Lee Oskar Recommendation by J P Allen
I got my start learning harmonica from the J P Allen series of DVDs. J P has always been a strong endorser of the Hohner Special 20 for beginners. He has had some recent negative experience with the Special 20 (and also the Suzuki Manji) which has resulted in his current recommendation of Lee Oskar for beginners (and Seydel 1847 overall but $$$).
I have tried pretty much all the major brands (Hohner, Suszuki, Seydel and Lee Oskar) and have found the Lee Oskar harmonica the easiest to play (and bend) for my current level of play. Personal preference will eventually dictate the harmonica you like the best. If you are a beginner and have not tried Lee Oskar you should give them a try.
I am not being paid or provided any product from Lee Oskar for my comments.
Every player experiences difficulties with some brand or model at some period. There was even a period a few years back when I was hearing reports of problems with Oskars, but that seemed to last only a short time.
Lee Oskar harps have a deserved reputation for durability. When Hohner's quality went into steep decline during the 1980s and early '90s, many players switched to Oskars and liked the clear, consistent response and durability they offered, together with the availability of replacement reedplates you could buy in a music store, which was a first in the industry.
However, over time Hohner improved their quality tremendously, while Suzuki and Seydel came on the scene with different, but equally high-quality, products. EastTop is the latest entry, offering both solid quality and competitive pricing.
Meanwhile, Lee Oskar is offering the same harp he's been selling all along. In his defense, you could say that his product was always good and therefore had no need to change. But what I'm hearing from players is that the tone they can can get from other models is fuller and generally preferable to the sound you can get from a Lee Oskar. And players who overblow find that the reed design of Oskars don't function well with that technique.
I second the recommendation to try everything that's out there. My harp case is a mixed bag. I hear differences but find that every manufacturer has something that's workable and enjoyable to play.
In my books Harmonica For Dummies and Blues Harmonica For Dummies, I recommend starting with either a Lee Oskar or a Special 20. This is partly because they're easy to get, partly because they're mid-prriced and predictably good quality, and partly because their plastic combs won't swell or distort from the moisture of a player's breath ad saliva.