Hohner " Marine Band Deluxe" Harmonica Review

The Hohner "Marine Band Deluxe" is the very best playing, out of the box , harmonica I have ever had the pleasure of using !
Steve"Big Daddy BluzHarp"Harvell

Hohner USA has hit a grand slam home run with their updated and upgraded "Marine Band Deluxe" diatonic harmonica!It plays right out of the box like a custom made or rebuilt that you would easily pay a hundred dollars or more for, and the "Marine Band Deluxe" cost half that much.The reedplate covers have been opened up consideralbly in the back of the harmonica and folded in a way as to make it very sturdy and hard to bend in when grasping the harp in a playing manner.I tried to bend them in just a tade with a squeeze but they did not give a bit. They are rock solid,extreme quality in this respect.

By having the reedplate cover openings further off the comb you get better sound projection,air flow over the reeds, as well as more resonance and sustain!Resonance and sustain are usually used more in guitar reviews but they are the perfect words to describe the "Marine Band Deluxe" harmonica. They are the first words that come to mind as soon as you start sucking and blowing into it.I have had many old die hard wooden comb "Marine Band" owners talk about the bite in the sound that they like and after playing thru the new "Marine Band Deluxe",I too now know what they were referring to.The new "Deluxe" must play like the Marine Bands from the 1950s when all the greats were jamming hard.

The covers are held on now with 4 screws per cover and those reedplates must be hand tuned because the harp plays so responsively that it is inspiring to use.Play softly and it still projects with authority .The projection of sound all around lets you and the audience know that it is like a souped up '57 Chevy that is ready to sit down in the rear and burn some serious rubber.And when you do dig in a little harder the "Deluxe" responds just as well with a very bluesy-dirty sound that will send chill bumps up your arms and neck till the sun comes up.

I compare the "Marine Band Deluxe" to a quality low watt tube amp in that when played with finesse you get a nice clean fat tone,and when played a little harder it digs in and growls like a T-Rex going in for the kill!The single notes come so easily that it takes half the breath compared to some other brands and the bends are so easy to accomplish as well.Both chording and playing octaves are where this baby really puts other harps in the bottom drawer.As mentioned before,they are so musical and with the way the "Deluxe" resonates and sustains,it is hard to find words to describe the sound and how it makes me feel.

I played the Hohner "Marine Band Deluxe" for about 4 months before doing this review to become familier with the way it plays and also to find any flaws which I have not been able to do yet.I now play my harps with finesse so as to make them last sometimes for years even though it may sound like I am being very aggressive with them.You can blow out any harmonica very quickly if you are excessively blowing and sucking like many beginners and some players that brag about how fast they blow out harps.I asked Sam Meyers many years ago how he made them last and he said that it was all in breath control.Breath control will also give you stanima for playing long gigs and better tone on the harmonica as well.The "Deluxe" is an absolute monster when played amplified but using them in an acoustic setting and through the pa system is where these babies really bowled me over,sounds like angels singing.

You owe it to yourself to get at least one Hohner "Marine Band Deluxe" in your favorite key and hear for yourself how close a harmonica can come to being PERFECT!

Listed below are places to buy your new Hohner "Marine Band Deluxe".
The Best Li'l Harp House
Coast To Coast Music

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