I am looking to buy a set of cheap diatonic harmonicas and have seen that Bluesband is popular but I would like a little more information about these harmonicas before I buy. And if these are not good are there any cheap harps that can be recomended?

I have a few of these and in my opinion they are very ordinary and I would not buy them again. While there are worse harps around, these fall into the low end of the quality scale. I first got these not long after I started and while they worked and seemed alright at the time, it was only when I payed a little extra and bought a better quality harp that I realised how ordinary they were.

You get what you pay for and I believe that this range is cheaply made in China and not up to the normal standard of Hohner harps made in Germany.

If you have been playing for a while, I think you will be disappointed in them. If you are new to the harp, do yourself a favour and upgrade to the middle price range. There are many good harps for just that little bit extra. Even if you have to get them one at a time.

With a bit of luck, you will get more feedback from others to help you make a choice.

Good luck with your decision.

I bought set of them basically for two reasons first in my country its hard to get harmonicas in shops well you can get good ones promasters, golden melody, lee oskars and others but they have only few and oh my keys c keys always out - 1 reason i didnt had E,F and Bb harp so it was only way to get them fast cause i saw in shop and tought ehh cheapies but i need those keys 2) Nice case anyway for my manji, hammonds and others and well im still beginer alltgouth now i have 30 harmonicas incluiding 7 new ones

They are not so bad yes its two times harder to play them and play bends than with better ones also they are mad in China and i don't know how long they will last.

I tested all those from 7 key set they are playable sounds fine sure nothing special but not so bad at all .

C - Good
D - Good
E - Probably just me but to hard to play 9 an 10 holes
F - Probably just me but to hard to play 9 an 10 holes
G - Good
A - Good
Bb - Good

Buy better harps less frequently, and you'll be much happier...

By the way, you should see other hohner sets.

Click

I have bought myself a set of the Hohner Bluesband and I am just a beginner.

I have really just been playing with them today and have to say that I am picking it up quite quickly. I have been able to get bends and tremeloes with little effort, but I will probably be replacing the ones that I use more often with better harps.

Personally, to me, it seems like a great beginner set. I wouldn't want to drop $150-$200 only to find I didn't like to play them.

Overblow Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It all depends what you expect to get out of them.
> You say you want to buy a set, so I guess you must
> be playing with other musicians, 'cause otherwise
> there is very little reason to do so.

Oh, I dunno Steve... I have a lot of different key harps, but not because I play with other musicians (which I don't), but more so because I like the option of playing a song either in the key it's written in (or that I hear it in most often) or trying to hear what it sounds like in a different key. Some songs play well and sound good in any key, while others just... don't! (Trust me, you'll know them when you run across them.)

>
> Generally the cheaper the harp the harder it is to
> play.

Yep! I second that 100%.
For what it's worth, the harder a harp is to play, the more likely the person is going to get frustrated with it and quit. Cheap harps don't sound as good as well made harps, and (although there are exceptions) the less comfortable they are to play, too.

Oh, I dunno Deb, methinks you're addicted to our great instrument.

LOL! That's an understatement!!
Yes indeed I am! Love 'em! Doesn't matter if it's Diatonic, Chromatic, Tremelo, Double Bass, or Chord! I Love 'em all!

We're in good company



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/28/2012 09:06PM by EarthDogHarpin.

You're in the right place, alright.

Deb, did you get yourself a bass harp? How about an octave-tuned?

Not yet. Workin' that way, though. Already have the double bass picked out.... Just saving the coins for it.

I personally like the Bluesband. It makes a great beginner harp. I have had mine for over a month and is still in tune and has not blown out a reed. I play it daily so it holds up great.

I have the first Pocket Pal I bought the first time I thought about playing the harmonica. 20+ years ago. It now sits in a drawer in my tool box out in my shop. It looks like it's been through Hell an back, which it has. Probably paid less than $5 for it and it still plays great. I'm sure it could use a good cleaning and a little tuning by now, But it's there when the urge hits me to play while I'm doing something in the shop and a good song comes on the radio or CD. As far as durability, it has outlasted any other harp I've ever owned! I doubt the newer ones are made as good though.
I've often wondered, had they made them in different keys and I had bought more, would they all still be working. Or would they too be in the pile of harmonicas with blown reeds.

every hole is playable on mine and i can bend i on some holes on it but its hard,but i manly use it to carry around as travel harp to avoid having my special 20 getting lost.i mainly play folk style harmonica and maybe some catchy indie rock riffs on it.i brought it to a camp to play around a campfire and entertain some of my cabin mates, it work fine for what i was using it for but it wasn't the best.its not good if you want to play blues,but it works for it folk,simple riffs ,maybe country.but however i would rather you get a more expensive harp like a $30 one.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/03/2015 01:00AM by dreyerk.

I received the 7 harmonica as a Christmas present last year. Every hole is playable on mine but I do have difficulty bending on them. After getting a Hohner Special 20, I realized how difficult playing on the Bluesband is in compared to the Special 20. It sounds different and much easier to play.

It is nice to have all the keys at a reasonable price.