...
As mentioned above, Hohner and several other name brand companies make some lesser quality harmonicas, so beware of their low end models, but some additional companies specialize in very inexpensive harmonicas. I’ve tried the Johnsons and Meranos and they are ok for the price. We’re talikng $5 range here. (I’ve tried Hohner Piedmonts and found them not as good as the Johnsons and Meranos! Piedmonts are horrible harps in my opinion!) You do get what you pay for generally speaking in life, though sometimes you find a bargain. The Johnsons and Meranos take more breath than more expensive brands, are not as bright or loud, are not as easy to bend, and may have a plastic smell. I have not tried Kay or Chicago Blues, but they are in the same ball park, I suspect, as they are in the same price range. The Huang Bacpac is playable and inexpensive and ok for the price. Hohner’s Blues Band is not bad for $5 and only comes in C. Bends are a bit harder on it. I have a Hohner American Ace that is alright. Suzuki Folkmasters are pretty good. The Hohner Fuego Azul is very low end. So you see, price does make a difference, even with a Hohner! I’ve tried several cheap Chinese made tremolos like Golden Cup, Parrot, and Hero. They all play, cost only a few dollars, and are good gifts for kids. None of these inexpensive harmonicas are for a serious player who wants to play in public, but if you want to try a harmonica, these cheap brands and low end models are not much of an investment, though they may frustrate you because they are not as easy to play.
If you want a good playable bargain harp go with a Huang Star Performer or Silvertone Deluxe, a Suzuki Folkmaster or a Hohner Big River, all of which are in the $10-$12 range. I have also just tried a Hering Super Gig 20. They sell for about $5 and are surprisingly good harps for the price.
CHROMATICS: Name brands are Hering, Hohner, Huang, Seydel, and Suzuki
A few final words about Chromatic harmonicas. There are basically only a few name brands available in the US: Hering, Hohner, Suzuki and Huang, and Seydel, though sometimes you see some other brands here and there on ebay. I personally prefer Herings over Hohners, but all five of these brands are high in quality, though I have not liked Hohner Chromettas at all. The Hohner CX12 is great and the Hohner 280 and 64 Professional have been standards for years. Hering also makes a 64 which is on an equal level as far as I am concerned. In a 12 hole model, and these are the ones which come in other keys, I think the Herings are an excellent choice because they have round holes, but many folks prefer the old Hohner 270, which also has come out in a new model with round holes and a plastic body. Suzuki makes nice chromatics, but maybe a little high in price. I have received a good report from someone who has tried a Chromatix12 and I have tried other models. Seydel makes an excellent chromatic, their Chromatic Deluxe, that is very similar to the Hohner 270 and has a wooden body. Seydel also makes their Chromatic Standard model, which is an inexpensive entry level chromatic. It has no wind savers, which means less maintenance and no problems in cold weather, but it is not as air tight as their Deluxe model. Huang puts out a 12 hole chromatic that usually available in C, though made in other keys. I bought one used and I have been pleasantly surprised by its quality. I play it often. I have also tried an inexpensive Chinese imitation of the Hohner CX12, the Golden Butterfly WH12 and it isn’t too bad for a very cheap chromatic. It did have an unusual odor when it first came, though, and I have read other reviews that mention that. Yamaha made a nice chromatic at one time and Miwha from Korea makes or made an inexpensive one that works ok and sometimes these go up for sale. I cannot speak much from personal experience about some other inexpensive chromatic harmonica brands like Swan, Lark, Victory, etc, though I have tried one cheap Chinese chromatic, a Hero, and it worked ok, but was a little different to play because of note spacing and of course did not have as good a tone as a better chromatic. These do provide inexpensive possibilities if you want to try a chromatic or give one to a kid and you are not interested in investing much. Realize cheaper models do not play as well, though, so you may get frustrated and quit prematurely! If you are more serious, you cannot go too far wrong with a new Hering, Hohner, Seydel or Suzuki chromatic, and if you want something decent for a more economical price, try a Huang.
To give full disclosure, I am currently selling new Hohners, Lee Oskars, Herings and Huangs, and Seydels, and I have sold a few Suzukis in the past, but no Bushmans. I am truly trying to be as upfront and objective as possible in my assessments here.
WEB SITES
These sites have reviews of specific harmonica models:
http://www.angelfire.com/music/HarpOn/reviewscom.html
http://www.planetharmonica.com/ph5/Pat/PatUKBis.htm
I’ve played harmonica for over 35 years and I’ve played a lot of different harmonicas. I hope this little article is of some help to you in sorting through all the different harmonica brands out there now. This is, of course, not comprehensive guide, because I have not tried everything –but I have tried more than a few brands! You can do a web search for reviews of specific models. Some links at the end have reviews of various specific models. I’m trying to give some general help on brands here. I have tried to be objective and I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes, though I might, but here goes anyway!
