I started at age ten with a Hohner Marine Band in C that my father gave me. He bought it and demonstrated "Sugar Blues" as he had learned it in the Navy during WW2 and then handed it to me. I am not a professional. I play for pleasure by myself. I mostly learned from playing along with records,. Now, much later in life, I am buying up all the keys, mostly Lee Oskar. But I had to buy a Marine Band in C so to complete my collection, and play along with those old recordings.
Fun review Luke - thanks! Indeed - Hohner "nailed" it :) I play relaxed embouchure like you and had to take care of the sharp edges of the plates. I've taken a note on Adam Gussow's duck lips playing and it helped me with MB and other sharp lipped harps (cheapest was the Suzuki FolkMaster, which is a sort of homage on the MB with a simple plastic comb). The classic MB is small and allows huge amount of human techniques which might be difficult on large holed harps (like Big River) - but because of the small hole you also need to be careful with your embouchure and play really calm so the tones would be clean when you mean to sound clean - otherwise everything sounds stressed. Worth to mention, that Andrew Zajac from Canada sells a Nails to Screws conversion kit, for those who wish to maintain the harp a lot and perhaps even do some more tweaks / replace comb etc. I have many nailed harps from Hohner, mostly bigger ones (270 chromatic, MB 12/14/SBS, Tremolo and Octaves), and its sort of a small nightmare to work on a nailed harp when you need to do more than gapping reeds or sand sharp edges. The wooden comb is awesome and it kills beginners IMHO - I advised many students to try a plastic harp (like Lee Oskar's and others) when they had issues with MB, MS and Classic and BluesHarp in particular, which for some reason is the most common model in local stores for decades... I love the BluesHarp and actually all the MS series you can still buy, but, they need a know-how to handle. Many MB veterans have tips such as soak your harp in some liquid (alcohol preferred) before a gig so the wood swells to get better air tightness and some even CUT or SAND is to size once it swells... Sounds horrible but I guess it worked for them pretty well, there are lots of records to prove it :) I think every Harmonica player and serious hobbists should get one Classic MB at least, it sounds great, it has the spirit of a classic records, it surely NEEDS some care to be more comfortable to handle (or - duck lips works!!!). And - if you do get one MB only, DO NOT get a C, treat yourself with a Bb key - that's where the real music hides - I will get mine from the harp drawer and give it a good session! Why Bb? The harp can overbend well so running Louis Armstrong lines on Bb are natural, F as 2nd position is much nicer than G and works great on Piano, Cm as 3rd position is soooooo pleasing to the ear, Gm as 4th and Dm as 5th are really good, especially if you overbend the 4th Blues scale which is so smooth (starts on 3 double draw bend, then 5 overblow and 8 blow bend - almost symmetrical). Cheers! Great video Luke the MB never gets "old" :)
Ha! Nailed it. Good one! A few people have said they could just pop the nails out and then push them right back in. Thanks for sharing that wealth of information! Rock on, Luke
I‘m a beginner to play harp, but l‘m a musician since many years (Sax, Guitar, Nay….). Now l startet to learn this instrument. Your phantastic videos are a great motivation - 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 Sorry for my bad english. I bought a Hohner Marine Band Deluxe and for later a Seydel Lighting (Seydel is near from my hometown and a must for me) Greetings Steffen
I started play the harmonica with a Yamaha I got for christmas present when I was a kid. Now I use a Hohner blues harp ms C. When I bought the Hohner harmonica, things began to be interesting and fun. I'm just about to take a trip to the town, and buy a Hohner Marnine band 1896, tuned A. It's gonna be a pleasant evening today 😄
I like the standard marine band and I like the fended telecaster, I like super simple, awkward, but reliable old tech, the difficulty in playing them creates nuance and they instantly sound old-school.
Everyone should get themselves at least one of these things. I bought a few sets of screws to replace the nails. Haven't done it yet. Gotta drill new holes in the reed plate using a drill press so we'll see how it goes.
Hey Jeff - I'm not really in the habit of taking apart harmonicas, but a couple people have shared that you can pull the nails out and push them right back in. So you might try that first when the time comes.... Rock on, Luke
@@Harmonicacom I would like to know your opinion on the fender harmonicas have you played one and how do they sound I was thinking about getting me another set of fenders
I have a fleet of Hohner Marine Bands, and luv every one of them... I have one in the key of G, that is 45 years old, and sounds as good today as it did then... I got it on sale for $8.00 bucks at Langley's Drug Store... The only harmonicas I play, except for the Hohner Golden Melody. I like them too...
