Hohner Marine Band Classic C

I first took up the harmonica around 30 years ago, but at various stages I have given it up for a time in favour of other instruments. That said I always come back to it.

In the early days I worked my way through quite a few of Hohner?s Brands Silver Star, Blues Band, Special 20, Big River and Marine Band. I settled on Marine Bands as my ?go to? harmonica as many years ago. Why you might ask, when they are not as easy as some to play?

For me it?s all about the sound - I believe the wooden comb with the MB?s reeds and side vents in a smaller body produces a warm clear mellow sound, ideal for anything from blues to folk to country music.

The wooden combs do not now seem to swell as they used to and if you are not a big bender of notes you can get years of pleasure out of a Marine Band, and I firmly believe it is worth putting in the work to master them.

I love this harmonica. Hohner makes many different quality models, and they all sound good. It must be nostalgia, but to me, the MB sounds the sweetest. Maybe it's the vented sides or the totally open back with no support pillars (don't sit on one!), but I suspect it's the sound that my ears have grown accustomed to since I was a child and started playing one. Some of Hohner's other harmonicas make more sense from a practical point of view, being able to disassemble the modular models without performing major surgery. I don't like the MB case as well as the cases provided with the modulars. It is bulkier and not vented. The MB itself is slightly smaller than the other models. It has a wood comb, but so does the Blues Harp. I have many different Hohner models, but when it comes right down to it, the MB is my favorite.

This harmonica is very good all around, as well as the price!

The product comes in a protective case which is great for protection while travelling. The chrome finish makes it easy to glide along the instrument easily. At the same time you can clean it with a cloth after each use. There is a section of wood in between the metal chrome components.

I found that the highest and lowest notes were hard to get a responsive sound but maybe I just need more practice. I find that using a condenser microphone to record this works great. The harmonica has a great full sound especially with the lower notes one to five.

I would recommend this product.