Should I use a Hohner Special 20 or a Lee Oskar harmonica?

August 14, 2010 3:40 PM

Should I use a Hohner Special 20 or a Lee Oskar harmonica?

I've been learning the blues harmonica for a little while now and the only harmonica I've ever played is a Lee Oskar major diatonic. I like it a lot but I really have nothing to compare it to. I'd really like to have one harmonica brand that I stick to, and I don't have much money to spend on many brands just to try out. Is it worth switching over to a Hohner Special 20? Are these better for any significant reasons? I'd like the best harmonica for my money and I've heard a lot of good things about it. Any advice from musicians or people with experience is greatly appreciated.

posted by Spamfactor to Media & Arts (7 answers total)

Best answer: You won't be able to tell the difference between the two, quite frankly. They're both inexpensive plastic-comb blues harps. Both will treat you perfectly well. My preference, which is more habit than anything, is Hohner. I started with a Marine Band, and still love them.

Lend an ear to a few others in Hohner's line-up, though, specifically the ones with wooden combs. They can have slightly warmer tones, but, again, there is a chance you won't even be able to tell the difference. I've searched around a bit and found a write-up on this subject with audio comparisons between comb types:

Does a wood bodied harp sound better than a plastic bodied harp?

Sorry to give you the boring answer, but it really comes down to with one feels right to you. The Hohner line has much more variety, so if you were looking to stick with one brand forever I think it might beat Oskar based on that alone.
posted by tapesonthefloor at 5:13 PM on August 14, 2010

If you enjoy your Lee Oskar, and have it broken in the way you like it, why switch?

I have a Hohner Special 20 and a Marine Band, because at the time, the Lee Oskar I tried was a little too hard to bend.

My venerable and well-loved Special 20 is way too bendy now -- it is probably dying of old age. I have an excuse to buy a whole new harmonica, because it's kind of hard to replace the reeds (unlike with yours). My Marine Band has some airflow issues related to wood swell, so I don't play it very often.

In conclusion: if you want forty bucks worth of diversity and an excuse to go shopping again in five years, yes, get a Special 20. It's a fine instrument with a limited lifespan, but then, so is the harp they play at the symphony.
posted by Sallyfur at 5:28 PM on August 14, 2010

I find Lee Oskars slightly easier to play, but Hohner vs Lee Oskar is holy war territory.
posted by scruss at 5:29 PM on August 14, 2010

There are two kinds of people in the world. Or three. One kind plays more than one kind of harmonica.
posted by ovvl at 6:37 PM on August 14, 2010

Do you already own harps in several keys? If you're going to play with other musicians, you'll want at least a few, and I'd suggest trying out a new brand or model the next time you buy a harp in a new key.
posted by RobinFiveWords at 7:38 PM on August 14, 2010

Man_friend_the_destroyer, a semi-professional blues player, says "Lee Oskar. They're easier to play, each part is replaceable so they can last forever. If you blow it out, you don't have to throw it away. It's the very best in that price range."

He usually knows what he's talking about.
posted by Maude_the_destroyer at 8:09 PM on August 14, 2010

I find Special 20's slightly easier to play, but ... yeah.
Personal preference varies. The only way to find out what you like is to try different things. Regarding replacement parts, if you blow out a Special 20, you can buy replacement Modular System reedplates for it, same as buying replacement reedplates for a Lee Oskar.
Just stay away from the Big River Harp. The best use for those is as a donor for replacement reedplates.
posted by leapfrog at 12:13 PM on August 16, 2010