I bought one in A a while back. Retuned it to PowerDraw, and managed to cut some odd shaped valves so I could half-valve it. It's my go-to harp for a lot of tunes. It's nice and loud, easy to hold and play for a long time, and ranks right up there with my Seydel's once gapped and such. Love it. I can order replacement reeds from Seydel.
I have a D1 Hakan (and am very much a beginner) but I like it a LOT. Easy to play, draw 2 was easy and louder than on others, bends 1,4,5,6,8 simple to find and execute. Doesn't trap my beard like others, very comfortable to play. Love it.
Awesome playing Will,I have a G and a Bb Storm. I can't fault them at the moment,they both play loud and are airtight and responsive.I did have to gap them both at first which is part for the course with most harmonicas.They bend easily and also play easily up the top end...I also like the Seydel harps so the steel reeds are a bonus.
Love the sound. I have 2 yongbergs, a Typhoon in G and a Storm Black in D, fantastic products. Easy to play, esgonomic shape, smooth while sliding on your mouth, perfect in your hands, has a loud sound, accurately tune and easy to open and clean... Perhaps is a bit more expensive compared to some other ones, but still a very good deal, it will surely last for a long time!!! Recommend!!!
I’m in two minds about getting one of these. But I have reservations. I have a number of thoughts and questions. Looking for opinions and advice. I played Lee Oskars for over 20 years, mainly due to the balance between quality and cost, but have recently started getting a few 1847 silvers (when money allows) and LOVE them. A nice fat sound, and much easier to play than people had me believe. And also a MB deluxe (love the sound, don’t love the feel of it in my mouth, or the sharp corners on the back of the cover plate that cut my hand!) and now I’m developing a taste for expensive harmonicas that I can’t afford! I sometimes wonder if I’d like a Yonberg. I like the idea of having a harmonica that I can take apart really quickly like a Yonberg, but I don’t like the idea enough to pay an extra £30 or £40, just to save me 5 minutes of screwing/unscrewing. The shape LOOKS very cool, but I don’t find the more standard harmonica shape to be particularly uncomfortable as it is and I can’t help but think they’re trying to reinvent the wheel here. Did they need to do a new ‘ergonomic’ design, or is it a gimmick? I like stainless steel reeds. But if this thing uses Seydel reeds, then I can’t help thinking I’d be just as well off buying a Seydel. I’ve seen a few reviews where they’ve struggled to play them out of the box as the reeds choke, and they then have to gap the reeds. Not what you’d expect for harmonicas that cost around £100 and upwards, and it makes me wonder if there are some quality control issues The cost is what mainly puts me off. If I had bags of money to spare I may get one for curiosity’s sake, but I don’t and I can only splash out on an expensive harmonica once in a while when I have a bit of cash (basically 3 times a year - birthday, Christmas and my annual pay bonus) so when I decide to treat myself to one of the more premium harmonicas, I have to choose with great care and thought as I don’t often get the chance. And I just can’t help thinking it’d be a lot of money to spend for something that may just be a bit of a gimmick. It comes to something when I’d favour a Seydel on the grounds of it being lower cost! (On the note of ‘special treat’ harmonicas, I’ve just ordered a Wilde Tuned Session Steel. It hasn’t arrived yet but looking forward to trying it). But the real clincher for me is that I don’t know of ANY big-league harmonica players who regularly use these. They tend to use Marine Bands, Special 20s, 1847s. Even Lee Oskars (John Feltham and Mick Jagger spring to mind). If these Yonbergs are so great and so revolutionary, why aren’t we seeing more pros using them, especially as they look so nice? That tells me something. But the next time I come into a bit of extra unexpected cash, I may consider getting one but I’d really value people’s opinions as to whether they are worth the money. Since I don’t personally know anyone who’s played one, I’d be happy for any advice here.
Got a Typhoon in C and a Storm in Eb both great to play and like you say overblow straight OOTB. There is a Wind version but that has brass reeds so I wouldn't have one of those. The best value is the Storm as it has the same reed plates and reeds as the Typhoon but is cheaper to buy. I bought these as like you I love the 1847's. Think they're still my favourites but the Yonberg is very close!