I recently discovered and LOVE the marine band Deluxe. You can get them at Rockin Rons. Way more comfy than MB 1896. I'll do a vid on this subject at some point.
Consulted this video because I just read that Indiara Sfair plays an MB-1896. I have several Big Rivers, and didn't realize that the holes were large (relatively speaking). I like playing those, so not sure if I should try one with smaller holes. I probably will, though, for the tone!
@@Harmonicacom... I bought the 1896. I used to use Special 20s and Lee Oskars. They're so expensive nowadays. I'm not so much concerned with comfort as with tone. I appreciate your channel! With the Hohner Marine Band 1896 came a small catalog from a company called "Harmo." I always wanted to try a chromatic, but not at their prices! Even Hohner's chromatics start at around $400. :(
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It’s very easy to pry out the nails and press them back in. Adam Gussow has a video where he pulls off and replaces the bottom cover to adjust the 3 draw on a new harmonica while sitting in his car in just a few minutes.
Thanks for posting this, ill try to find the video, I have a stuck reed and I can't figure out how to open it to plink the reed an try to get it to open back up.
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The nails are given a bad name. I have a Marine Band that had a stuck four draw reed. I was able to remove the cover plates by wedging a pocket knife underneath the cover plates near the nails and replacing them was equally easy. The pear wood is very soft so I started the nails in by hand just like they were thumb tacks. I then used pliers to push the nails back in. You just have to ease them in a little at a time on all four corners so they go in easily. This is no different than tightening nuts or screws so if you have an old Marine Band that you don't mind experimenting with, give it a try.
I've been using them for 15 years. I am always opening them during gigs, during songs. I can usually just pull the coverplate off with my fingers and then poke, dislodge or wipe whatever it is. If you can't get all the nails to go back in on the spot you can sacrifice one, replace it later from an old/broken one if you really want to. Always have a flat thing, and a pointy thing in your bag/case.
Well Hello Luke,currently I am training with a CROSSOVER Key of C to them move to a Key of A where Bb. The MARINE band 1896 harmonica of legend for the pioneers of the blues Man ! It is clear that I would like to own one ,but that it would Come directly from the USA to better immerse me in this atmosphère of the first blues Man. I n any case,do you send shipments to FRANCE ?thank you for this démonstration ! harmonically Alain (Seine et Marne) FRANCE.👍🖐️
Trying to decide on the Hohner 5 pack Marine Bands or the Hohner 5 pack Blues. Any suggestions? Because you can also play blues with the Marine Band...but need suggestions from the pros..thanks
I like the Marine Bands better than the Blues if you can afford them. And I like the Crossovers even better than the Marine Band 1896, if you can afford THEM. They're the true Cadillac's of the Hohner brand, in my opinion.
Thank you for your reply. I ended up buying the 5 pack Marine Bands and the blues harp in Bb. I love them all. I might also buy the Crossover later and the blues harp in G. Thanks again sir!
What should i get this or the 20 special in G. Oh have practically never played but have always loved them and want to start learning, any advice would be great, thanks
@@Harmonicacom how 1896 bend compared to the sp 20 I'm not at that strange yet but I'm doing all my learning on the m.b 1896 so just wounding for when I do get too that stage
@@Harmonicacom i love the sound i see the spécial 20 or cross over is moors style versatility I fall in love whit this instrument and i want another style of sound Sorry for my English im French Im from quebec canada 🇨🇦
For all of its shortcomings, and there are a few that I can think of, the Marine Band 1896 Classic is STILL the gold standard by which all other harmonicas are judged against. It's wooden comb produces a deep and warm blues tone which is unmatched by any other harmonica, including the Blues Harp, at least as far as medium quality harps in the $45.00 - $60.00 mid price range are concerned. It's not perfect as far as comfort and ease of cleaning/maintenance is concerned, but I still occasionally play it along with other models. ALL brass reeded harps wear down after awhile. Wood is moisture absorbent whereas plastic is moisture resistant. Sound wise, the Marine Band can't be beat!
Hi.. nice review,my daughter likes playing a little, been thinking about the difference Blues or Marine for years? Now I think I'll just gift her all my blues and replace all my harps with Marine band, dude you're costing me money, she'll be happy though
rockinronsmusic.com/products/20-marine-band-harmonica?_pos=1&_sid=9b9f5546d&_ss=r But I highly recommend the MB Deluxe rockinronsmusic.com/products/hohner-marine-band-deluxe-m2005?_pos=1&_sid=18c3f30a1&_ss=r
Yeah, but even better just buy a Marine Band Deluxe which is way more comfy and comes with screws: rockinronsmusic.com/products/hohner-marine-band-deluxe-m2005?_pos=1&_sid=9fb4a5adf&_ss=r&variant=35200981696674
I just picked one of these up and I have one question about it... How do you prevent your mustache hairs from getting caught in it? Ow! 😆 I also have a set of Hohner Piedmont Blues and I think the 1896 sounds much better.
