The 7 Best Harmonicas (2024) for Sound Quality
The Harmonica is one of the most iconic instruments of all time. Since its invention, the harmonica made its way to the people because of its small size, mellow sound, and ease of play. From blues and soul to jazz and folk, the harmonica reached every corner of the globe, leaving a huge impact.
My top recommended harmonica is the Hohner 64 Chromonica. This is a popular, high-quality harmonica in the key of C, with 4 octaves, brass reed plates, and plastic combs.
My second recommended harmonica is the Fender Blues Deluxe. This is a budget-friendly, 10-hole harmonica with ABS plastic combs and chromed metal covers.
Contents
The 7 Best Harmonicas (2024)
Let’s compare these in more detail.
1. Hohner 64 Chromonica
The Hohner 64 Chromonica is a high-end, high-quality harmonica in the key of C that brings a lot of value to the table despite its hefty price tag. With 64 reeds and a 4-octave range, this is a harmonica for serious professionals.
The standout feature of this harmonica is definitely its ability to produce bright and clear tones across all octaves. With superb reed response and the extra octave in the lower register, it is perfectly suitable for advanced tunes and performances. Needless to say, this is the top choice if you’re serious about this instrument.
2. Fender Blues Deluxe
Moving down the list, we have a famous entry-level harmonica on the market. These low-end cheap harmonicas are great for beginners to practice and learn the basics of playing. The Fender Blues Deluxe comes with plastic reeds and chromed metal covers.
This is a 10-hole diatonic harmonica, and you can choose the key in which you want it to be. It also comes with a plastic casing to keep it safe and dry at all times you’re not using it. The holes on the harmonica are nice and big, so it’s perfect for beginners to learn to play.
3. Lee Oskar Harmonica
The Lee Oskar is a great beginner harmonica. It’s a classic diatonic harmonica made out of high-quality materials. It’s specifically made for beginners, and as such is great for teaching and learning how to play.
It is a tad pricier than other beginner harmonicas on the market, but it’s well worth the money. If you’re prepared to spend a bit more money on an instrument that is going to last you longer and produce great sound with ease, then you should definitely consider getting this harmonica.
4. Suzuki F-20J-G
Suzuki is probably more famous for its automotive industry, but they are also great at making harmonicas! The F-20J-G is a great example of that. It’s a classic diatonic, 10-hole design and you can choose the key you want it in.
This is a pricey, high-end model and as such it’s no surprise that it produces brilliant, rich sound. You can actually hear it when you play compared to other, cheaper harmonicas. The level of control you can have over this instrument is just stunning. It’s made out of the best materials and it really shows. This is a great buy for professionals looking for great harmonicas to extend their collection of instruments.
5. Harmo Polar
The Harmo Angel is a 16-hole chromatic harmonica. It’s easy to notice on the first look that this harmonica is a professionally made piece. It comes with an acrylic white comb and phosphorus bronze reeds. It also has unusual round holes, while most of the harmonicas have square ones.
The outer casing is made out of stainless steel. This harmonica comes in a key of C but has a standard full 4-octave range. You change the octaves by using a slider on the side, which is easy to use, fast, and precise. The sound quality is great, which you would expect from the harmonica in this price range. This harmonica is suitable for both beginners and advanced players.
6. TOMBO NO.1722 Professional 22
The TOMBO 1722 is a professional, high-grade harmonica made in Japan. It‘s a 22-hole tremolo harmonica, and you can pick the key in which you want it to be. The harmonica comb is made out of maple wood and has a brass chrome plate cover.
With this harmonica, you also get a nice plastic box in which to keep her. This is a great professional harmonica, and as such comes at a great price. It’s probably not great for beginners since it has 22 holes, but if you know what you’re doing, it can be great and add versatility to your playing. The sound is great and it’s really easy to play.
7. Harmo Angel 16
Moving on to the more mid-range playing field. The Harmo Polar is great, the USA-made harmonica, designed by a harmonica player for harmonica players. This is a great intermediate type of harmonica, coming at a great price.
Apart from the sleek look, this harmonica is diatonic and consists of an acrylic comb and stainless steel covers. Bronze reeds allow you to bend the tone easily. The great thing about these harmonicas is that you can get them in special tunings, apart from the standard ones, allowing you even more versatility when playing. With this harmonica, you will also get a vinyl pouch and a cleaning cloth.
More about the Harmonica
The instrument itself was invented at the start of the 19th century in Europe. From there it quickly spread out everywhere over the world. Because it was so easy to play it and it could fit in your pocket (and survive) the instrument quickly spread to common people. From there, it was introduced through folk and blues music most notably.
Chromatic harmonica is a type of harmonica where you can switch through keys, enabling you to essentially play all the keys you need only in one instrument. These harmonicas always have a rod or something with which you can change the keys and they usually have from 12 to 16 holes, enabling you to play more sounds. There are also different types with double mouthpieces and such.
There are also a lot of ways in which you can play the harmonica. The instrument works in the way that in one reed you have two notes – the blow and the draw note (depending on whether you blow or draw to produce it). You can even play chords by playing several reeds together. Even though the harmonica is small, it’s a really versatile instrument, allowing you to fully extend the limits of your abilities.
Conclusion
Whether you’re just a beginner looking to start learning how to play the harmonica or a hardened veteran, you can find anything you need on this list. From cheap to expensive, from low-end to high-end. We hope that this article has helped you in making the right decision and that you will be happy with your choice, whatever that may be.
My top pick is the Hohner 64 Chromonica, a very popular, high-quality harmonica in the key of C, with 4 octaves, brass reed plates, and plastic combs.
My budget pick is the Fender Blues Deluxe, an affordable, 10-hole harmonica with ABS plastic combs and chromed metal covers.