NOT JUST HOHNER! (OR, "TOTO, WE'RE NOT IN TROSSINGEN ANY MORE!")
In the early days there were many companies that made harmonicas. Seydel, for instance, started 10 years before Hohner and Seydel rivaled Hohner until Seydel ended up on the wrong side of the Iron curtain. During World War II the American company Kratt had an up turn because Hohners come from Germany. Eventually Hohner emerged as the primary manufacturer of the instrument and for a period there was a virtual monopoly in the harmonica market. Today the harmonica market has exploded and there are many new brands now being marketed. Are any of them any good? SOME YES!
Let’s consider the brands. Everybody knows Hohner, and Hohner certainly makes good harmonicas, but of course realize that not all Hohner models are the same in quality and sometimes you can get a clunker, even from Hohner. There is a world of difference between a Hohner Meisterklasse or XB-40, a Blues Band, and a Fuego Azul. The first two are Cadillacs and the last two are closer to Yugos! Now, maybe a Yugo will get you someplace just as sure as a Cadillac, but it will get you there less comfortably, less reliably, and will not last as long. A Simple 10 hole Hohner harmonica can sell for over $100, such as the XB-40 or a specially modified harmonica, or as little as $4.50, such as the Fuego Azul. You get what you pay for. And now there are other brands that are easily as good as Hohner
NAME BRANDS: Hohner, Hering, Lee Oskar, Suzuki, Seydel, Bushman and Huang
What about other brands? Some people think Hohner is it, period, but they are grossly mistaken! The free market has produced brands that are equal to Hohner. Some of these companies do not as yet have the extensive catalogue Hohner has, but they have models that are as good as Hohner, better in some cases, and there are, beyond any question, models from other companies that surpass lesser models from Hohner. For example, a Lee Oskar, Hering, Seydel, Bushman, or Suzuki diatonic is FAR SUPERIOR to a Hohner Blues Band, and of course also sells for much more, as it should. A $10 Huang Star Performer or Silvertone Deluxe is also superior to the Hohner Blues Band, which sells for about $5 at Cracker Barrel and is also made in China, not Germany. That’s right, Hohner makes some in China, too. Hohner Fuego Azuls and Piedmonts are definitely of lesser quality. Hohner also makes some cheap harps of lower quality, so don’t assume that just because it is a Hohner it will always be better than another brand! That is a very serious mistake!
Blues harp players, and harp players in general, all have personal preferences and, even if they play Hohners, they still debate which Hohner model is better! Many players prefer other brands over Hohners. Lee Oskar makes a very nice harmonica. Hering harmonicas are also catching on and are challenging Hohner. Some players prefer them, especially when it comes to chromatics. Seydel makes some excellent harmonicas but are less known in the USA at this point, but they are now entering the US market and are excellent harps. Charlie Musselwhite endorses them. I recently visited the Seydel factory in Klingenthal Germany and got the grand tour. They still make harmonicas by hand and take great pride in their instruments. Based on what I saw and the harps I sampled I decided to become a Seydel dealer, to give full disclosure here. Their new model 1847 with stainless steel reedplates is a new innovation, is great to play and compares to customized harps. It is pricey, but cheaper then the customizers charge. They are coming out with a dishwasher safe harp with stainless steel reeds soon! The Seydel Soloist is a very nice harp and has a wooden body and their Session harmonica has a great sleek design with a plastic body. It has rounded edges and is sleeker to hold than most harps. Both are high quality harps. They also have a Blues Favorite with a metal comb that is similar to the Hohner Meisterklasse, but again, rounded edges. Regarding Huangs, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the Huangs I’ve tried. They are less expensive, a real bargain, but still good harps and I’ve played them publicly. I think they are surprisingly good for the price. Bushman also makes a decent harps. Suzuki makes some excellent very top line harmonicas. Their Promaster line is similar to Hohner Meisterklasse, with metal combs. It has a bit brighter sound. Their Bluesmasters are very nice harps and reasonably priced. All of these brands are respectable harps and to some degree the differences between harps of a similar price are a matter of taste and personal preference rather than quality. One harp player may love the Hohner Golden Melody and another may prefer a different model. Hohner, Hering, Lee Oskar, Suzuki, Seydel, Bushman and Huang are what you would call “name brands" and they all make high quality harmonicas. I suggest you get a harmonica from one of these brands and spend at least about $20-30. (Some of these same companies also make cheaper models, like the very mediocre Hohner Piedmonts. Any harmonicas in the $5 range are not as good as more expensive harps, of course! See below.)
