Leyden Harps - call for reviews

[Blueharp1@xxxxxxx]

 Hi all,
  I was given a Seydel harmonica from my local favorite  music shop last 
week, with the request that I 'road test' it for a week and report back. Leyden is 
the oldest continually operating harmonica manufacturer in the world, yet 
I've never seen them before, and have heard little here on the list or elsewhere 
regarding quality, tone, durability, etc.  The harp I was given was a godawful 
green thing, called the Blues Musicmaster. It is virtually identical to 
another 'try-out' harp I have, the Weltmeister Blackbird, with which I'm not 
enamored. (I find both to a little stiff, though high-end blow-notes are fairly 
dynamic, and less prone to choking; and the materials and manufacturing seem a 
little primitive).
  I dropped in to the same store yesterday, and was shown quite a variety of 
additional models. Some were very Marinebandish, some BluesHarpesque, some 
very much resembling the Hering wide-hole style I've become fond of. Some of the 
covers are adorned with colorful graphics, some have the shiny chrome of a Lee 
Oskar...All of which has piqued my interest. Seems to be quite a 
style/quality variation. These harps are all priced considerably higher than their better 
known counterparts, 35-40 bucks suggested retail, possibly due to a more 
limited marketing/distribution structure so I'll have to wait until the mid-month 
paycheck to test-drive another.
 My question: Who's familiar with these harps, and what can you share with 
the list of your own experience and recomendations?

 Thanks in advance,
 Jeff  G.