Hohner M560086: Special 20 C Harmonica, Silver, 30.0 mm*45.0 mm*115.0 mm

Product Information

C is a very common key to start with if you're new to harmonica as there's lots of classic you can play with this one harp. But, according to JP, the 1847’s have to be customized by a harmonica technician for optimal performance (i.e., they’re not the best performing harmonicas out-of-the-box, but in his opinion, they are the best once they’re customized). JP recommends two possible one-man-shop professional harmonica technicians who can set them up for you, both of whom he has had good experience with:

One more thought: if you’re wanting to be able to play along with guitarist, and you’re wanting to do bluesy kind of stuff, you’ll want to get an A harmonica, as that is the key you need to play blues in E, and E is a guitar player’s favorite key.Verdict– The Hohner Special 20 was developed in the 1970’s to be more comfortable and easier to play than the original Marine Band harmonica, and with the plastic comb and counter-sunk reed plate, there’s no doubt that they accomplished their goal. It’s warm, dark tone, and excellent responsiveness and bendability, along with being comfortable on the lips when playing for long periods of time, make it the choice of countless pros, including John Popper of Blues Traveler. 4.3/5 Stars Total. Responsiveness – No problems here. Responds exactly as I’d hope a harmonica would from hole 1 to 10. Easy to play fast. (I guess that’s why John Popper chose it!) 5/5 Stars. Of course, sometimes harmonicas are sold in sets, like the Fender Blues Deluxe Set of 7. These are great options, because you can save a little bit of money compared to buying one at a time, and they come with a case, and having a case is always helpful. Having all these keys will put you in a greater likelihood of being able to jam more songs with other musicians. And jamming with others is one of the greatest joys of being a musician. When you are ready to learn how to bend to get that bluesy sound, I STRONGLY suggest you try a Lee Oskar, a Hohner Special 20 or any of the harmonicas mentioned above that are rated 3.6/5 Stars or better, if you can afford it. If you are on a budget, the East Top T008k will still serve you well to learn bending. If you are a beginner who would rather save money right now, any economical 10-hole diatonic harmonica in the key of C will be fine to jam along with my Beginner to Boss harmonica lessons. I prefer the East Top T008k. If you want the absolute least expensive harp you can get to test the waters, consider the Hohner Blues Band.

Collection and delivery costs are included for the first 2 years in the event of an item becoming faulty If an item can not be repaired, a similar alternative product or cash discount (as defined in this policy) will be offered We got a special deal on some Hohner harmonicas in key C from our supplier and we are passing the savings on to you, our customers. The Blues Harp, Big River and Marine Band in key C are available at special prices. These harmonicas are ideal for beginners to advanced players, and are suitable for playing blues and other styles of music. I recommend you start with a harmonica in the key of C for several reasons. Most importantly, a C harmonica will enable you to be in tune with the majority of beginning level harmonica lessons. Why don’t you recommend a harmonica with the side button? I’ve been hearing some chatter here and there about, “why should I start with a C harmonica?” Some people complain that it is “shrill” sounding compared to lower key harmonicas, which is a valid point. I agree, lower harmonicas sound better in their higher registers. But, if you are a beginner just starting out on the harmonica, I still recommend 100% that you start your adventure with a C harmonica.The harp manufacturers’ sets (usually of 5, 7 or 12) give a good indication of the popular keys, but that only becomes important when you want to play with others, or to recorded tunes. If you’ve got a guitarist mate that plays blues, an A would definitely be next (an A plays in the key of E in 2nd position (often the best position for blues), and guitarists like the open chords in E). Similarly, if you want to sit in with a band that has a lot of horns, consider and Eb harmonica plays in Bb, and Bb is a common key for horn players.

Bendability– The Special 20 has always had a reputation for being very easy to bend out of the box. Both the draw bends and the blow bends on this harmonica were very easy to execute and control with precision. 5/5 Stars If expense isn’t an issue and you’re NOT a beginner, then the Hohner Crossover or the customized Seydel 1847 Silver are both beasts of a harmonica. (see above) For customers in outlying areas of the country, the price of the Extended Warranty may be marginally higher, due to the potential for higher collection and redelivery transport costs.Please note that this extended warranty is currently only available on products sold within the UK, EU or EEA, and is subject to the terms and conditions as detailed on the extended warranty certificate provided. A unique, beautifully mellow sound, based on a revolutionary concept: the Special 20 was the first diatonic harmonica in the world with reed plates recessed into the comb, creating a projecting plastic mouthpiece. This makes it more comfortable to play, and the most copied harmonica design worldwide. I hope this article has offered you a ground-work for exploring all the wonderful options that are now available to us harmonica players. Remember, “The Best Harmonica” is ultimately a personal preference. If you are a beginner or a non-musician, I don’t recommend a harmonica with a button on the side (chromatic) because it’s a much more challenging instrument. I recommend you get off to a great start with the standard 10-hole harmonica (diatonic) first and then you can progress to a chromatic harmonica if you choose. You should get an instant answer on whether your application has been successful, though in some rare cases Klarna or V12 may need to look at the application in more detail.

Most lessons are on a C, so that’s a good place to start. But I am a big believer in ‘requirements analysis’. Start with “What do I want to do with a different key harmonica?” If it’s only to hear your own playing in a different key, it doesn’t really matter what key you buy. Lower often sounds ‘better’, but listen to some Jimmy Reed (Bright Lights, Big City) for some unreal high-end harp riffs. Tone – The Special 20 has brass reeds, but I guess because of the plastic comb, the harmonica has a dark, warm tone compared to the Hohner Marine Band which is brighter, and the Hohner Crossover which is the brightest of the three. It sounds really beautiful for chords as well as single notes. 5/5 Stars. The difference between brands of harmonicas is probably less significant than many passionate participants in harmonica forums might lead you to believe. As with any instrument, the player will actually have more to do with the sound produced than will the instrument itself (at a minimum threshold of say 3.4/5 Stars on the list above, for example.)Diatonic” refers to a harp that commonly has 10 holes and plays the scale to which it is tuned (diatonic harmonicas DO NOT have a button on the side). For example, a C diatonic harmonica is tuned to the key of C, which will enable you to easily play the C Major scale. All the economical and professional harmonicas in the above lists are diatonic. Most beginner tutorials, both free ones that you can find on YouTube, and paid ones such as my Beginner to Boss course, are all using C harmonicas. So starting with a C harmonica will enable you to benefit from all of the great beginner instruction available online. What makes both the Lee Oskar and the Special 20 harmonicas great is that they are relatively affordable, they have great (loud) projection, they are responsive (easy to play,) they are in tune out of the box, and they are easy to bend out of the box. They also have plastic combs which are much easier on the lips than the wooden combs that are in harmonicas such as the Hohner Marine Band 1896. Wooden combs have a nice “woody”tone, but are very painful on the lips when playing for long periods of time. For Advanced Intermediates to Pro