Tip of the Day: The Best Harmonica? by Jon Harl

Harmonica customizer Jon Harl and I often discuss issues commonly experienced by my students and his customers… most often being focused on playability, tone and most commonly longevity. He works on some of my student’s harps and it’s common for me to receive a note from him like, “Please nudge your student to play softer, he’s killing his harps!” I asked him to write some Tips of the Day. Hearing from a person that works on harmonicas daily brings an interesting insight into proper technique. Thanks Jon!

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“Which harmonica is the best?” I hear this question a lot and there are a lot of opinions. Frankly, there are so many harmonicas to choose from in the year 2015 that this question is probably one that will never be answered. However, I would choose a harmonica from, what I consider, the “Big 3,” Hohner, Suzuki, and Seydel. Each of these manufacturers make numerous models to choose from. Let me assure you, you get what you pay for. The premium harmonicas from each manufacturer are more expensive, but they play better than their cheaper models.

My suggestion is to ask a few of your fellow harmonica players what they like. A word of warning… professional harmonica players sometimes choose to play a certain brand of harmonica based on company endorsements. That said, many of our finest blues players choose a harmonica because they like the tone and how well it plays.

So the ultimate test is: Do you like the tone, size (how it feels in your hands and mouth), and how well it performs? Plus, does having the harmonica you’ve chosen inspire you to play a lot. Buy a few keys of the same model of harmonica and play them a lot until you can make that decision.

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Thanks Jon. Another tip is that when comparing harmonicas, make sure to compare with the same key… apples with apples. If you compare different models of different keys, the differences you’ll experience is partially based on the change of pitch range.