Favorite Blues Harp Make/Model?
What do you think is the best blues harp especially for playability, ease of play, ease of bending, etc.?
For more experienced players, what do you think is the best blues harp?
These days Hohner, Suzuki, Seydel and Lee Oskar are all making really good harmonicas for blues, in the $45-75 price range. (Tho' sadly there's no longer anything in the $5 range as there were when I was a kid - and beginners who get talked into spending $10 on an inexpensive Asian-built harmonica just to first "see if they like it," inevitably end up not liking it, and too often abandon harmonica playing without ever trying a decent instrument.)
It's likely that each player has a "favorite." Or two. Or three. Among my favorites these days for playability and sound are two (A and Bb) "RR Built" harps from Rockin' Ron in San Diego. They're Marine Band Deluxes for which Ron substitutes an Andrew Zajac comb, and flat-sands the draw plate. But the rest of my keys are a mishmash of makers and models.
But re "to each his own," given that the company isn't exactly paying out millions of dollars for endorsements, that Aki Kumar, Charlie Musselwhite and Mark Hummel all like their Seydel harps says good things about them. And re some posts from time to time about the Special 20 being a "good harmonica for beginners," Mark Ford swears by Special 20s right out of the box. The Lee Oscar for whatever reason doesn't suit my taste, but I've worked frequently (at least pre-pandemic) with a really good harmonica player who plays nothing but. And while there are harmonica players who love professionally customized (or self-customized) Marine Band 1896's, others including Billie Boy Arnold just go with with it out of the box. Perhaps the bottom line is that if you enjoy playing harmonica, and the model you keep in your belt-bag is of reasonable quality, looks and feels good, and makes you happy when you play it, brand and model might not matter that much.
Marine Band 1896 for me.
Anything customized by Joe Spiers. Once you play a good custom harp, there's no going back to stock harps.
Deak Harp in Clarskdale, MS will work over an 1896 and I was shocked at how much I felt a difference in the playability.
Cruiser Kirk: Have you met Deak? A visit with him is reason enough to go to Clarksdale. One really nice person, generous with his time if you visit his shop, or cross paths with him in town. (Of course, once you're there, go up around the corner and spend some time with Roger Stolle at CatHead.) And Deak's prices for the harps he works on are most reasonable.
@UkuleleRob65: I did meet Deak, and we spent a good hour jaw jacking. I purchased one of his harps (in G). I also went around the corner to Cat Head! I had dinner and a drink down at Ground Zero.
Looking forward to stopping back in!
CruiserKirk: Great to hear! No one visits Clarksdale just once. It's just too much of a fun place, full of great people.
It depends at what stage of development you are at as a player regarding ease of playing. I play Suzuki Manji, Horner Crossover Horner Delux and Horner Special twenty's. As a beginner I definatly found the Special 20 the easiest to play, breath economy loudness especially. As I have developed as a player I tend to prefer the Manji and Crossover. These two great brands are very similar regarding playability, bending and volume. Slightly different in tone but hardly decernable. They are not as loud as the Special 20 (not an issue if you use an amplifier) but in every other respect they are my preferred instruments. I like the Manji as their superior durability and ergonomic build. The best advice I could give looking back at my experience is to find a brand you are comfortable with and spend more time playing than comparing. I don't intend to start brand wars but this is my personal experience and just my two bobs worth. The differences are personal and will vary depending on the player.