Hey Jerry - thanks for sharing. Didn't know the Marine Band is a mustache ripper too! I'd heard people say that about Lee Oskars before. I agree it sounds much better than the Piedmont Blues. Rock on, Luke
Hey Jaime! Congrats on your decision to play the best instrument in the world. 😎 Here's my article on brands for beginners: www.harmonica.com/which-harmonica-to-buy/
🖐️Bonjour Luke, actuellement je m'entraîne avec un CROSSOVER tonalité de DO pour après me diriger vers une tonalité de LA où de SIb🤔👍😀. Le MARINE band 1896 harmonica de légende pour les pionniers du blues 👌, il est clair que j'aimerais en procédé un, mais qu'il viendrait directement des USA pour mieux me plonger dans cette atmosphère des premiers blues Man 😀👍.A tout hasard, faîte vous des envois vers la FRANCE ? merci pour cette démonstration 👌👍 harmonicalement 🖐️ (seine et marne) FRANCE🤙
Oooooh that's a tough one. MBD for chords, Crossover for single notes. Crossover is maybe slightly more shrill in tone, and maybe slightly more responsive in single notes. Deluxe is better tuned for chords vs Crossover. Hope that helps!
My 7 and 8 holes stick like absolute craziness. It's super frustrating. Has made learning difficult. I find myself avoiding the high notes because of it.
Hmmmm. Bummer. Never heard of this before. Are you 100% sure it's not related to technique? Often times people have problems up there because jaw is not dropped, and back of tongue is high in "kk" zone instead of lowered like when you yawn. How old is the harp? Have you tried rinsing it under water? Aloha, Luke
You're the best! 👊🏼 Hey, by the way - if you're interested in the Marine Band the Marine Band Deluxe was off my radar when I shot this video, but it's AWESOME. SUPER COMFY! You can get them at Rockin' Rons: rockinronsmusic.com/products/hohner-marine-band-deluxe-m2005?_pos=1&_sid=e0186874e&_ss=r GREAT value!!
I think, (coming from a guitar player point of view) _MOST_ of the 'tone' you get in your control. Like, if Eddie Van Halen came to your house, played your guitar through your amp, ya think he's not gonna sound like any record he played on? Most of the subtleties in tonal differences are only audible to other seasoned players and the crowd in the blues bar you're playing to won't ever know (or care) if it's an Easttop, Suzuki, or any 'pro' harp , that harmonica players love to promote. All the crowd knows is when they hear good playing. If you sound shitty on a shitty harmonica, you're still going to sound shitty on a good one. I just want a good, durable, playable, bendable harmonica for my bedroom blues star status I'm working for. And, harmonicas don't seem like guitars. You can buy a good one, and it STILL might not be suitable for _you_. Very perplexing. It's tough to tell right now, if it's my 'technique' or my cheaper Suzuki for bending. Like, I don't want to spend a $100 just to find out I'm equally as shitty on that, as my $40 bluesamster, lol. Almost pulled the plug on a set of these, so thanks for this review.... in my case, I'll pass.
Yep 💯 99% technique, 1% harmonica. The Marine Band Deluxe is a really sweet instrument that I didn't know about when I did this review. You can get them from Rockin Ron for around 60 bucks.
@@Harmonicacom Which is close to $100 CAD, lol.. We get screwed here on many things. I was almost going to buy your blues course, but that $199 USD = about $280 right now...damn. I've got an Easttop A, Suzuki Bluesmaster C, and a Ninja G, with an amazing 20 D coming in soon. lol. I know you only need ONE to learn on, but sometimes I like to try out my ears and follow along with different players, see if I can work out a lick or two or something, and can't do that with only 1 unit. IF , I ever learn to sound bluesy somehow, I'll reward myself with a good set. IF lol. This is really a great harmonica channel. Glad I found you guys!
I had one of those cheapo metal no name harmonicas, then later I found a really old, rusted out marine band in the key of F at a junk shop, it's insanely better
LOL. Yeah, check out the Marine Band Deluxe. They're AWESOME. You can get 'em for $60-$65 from Rockin' Rons. Sounds identical, but way more comfy. I'll do a video on them soon...