I got mine from "WWW.Alpineharmonica.com". They "ain't cheap", but then, if it's really good, what is? IMHO, they are worth every penny. My original favorite was the the Honner Golden Melody. Easy to play and sound great, but I couldn't afford them as I was breaking reeds quite often. The Yonbergs haven't broke yet and I bend 'em 'till they cry and loud too! Seem fairly indestructible so far... So for me, in the long run, they're cheaper.
Wil.. ! As old time harp player,I enjoy your chops, man. I am however somewhat baffled at your review.. I could not ascertain whether you were saying these are good bang for the buck, somewhat ok, or a positive ambivalence on playability and tonality.. ? ;) I personally have a real hard time justifying the price of ANY harmonica brand these days- (The builds are total crap ) At the price of these (In Canadian dollars) makes them "THE" most expensive diatonic on the market.. So is it just..OK? Cheers Mate..and Thank you from Canada.. (Y)
I have the Yonberg D2 TyPHoon . It's the "BEST ever"...I bought it from "ALPINE HARMONICA" U.S.A { ask for CHRIS ). It';s a fabulous miracle maker between your LIPS!!!
I too am proud owner of YONBERG D2 STORM in the Key of A. Got this thru EBAY and I had to pay Custom Duty when i went to collect from the POST. Anyway this is a fantastic harp. Very smooth good loud sound and well shaped. I just love it. Money well spent.
Hello Sylvester: I'm excited for you ! Alpineharmonica - Pennsylvania, U.S.A ( ask for Chris: ... He takes care of DUTY problems for me ).....I addition: harmonica genus ..." Brenden Power"..just released the " SLIP-SLIDER" ten hole Diatonic - having SYDELL stainless steel reeds. Magenetic Top half slides over bottom magnetic half...which allows for all notes to be bent...as desired. It doubles as a CHROMATIC- if one desires. I requires the use of only ONE HAND....great for people with "one hand disability" No screws to mess with...Fabulously easy to KEEP CLEAN!
Seydel stainless reeds aren't brighter man! LOL ;) They are duller and last long. But they are not close to Suzuki's top-tier reeds. Lots of players I speak with say the same thing. I respect your opinion because you are a badass player and I get that your level of use demands longevity in reeds. Still, Suzuki Firebreath out of box sounds so much more musical than any Seydel I have heard, EXCEPT the Seydel Favorite with the aluminum comb, which is a clone of the Suzuki ProMaster (those are awesome, BTW). Do these last as long as steel? No. But I've played them side by side for many people and I have yet to have a listener prefer the steel. Just yesterday I was jamming with a very talented musician who specifically asked me to play with "the brighter sounding" harmonicas. Meaning, he wanted the Session Steels and the 1847s to stay in my bag. And lastly, I was hanging out with Jason Ricci before a show, and he told me that he believes Suzuki have the best sound of any harmonicas in the world, but he was playing Seydel and some others now because he wanted variety in his life. :) Incidentally, he also told me that Will Wilde needs to get in a van and travel with a band for some years and have some fun. I had been praising Will and I said that I look forward to hearing him at SPAH ... Jason was likewise extremely complimentary to Will and his skills / sound. I took his comment to mean he'd like to see him out on the road furthering our craft and bringing even more attention to this amazing instrument. To me, Jason and Will both are beastly players.
You are right, brass is usually brighter- It varies from one harp to another, but brass reeds do generally have a bit more of a bright spangly shimmer to them, don't know why I said that in the video, Steel is perhaps a "fuller" tone. I'm not sure what you mean by I need to get in a van and travel... I'm 30 years old, I have been touring pretty consistently every year since I was 20. This year alone I have played around 100 dates in UK, Channel Islands, France, Germany, Czech Republic, Russia, Austria, Italy, Belgium, Sweden and St Louis. I don't think there are many harp players travelling more than me.
"I need one made for playing in my right hand".....no offence but its about time something was made specificly for lefthanded players and the righthanders complain its backwards for them...this is justice finally now you rightys know what it is like to have to reverse....ha ha...……….in the hands of a master like will its matters not...………...but the rest of you rightys………...suck it up like you are always telling us leftys………….karma lol