CHEAP HARMONICAS: $5 TO $6 RANGE -- YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR...
As mentioned above, Hohner and several other name brand companies make some lesser quality harmonicas, so beware of their low end models, but some additional companies specialize in very inexpensive harmonicas. I’ve tried the Johnsons and Meranos and they are ok for the price. We’re talikng $5 range here. (I’ve tried Hohner Piedmonts and found them not as good as the Johnsons and Meranos! Piedmonts are horrible harps in my opinion!) You do get what you pay for generally speaking in life, though sometimes you find a bargain. The Johnsons and Meranos take more breath than more expensive brands, are not as bright or loud, are not as easy to bend, and may have a plastic smell. I have not tried Kay or Chicago Blues, but they are in the same ball park, I suspect, as they are in the same price range. The Huang Bacpac is playable and inexpensive and ok for the price. Hohner’s Blues Band is not bad for $5 and only comes in C. Bends are a bit harder on it. I have a Hohner American Ace that is alright. Suzuki Folkmasters are pretty good. The Hohner Fuego Azul is very low end. So you see, price does make a difference, even with a Hohner! I’ve tried several cheap Chinese made tremolos like Golden Cup, Parrot, and Hero. They all play, cost only a few dollars, and are good gifts for kids. None of these inexpensive harmonicas are for a serious player who wants to play in public, but if you want to try a harmonica, these cheap brands and low end models are not much of an investment, though they may frustrate you because they are not as easy to play.
If you want a good playable bargain harp go with a Huang Star Performer or Silvertone Deluxe, a Suzuki Folkmaster or a Hohner Big River, all of which are in the $10-$12 range. I have also just tried a Hering Super Gig 20. They sell for about $5 and are surprisingly good harps for the price.
CHROMATICS: Name brands are Hering, Hohner, Huang, Seydel, and Suzuki
A few final words about Chromatic harmonicas. There are basically only a few name brands available in the US: Hering, Hohner, Suzuki and Huang, and Seydel, though sometimes you see some other brands here and there on ebay. I personally prefer Herings over Hohners, but all five of these brands are high in quality, though I have not liked Hohner Chromettas at all. The Hohner CX12 is great and the Hohner 280 and 64 Professional have been standards for years. Hering also makes a 64 which is on an equal level as far as I am concerned. In a 12 hole model, and these are the ones which come in other keys, I think the Herings are an excellent choice because they have round holes, but many folks prefer the old Hohner 270, which also has come out in a new model with round holes and a plastic body. Suzuki makes nice chromatics, but maybe a little high in price. I have received a good report from someone who has tried a Chromatix12 and I have tried other models. Seydel makes an excellent chromatic, their Chromatic Deluxe, that is very similar to the Hohner 270 and has a wooden body. Seydel also makes their Chromatic Standard model, which is an inexpensive entry level chromatic. It has no wind savers, which means less maintenance and no problems in cold weather, but it is not as air tight as their Deluxe model. Huang puts out a 12 hole chromatic that usually available in C, though made in other keys. I bought one used and I have been pleasantly surprised by its quality. I play it often. I have also tried an inexpensive Chinese imitation of the Hohner CX12, the Golden Butterfly WH12 and it isn’t too bad for a very cheap chromatic. It did have an unusual odor when it first came, though, and I have read other reviews that mention that. Yamaha made a nice chromatic at one time and Miwha from Korea makes or made an inexpensive one that works ok and sometimes these go up for sale. I cannot speak much from personal experience about some other inexpensive chromatic harmonica brands like Swan, Lark, Victory, etc, though I have tried one cheap Chinese chromatic, a Hero, and it worked ok, but was a little different to play because of note spacing and of course did not have as good a tone as a better chromatic. These do provide inexpensive possibilities if you want to try a chromatic or give one to a kid and you are not interested in investing much. Realize cheaper models do not play as well, though, so you may get frustrated and quit prematurely! If you are more serious, you cannot go too far wrong with a new Hering, Hohner, Seydel or Suzuki chromatic, and if you want something decent for a more economical price, try a Huang.
To give full disclosure, I am currently selling new Hohners, Lee Oskars, Herings and Huangs, and Seydels, and I have sold a few Suzukis in the past, but no Bushmans. I am truly trying to be as upfront and objective as possible in my assessments here.
WEB SITES
These sites have reviews of specific harmonica models:
http://www.angelfire.com/music/HarpOn/reviewscom.html
http://www.planetharmonica.com/ph5/Pat/PatUKBis.htm
If this guide has been helpful, please do me a favor and click yes at the bottom where it asks if this guide was helpful. Thanks! If I can be of further help, feel free to contact me.
Guide created: 01/08/07 (updated 07/23/08)
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