Hohner Blues Band Harmonica

The blues harmonicas a good starterBut it’s limited because of air lossWithout a tight harmonica it’s hard to advance in your playing

Name brand, still cheap, still worth it. I also have a friend who bought this same one years ago and spoke well of it. If anyone asks me what to buy for a first harmonica, this will be my answer.

My old Hohner key of C Bluesband is at least ten years old, possibly as much as twenty years old. It still works okay, however, because until recently I used it very sparingly and only because until recently I used it very sparingly I point this out because I want you to bear in mind that diatonic harmonicas generally don’t last, which is the rationale for buying a relatively inexpensive one; it’s not at all going to be a one-time investment. Anyway, I compared my new Hohner Bluesband to my new Hohner key of C Bluesband (that I’ve had a little more than a week as of this writing). The new Bluesband is junk.Lest you suspect this has to do with price, and you get what you pay for, let me assure that the old Bluesband was significantly less expensive in real dollars and about the same price adjusted for inflation. With the old Bluesband you got what you paid for; with the new Bluesband you’re getting much less than what you pay for.Lest you suspect I’m just misremembering the old Bluesband, let me assure you that I made a careful side-by-side comparison, going back and forth from one to the other. I’m not at all relying on my memory.Lest you suspect I just happened to get a lemon with the new Bluesband, let me assure you that the new one is indeed a different product. I know this because there are visual differences—not particularly significant in themselves, but enough to show that the harmonicas are physically distinct.Let’s go through these visual diffferences in detail: 1) The old Bluesband says “Bluesband” on both the top and bottom covers whereas as the new Bluesband says it only on the top cover. 2) The new Bluesband has “C” embossed on the side of its comb. This would be advantage if the harmonica were good enough that anyone who care what key it’s in were likely to want to play it, but no one is. 3) The covers on the new Bluesband are held in place with Phillips screws rather than straight screws as with the old Bluesband, and the screws are longer. The longer screws would make the new Bluesband easier to reassemble after you’ve taken it apart if you had some reason to reassemble it, but you don’t.The new Bluesband also has smaller holes and smaller distances between holes. This is not apparent to the eye, but it’s very apparent to the mouth.I’m not one of those reviewers who advises you to buy a more expensive harmonica. All diatonic harmonicas wear out fast, and you really ought to able to buy a decent one for this price. There’s absolutely no question that you used to be able to. Whether you still can, I’m not sure. (I recently bought decent Bb and A Fender Blues Deluxe harmonicas for this price, but the F, G, and D Fender Blues Deluxe harmonicas turned out to be awful. Whether that has to do with key or quality control I can’t say.)

Inexpensive first blues harp for a person learning to play. Not the best, but enough to learn on. Will graduate to a more expensive better sounding instrument.

Good for all age groups! I gave one to a boy who has autism. He only makes sounds with it now but who knows if he won’t learn to make beautiful music!

FANTASTIC SERVICE. ENEXPENSIVE ITEM, AND WE STILL RECEIVED A HANDWRITTEN NOTE AND A LITTLE SURPRISE GOODY BAG. OUT OF ALL OF MY HOLIDAY PURCHASING, THIS RESELLER WINS HANDS DOWN

Ordered these to hand out to my neice and little grandniece... to match mine... they/ we love them... not so sure their parents do, but oh well...

Good price and they give hand written note and business card so you can get ahold of them.

Quality product delivered on time.

Nephew loved this harmonica and plays with my brother.