A good cheap harmonica?

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kozak6

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Dec 28, 2005
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I'm thinking that it's about time I get a harmonica.

I'm thinking it would be neat to have a musical instrument I can put in my pocket, and it would be a good use of downtime while waiting for the city bus (at deserted bus stops, anyways).

I have almost no musical experience.

It seems as though most websites recommend a 10 hole diatonic model in the key of C. Thoughts?

Is there such a thing as a good cheap harmonica? Would you guys recommend any particular models?

Do you guys recommend any particular websites, stores, books, cd's, dvd's, or any other resources?

Thanks.
 
I'm personally a fan of Hohner's. Great sound and value. I recommend a Marine Band or Special 20 in C.

-Chris
 
I got a Hohner (sp?) marine band in C for some 30 bucks new at a local music store years ago. All metal and wood construction. I still have it, though I never really learned how to play, I think something along those lines is what you're looking for.
 
Hohner is kind of "The" brand; been so for many years. I bought my first one for a mere 5 bucks.....

I presently have a "Special 20" that I bought a few years ago; it has a plastic body rather than the traditional wood, and thus isn't subject to swelling if you "soak" it.

There are some very pricey new high-end harps available now, but the old standards sufficed for generations of bluesmen and straight-harp players.
 
Hohner Pocket Pal. The only disadvantage is it's only available in the key of C, but that's what you want to start with anyway. It's cheap, quality control is good, and it has an ABS plastic comb so you can soak it clean.

There's a wealth of information on the net -- start with http://myquill.cc/ :)
 
Take a look at the Suzuki BluesMaster too.
Not as popular as the Hohner models, but is really good.
It have plastic comb, is not as nice looking as the wood comb of the Marine Bands, but is smoother in the mouth and very "responsive". :thumbup:

I have never tried one, but I have listened that the Pocket Pal is too small to play it on regular bases . . . what do you think Cougar?




BETO
====================
Sorry for my english :o
 
It's only a tiny bit smaller than other 10-hole diatonics, and the hole spacing is the same.

The important thing is to get one with a plastic comb, and don't get a cheap off-brand to start with because then you wouldn't know whether every problem you encounter is your inexperience or the cheap off-brand harp.
 
P.S. Get two! So when you can't get a reed to sound right (or sound at all) you can tell for sure whether it's you or the reed is sticking.
 
I have had Hohners, marine band and a pocket pal, and loved them both are fun to play and sound great.

But I recently picked up a Lee Oscar and man it blows the hohners out of the water, it was about ten bucks more then a new marine band but it well worth it,

I can get sooo much more volume with less air,playing trills and bending has been made 100x easier, bright and clean tone with every note being consistant whether blow or drawn ,and the plastic comb is great for cleaning along with a decent plastic case to put it in I would say I would buy another.

hope the helps
jimi
 
Get a Hohner Special 20.

1. the bodies are plastic. which makes them easy to clean.
2. they resist water/moisture.

Get a C and A. The A register is easiest to learn blues harp, if you are so inclined. Easier to bend notes and such.
 
Definitely Hohner Marine Band in C. I've played them in bands and jazz clubs for many years as well as off on my own hiking or on horseback. They hold up well except that with hard use bending notes the metal reeds eventually go sour/flat, although other players I've known claim you can bring them back into proper pitch with a little filing.

A good microphone and amp, if accessible, can make it easier on the harp and keep its in shape longer. The Shure Green Bullet is the classic Blues sound mike.

Any by the way, if you get a large enough Hohner so that the square ends stick out on each side when held in a fist, you potentially have a great hardwood, brass-reinforced striking street/bar weapon that no LEO, security guard, or TSA-type is EVER going to object to.
Cheers - hope you have years of fun and music with whatever harp you choose,
"Bloody Bill"

(By the way, I notice you're in AZ - you wouldn't happen to be from the northern Phoenix area? I knew a Kozak in my scout troop 405 'way back in the mid-1960s.)
 
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*waits for the tactical harmonica craze to follow w.t.'s post* At least we'll know who to blame for that one :p
 
yoda4561 said:
*waits for the tactical harmonica craze to follow w.t.'s post* At least we'll know who to blame for that one :p
Click to expand...

Oh boy!!! A tactical harmonica!!!! :eek:

With carbon fiber comb and tiger striped titanium covers! :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

I need to make a photoshop of that :D
 
I don't know much about music but I have been having fun with harmonicas for years and I EDC one in a SAK case on my belt.

There are many but for a beginner I recommend to start with Hohner or Lee Oscar.

Hohner:

Lots of different models and everyone seems to have their favorite, German made models come with combs in wood, plastic and aluminum, Chinese made models have plastic combs. I like a German model with plastic comb, such as the Special 20, a Chinese model such as the Pocket Pal that Cougar recommends is a fine buy for the price.

Lee Oscar:

Another good one, made by Tombo in Japan, plastic comb with different tunings available, if you go for this one I recommend the standard Richter tunning which they call Major Diatonic.

Be sure to check the link that Cougar posted.

Luis
 
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Lee Oscar in A or maybe G. For 30 bucks, you get a pro quality instrument. . . try doing that with guitar! Oh, and read up and practice bending. You will be suprised how much more 'soul' a little harp has this way, compared to playing 'vanilla' first position songs.(You'll figure out what I mean real quick.) Enjoy it!

P.S. If you carry a harp in your pocket, be prepared to have lint all in the comb and reeds, especially after you play it, getting spittle everywhere.
 
I've got plenty of them, and I got that way because I wanted to try various makes & models for myself.

The easiest ones that I have found to play is the Lee Oskar models & the Horner Special 20. The Marine band is not bad either, just a bit smaller.

I've tried the Suzuki's and have found the holes are just a little smaller & harder to hit.

As far as key choice...C is always a good choice, and where I started as well, but for playing solo, I found that the note is too high to sound really good for most songs. My favorites are G, A and maybe the Bb, with most songs sounding the best on the G.

Be sure to check out the following review for a start...
http://www.ianchadwick.com/essays/harmonicas.htm

Keith
 
We used to have a couple of players that regularly appeared at our open-mic club; since they accompanied a lot of different people, they were forced to have a lot of harps....

One guy used to stick all his in a military ammo-belt.

The owner of the club habitually played everything in F#. Not an easy key for the harmonica guy.
 
I'll start with a Pocket Pal, and if I'm still into it in a couple months (maybe sooner?), I'll move up to a Special 20 or maybe a Lee Oscar.

The modular construction and readily availible parts for the Lee Oscar harmonicas is interesting.

I'm going to pick up the Pocket Pal Monday afternoon, maybe with a couple cheap books if I can't get anything good from the library.

Thanks for the help, guys.

Oh, and I'm not that Kozak. It's stamped on the inside of the holster that came with my CZ52, and I thought it would be a good screenname.
 
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