🔥 Harmonica Tier List - What to PLAY and AVOID 

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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, RU-vid-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.

I started playing harp over 50 years ago. I mostly played the Hohner Blues Harp, but did have The Echo that I still have in the box. I stopped playing in the 80's or 90's, but am getting ready to get back into it. I found this video to be quite informative, and impressed with how much work you put into it. I was already considering the Crossover, but now I have decided to go with it. Thank you for sharing.

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.

Amazing video bro! Thank you!

Thanks very informative especially for beginners

Enjoyed this.. thank you.

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

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

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 =)

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 👌

Verry helpful

Thank you very much Jonah, take care.

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).

Agree about the Solist Pro. Mine lost two reeds, never played well. Took the plunge and got new Reed plates. Transformation. Now fantastic.

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.

nice vid thank you .ever thought of reviewing Mini Harps

Thank you very much

Since 1972 I have owned many of the harps in your list. Few disagreements. Very gutsy of you to offer this evaluation -- 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.

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.

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.

Thank you very much. Please what you think of the Suzuki Harmonicas? Thks

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 pesonally like Suzuki Manji harmonicas. They really sound well. Thanks for your review on harmonicas.

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.

Digging my patato on the manji. Nice one

YOU, Make it make sense. Thank you

Have been playing with LEE OSCARS'S for awhile. I am looking to move up my sound level. Thanks for the Harmonica reveiw.

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.

¡Un grande de la armónica! Saludos desde Chile

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?

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.

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'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.

Seydel lightning & Golden melody ,are my. Favorites , with marine band deluxe special mention

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.

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!

My first real harmonica was the Hohner Marine Band. Now I have a Seydel Big Six and I'm even happier.

Antony Danecker harps are expensive compared to the expensive ones on this list. And heavy also.. I was gifted one and couldn’t believe how heavy they were! Thanks for the review and your insight.

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.

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.

The Dabell harmonicas are fantastic Jonah!! They also have alternate tunings, same the Lee Oskars (Melody Maker, Natural minor and Harmonic minor) and in my opinion, they're better!! Thanks for the review!!

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.

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?

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.

Great reviews...love marine bands but pucker playing, they don't have the fast action unless they're set up, particularly on the high end, but what a tone. I play mostly country now and really dig the golden melody and love the tuning. I bought two seydel harps once...blew the 6 blow reeds out within 24 hours...threw them both away.

As per my own experience u got proper knowledge and hold hope u play chromatic also Keep it up young musician God bless you dear Today we r lacking people who know rhythm ,u have good hold on rhythm too Congrats

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

Very epic jo ah with that Cowboy Bebop "diggin my potato" with the Eb, didn't expect that Any ways that's for the video!

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.

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 you do some reviews of Fender harps?

What's your tier opinion on the Kongsheng Mars?

Thanks Jonah, I was going to try a Lucky 13, it seemed like a cool thing having that extra bottom octave, but I’m glad I watched this presentation, you saved me some money! I’m also going to try a golden melody in Ab, as That’s the one key I’m missing…thanks again!

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.

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.

How to order harmonica original.like that .im from philippines

I’ve had all the Honher my favorite is Lee Oskar.

That's a great video! You should make a sequel with a full beard. I had to sell my Seydel 1847 because of that pain problem. Do you see a difference between the Rocket and Special 20 combs? I love the Rocket but I put their reed plates into my Special 20s since I always get dry lips, must be the surface, I guess.

Just getting into harmonicas. Luckily there was an auction locally with several hohners as well as hearings. But the coolest is the hohners sextet

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?

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 ❤❤❤😊😊😊

The Crossover seems like the clear choice to me!

My favorite is the Hohner Thunderbird, pricey, but special.

My Lucky 13s feel much nicer than my Blues Pros. I have them in most of the Flat Keys now and I love them. I have an older version of the Blues Pro and a newer version of the Lucky 13 though, so maybe they have changed.

I am a beginner, but I like blues music, which key is the best for learning to bend? Thanks

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.

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.

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.

Great, all my harmonicas are S, A, or B, greetings from Spain, man🙂

I took a chance on a Hohner Rocket, blew out draw five almost immediately, never even took it on on a gig.

Hi sir',, im from philippines I want to learn how to sound harmonica ..

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?

What do people think about the Hohner Meisterklasse

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!

Hey Jonah. Thanks for a decent review. I almost agree except Session Steel. It feels garbage to me. I even couldn't bend it. Crossover - one love!

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.

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

Suzuki olive and hammond review

Your not crazy about the manji but it makes you sound good and you played it longer than the other.

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…

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 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.

Promaster with suzuki overdrives reeds is my favorite harmonica.

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.

Wow my blues session is one of my best harps. But I've only tried the one

Bushman Harmonicas? Any opinions?

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.

I like the Hohner Golden Melody.

So, it maybe ok to blame the instrument? I'm making my first very tentative steps with the harmonica with some self teaching tutorials. One tutorial included a Hohner Blues Band which sounds distinctly different than the Suzuki Blues Master I have. I'd much prefer to blame the instrument than my nascent efforts.

Me too !... the Seydel blew out in a few weeks... in the bin... wasted my money

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

Didn't review the Suzuki Harpmaster. I Have one that I like. I prefer recessed combs so I get Special 20 s and put Rocket Amp cover plates on them. For some reason I like the Special 20 combs better than the rockets

Interesting stuff. I play a lot of first position, so I've found Seydel has the best assortment of solo tuned harps. Otherwise I prefer Special 20s and Lee Oscars. I'll be checking out your setup video soon. After over 50years p!aying rack held harp, there's still more to learn.

At about the Danaker ????

What is that pirate sounding song you played on the promaster? It was awsome!

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.

Marine band deluxe is top top for me. Then 1847 seydel