Thanks for this review, it's exactly what I was looking for. I play multiple instruments and I've been wanting to learn harmonica. The local shop has this set so I think I'll pick it up on pay day. A guy I talked to told me to get a special 20 because it's a better harp, but then again I didn't learn guitar on a Les Paul, I didn't learn piano on a Steinway and I still enjoyed learning.
Thank you, Bob. This review helped me rule this harp out as an option. Just about everywhere I turn, the Special 20 is overwhelmingly the recommendation I come across most frequently. Thanks again.
Hey! Whatever works. I agree, the Special Twenty is a premium harp, definitely head & shoulders over these Piedmont Blues. But I wasn't offering them up as a comparison, instead, looking at them as a starter set for a wide range of keys. They do the task that a fistfull of 'twenty's' would do but at 3 times the investment. Enjoy the Special Twenties, they are great harps.
WOW! 8 years since I made this. Funny, I'm still using this set... well SOME of this set.... well... mostly, using the case to carry my Special 20's with the remaining "oddball" Key Piedmont Harps that get VERY little use. Let's face it. These are NOT top of the line Honer Harps, but they DO fit the bill fine for me. The G,A,C Harps blew out in time and Special 20's took their place. Eight years on & my case is still fitting nicely inside my guitar case and they are still doing fine. Not bad for a $30 investment in two fist-fulls of harps.
I just bought a case of these things yesterday. I am a guitar player and singer now 40 years, and have had the worse cold ever this Winter, and totaly lost my voice. Can't talk, let alone sing. Bought a set of these, real cheap, and have had a great time figuring them out. These are not by any stretch of the imagination professional harmonicas, but they work real good for a sick ole boy like me during this miserable Winter. 😁
Agree. That was a damn perfect review. I play multiple instruments, and have been wanting to learn harmonica so I think this is the set I will buy to learn on. