Blues Harp Harmonica, Key of G

plays really well

Its a Honer, AKA the best. I like this model for my deeper harmonicas " A and G " because they hold up better when you are playing blues and bending notes harder. This is compared to the 1896 marine band, which is a great product as well. just is not quite as durable for a player that tends to bend notes hard while playing.

I got this for my dad who says these are the best, the blues harp line. He said no other will do. :)

*** update after several hours of playing and practice before switching back to my Hohner Special 20 in G *** +++ a day later ... I am liking it better ... and I will explain at the end +++ I started with a cheap Hohner Blues Band, and have (in about 6 months) tried several excellent Hohner harmonicas. They include the Golden Melody (C), Special 20 (G), and Chromonica 270 (C). I recently bought the Hohner Blues Harp in G and thought I would share a few comparative notes. Some things I like about the Blues Harp over the other 3 are: - The case - it allows the harmonica to breath (vital for the wood comb) and holds it firmly in place (I won't hear the harmonica tapping the sides of the case if I walk around with it inside my pants pocket as I do with the Golden Melody and Special 20) - The hardware - the screws are solidly built (machined) for ease of dissassembly/reassembly - The reed plates - these are thicker than on any other harmonica I've owned - they only need 2 screws plus the 2 cover plate screws to keep these in place (compared with 5 or more screws commonly seen on lighter weight plates). That shows how solid/thick these plates are. - The wood comb - makes it seem a little more of a traditional instrument (don't get me wrong - I love plastic for its durability) - The reeds - these things are QUALITY - Hohner has their machining process down to a science on these things and they are beautiful works of art compared to the other harmonicas I've taken apart What's not to like? Well - some people have complained about how the reed plates jut out a little from the front of the comb - about how some models have actually been sharp (rough edge on lips). I've learned how to adjust my lips so that I can get a tighter seal because if I don't, I tend to get a little more harmony than melody going. The edges have been comfortable to play on. But it does require an ever so slightly different lip seal than I learned playing on the Golden Melody and Special 20 (both which have significantly cover styles from each other). *** After spending a few hours playing the Blues Harp in G and trying to learn an Irish Jig, and then returning to my Special 20 (also in G), I quickly discover that on the Special 20 (with its plastic comb), it requires far less effort to maintain a seal with my lips and I get a much more solid single note sound for my efforts. I blame this on the wood comb on the Blues Harp not extending out to the front edge of the reed plates. I assume this problem exists because Hohner expects the comb to swell with time and use. *** Who is this harmonica best for? Maybe not the beginner (consider one of the other 2 models like the Golden Melody or Special 20 which both have a plastic comb). When you get this harmonica, you will want to baby it. Slowly break it in playing softly for a week or two. Keep it in its case at all times to keep the scratches off the covers. Never try to rinse out the comb. Knock out any moisture after every playing session. This is good for the intermediate/advanced player who has learned to appreciate their instrument and takes the effort to do things like rinse/brush their teeth before playing. Hohner considers this model to be part of their professional series. With that in mind, they sell replacement reed plates (think of it like a very expensive new set of strings for a guitar). *** I now assume it's for professionals because they will have developed their playing technique to the point that they are more able to hit the notes regardless of the wooden comb's gap from the front of the reed plate. *** Is there a big difference in sound between this and the others? I'm not qualified to answer that question. Well - actually I can say that every one of these Hohner's made in Germany harmonicas blow the made in China Blues Band out of the water in terms of quality and playability out of the package (I have since learned how to tweak and retune the cheap Chinese Blues Bands to make them playable, but they are significantly inferior - you truly get what you pay for). Since I have tinkered with the reeds on most of my harps (gapping on most of them for consistent playability), I feel that my experience looking inside of the few harps I have owned qualifies me to say that the Blues Harp is a high quality instrument and I am proud to own one. *** Do I now wish I still bought the Blues Harp - I'm not sure. I will keep it just because it is beautiful plus it is too late to return it. Perhaps if I really preferred the MS series of harps with their exchangeable components, I should have tried one with a plastic comb instead. I bought it on a whim thinking it would be cool, and it was purchased from a local retailer that was not a national chain nor had a wide selection. I'm glad I supported the retailer, but I will think twice before I purchase another harmonica with a wood comb (besides the Chromonica which had a nice metal mouth piece over a wood comb - not an issue there). And - who knows - perhaps the more I play with the Blues Harp, the better my technique will improve. I think my skills are still in the beginner/intermediate range. *** +++ I have since discovered that the small gap between the front face of the comb and the reed plates on the low end of the harp (holes 1-4) was easily fixed by loosening the two screws holding the reed plates together and pushing the comb forward between the two plates. It is now properly flush and plays better. I like this harp - it has its place for blues (as opposed to the Golden Melody which plays folk music better). It now bends very nicely when properly gapped (I tightened up the gap on day 1, and widened it today (day 2) until I could get a good balance between bending and playability). This is a keeper and a great bending harp. If you want an all purpose workhorse, you might want to cut your teeth on the Special 20 and then decide if blues (Blues Harp) or folk (Golden Melody) is more for you. The Blues Harp is easier to play when I'm not playing single notes (dare I say it doesn't hurt as much). +++

This is a NICE harmonica that's easy and fun to play. I highly recommend it.

It’s been 20 years since I owned a Hohner blues harp. They used to cost around 20-30 bucks but they’re around 50 now. I used to own a C that lasted for years with no issues. I ordered a C, D, and G last December. They were fulfilled from various Amazon sellers. I played them very lightly the first few months and they never left my house. A few months back the 5 in hole on the G stopped working. Amazon would do nothing since it had been months since the purchase. Ditto for this seller. A 50.00 Hohner harmonica should not have reed issues with less than an hour of play. I finally contacted KHS music who is the American dealer, hoping I could at least pay for a repair and not have to buy an entirely new harp. Isabel with KHS was fantastic! After I emailed a screenshot of the Amazon receipt, I was mailed a brand new G blues harp. I will keep the old one for parts and hopefully this was an isolated issue.

I liked it because it was from a trusted company in business for decades. It's a musical instrument, and I did not receive it. I had this sent to my son as a gift, and he enjoys playing it very much.