[Harp-L] Re: Subject: Re: The 'other' side of Hohner from a satisfied customer

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I make a point of buying a wide range of diatonic harps from practically every manufacturer.  There is no question in my mind that as per Cara Cooke's comments, the general quality of out-of-the-box harmonicas has improved very significantly in the last decade--and that includes Hohner harps. I also appreciate that there are good choices now for players in price ranges from under US$20 to well over $US50. 

It's a far cry from the 1980s, when damn near every other harp I bought had a serious flaw that affected playability, sometimes terminally.  Lee Oskar broke that cycle in the mid-1980s with instruments that were reasonably priced, durable, consistent in quality, and very playable.  In effect, Lee raised the industry floor for quality to a much higher level, and we can all thank him for getting the ball rolling. (We can also thank him for popularizing a number of non-standard tunings that I for one can't live without.)  

At this point, I don't have to make any adjustments at all to most of the out-of-the-box harps I buy--they just work.  This is the golden age of gear.  Enjoy it.

Regards, Richard Hunter

author, "Jazz Harp" 
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