[Harp-L] Hohner, Hohner, Hohner

["sam Blancato" <samblancato@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Yeah, so everybody's mad a Hohner for upping their prices.  And why not kick
in a few other complaints about Hohner too?  And I'm not kidding about that;
I've done my share of griping about Hohner and some of their 'practices'.
On another forum, one almost exclusively devoted to chromatic discussion,
I've griped a lot.  But here are some of the things I've considered:

Most of what we, as players, discuss is based on what Hohner has produced
over the last 50 years.  If it's something we hate about a particular
harmonica it's usually a problem we've encountered on a Hohner.  If it's
something we don't like about another brand, it's usually an issue that we
were hoping would be resolved by our buying this harmonica INSTEAD of a
Hohner -"They said it would be (tighter, easier to bend, better tuned, more
comfortable) than my old (Marine Band, SP-20, Blues Harp, etc.) but it
really isn't.  If we're singing the praises of some harmonica it's usually
because of characteristics we love about it, the imputes of which were
originally brought about by their presence of absence on a Hohner.  While
Suzuki and Seydel are certainly developing into products with their own
traits and qualities unique to them, just about everything we do or don't
like about a harmonica is in REACTION to Hohner.  Most of what is being
built out there is also in reaction to Hohner, and more often, just an out
and out emulation of Hohner.  

The two most famous harmonicas in the world and in history are the Marine
Band and the Super Chromonica (270).  Suzuki's Manji is a straight out
attempt to copy the Marine band and improve upon it.  Seydel's new Saxony is
an attempt to produce a 270 without the problems associated with a 270.  And
you can probably list in your head every brand and their corresponding
models and which Hohner those models are emulating.  So with all its
problems, of which there are many, Hohner still pretty much defines what a
harmonica is. 

You could argue that these other companies' success is due to Hohner's
failure to address that which the player gripes about the most - AND YOU
WOULD BE RIGHT.  Partially, that is - Hohner does try to address the
inherent problems with its harmonicas (the CX-12, the Crossover to name just
two) but it has so many models and builds in the improvements across this
spread of products in such a seemingly unorganized way that it's hard to
spot these things sometimes.  

People will point out that nearly all of the favored and revered players,
from Kim Wilson to Piazza to who ever, usually play Hohners and usually
Marin Bands.  But it should be said in the same breath that these are also
usually customized.  

And this is the other issue I wanted to say something about.  As someone who
likes to work on harmonicas, I like Hohners because spare parts are far more
available for this brand than then for any other brand; either by buying the
part new or by buying old harmonicas and salvaging parts from them.  I buy a
lot of old 270s for their cover plates, slide packages, and what not.  

So another way to look at Hohner, if you want to work on your harmonicas, is
sort of as an 'open source' harmonica.  There is also a lot of information
about Hohners; measurement data, tips on how to fix certain thing, lore,
what ever - there's more info about Hohners than there is about any other
brand.  

But that may change.  If they want to price their way out of parts sales
they certainly can; there's a limit to what I'll pay to get an old Hohner
working better.  And eventually I want to stop working on them an play them.
Somebody somewhere is eventually make a chromatic that really does play
great, need very little work, and not cost too much.  It may have already
happened.  And there will be a critical point where this will occur and at
the same time, fixing or putting up with a problematic Hohner will be to
expensive and or bothersome.  When that critical point occurs, Hohner better
be ready to shift gears fast or it might end up a much smaller company.  

Sam Blancato, Pittsburgh