This topic is for harmonicas in the neighborhood of $5.00, but not over $10.00
These are often considered "beginner" harmonicas. So far, I'll be discussing Blue Steel, Hohner American Ace, & Hohner Hot Metal. I'll add others as I find them or get hold of them.

9/30/05 - I have added the Hohner Old Standby and Pocket Pal to the list.



Post Edited (09-30-05 19:22)

Blue Steel harmonicas are suprisingly well made for such inexpensive harmonicas. They aren't quite as durable as some higher dollar harmonicas, but their sound is on par with the Hohner Big River. They are fairly responsive (moreso than Hohner's economy lines), and have good volume. The brass reed plates are recessed fully within the plastic comb, and the nickel-plated steel covers finish out the traditional look. They are available individually in 4 keys (G, A, C, & D), or you can buy the full 12-key set with a case. All in all, you could easily spend more money and get worse harps.

Overall Rating: 3/5



Post Edited (06-13-05 11:59)

The Hohner American Ace is probably my least favorite of the Hohner economy models. It tends to have a more whiny sound than even the Blues Band, and commonly isn't as airtight or true on the notes. The only real advantage of this harp is how smooth it is. However, the Blues Band, the Hot Metal, & the Blue Steel are made the same way, are similarly priced, and sound better.

Overall Rating: 2/5

The Hohner Blues Band is a well made economy harp. It has a good (not great, but good) sound and volume, but is not as responsive as other economy harps. Also, there is one other drawback to this particular harmonica: It's only available in the key of C.

Overall Rating: 2½/5

The Hohner Hot Metal comes in two keys, C & G, and has as good of a sound as the Blue Steel. It's not quite as responsive as the Blue Steel, but moreso than the Blues Band. The biggest issue with this harp is it's cost. It's usually closer to $10 than $5, whereas most other harps listed here tend to be at $5 or less.

Overall Rating: 2½/5

The Huang Star Performer is probably the most expensive harmonica that I will put in this category. It's closer to the $10 mark which almost makes it qualify as something other than economy.
It has a size and shape much similar to the Hohner Golden Melody, but it isn't quite as durable, and doesn't sound nearly as good. The only real advantage it has over most other economy harps is the fact it comes in multiple keys.

Overall Rating: 2/5

Hohner Old Standby: This particular harp is almost identical to the American Ace. The only thing is, the American Ace is a better instrument. Apparently, the Old Standby comes in C and C only, much like the American Ace, and it tends to be not quite as well put together as some of the other harps I have listed here, once again much like the American Ace. There is one thing, though, that makes the American Ace a little bit better. The Old Standby is very stiff and hard to bend when compared to the American Ace which is not an easy harp to bend itself. You'd probably be better off getting one of the other harps mentioned here, but it's still better than not having one at all.

Overall rating: 1½/5



Post Edited (09-26-05 13:54)

Hohner Pocket Pal: Yet another plastic-bodied economy harp from Hohner! This one, however, is a little better than the others. It's more on par with the Blue Steel, and the Hohner Hot Metal. It is surprisingly responsive to bends for such an inexpensive harp, and seems to be solidly built. The only real drawback is the fact it only comes in the key of C, as is the case with most of Hohner's economy harps.

Overall Rating: 2½/5

The lesson here, for me, is you might as well fork out a few more bucks and get a harmonica that has better sound & is more durably dependable. (smile)))

I wouldn't go that far. In general, yes, if you can afford it, it's always better to get a better instrument. However, my ranking of the harps on this page is based on the same system I used on all the other harps I've critiqued. In other words if I gave a harp on this page a 3/5 and I gave a more expensive harp a 2/5, that means I would recommend the 3/5 harp on this page over the 2/5 harp on the other page.

Admittedly, price may affect the ranking a little, but not that much. It's only a major factor if the harp is on the more expensive end. If that's the case, then there has to be some reason for me to feel the harp is worth paying that extra over harps of a lower cost for me to give it a higher ranking.

Something else to consider, is that I probably knocked ½ a point off of a number of the economy harps because of the fact they are only available in 1 or 2 keys. The biggest examples of this are the Pocket Pal and Hot Metal. I would have given them each a 3, but because they were limited on key selection, and the Blue Steel is available in multiple keys, I dropped them a ½ point each.

I agree with zephyrazure about spending a couple of more bucks for a decent harp, my first harp was a Hohner Blues harp, I then found a set of Hohner Piedmont Blues harps for 20 bucks and just was'nt happy with them, I prefer The Blues Harps and the Golden Melodies, also I recently picked up a Hering Vintage 1923 that I like a lot, cheaper harps are ok for awhile but for me as I learned more I found them not as responsive.

Keep on Harpin'

Tom

About 10 years ago, my main set was stolen out of my car so I quickly replaced them with a 12-key set of Huang Silvertone Deluxe. I still have them, although I sure didn't play as much then (maybe once a week) as I do now (about 3-4 times a week). All were in tune, though some came with loose screws that needed to be tightened. A decent harp for the price.

The biggest difference I notice between the Huangs and the harps I use now (Lee Oskars and Bushman Delta Frosts) is airtightness, which translates into responsiveness. The bargain-basement guys can't touch the big dawgs on that score. Takes a lot of wind to keep a Huang inflated.

I've used Huangs and occasionally the Hohner Blues Band in gigs, and none of the listeners realized I was using a cheapie harp. Every harp player has his favorite, but a really good musician can take just anything and make it sound great as long as it's in tune and can hold air. Give one of the greats -- Levy, William Clarke, Lee Oskar, McCoy -- a hunk of granite with reeds in it, and they'll still send you.

Nice review Seldomseen (smile)))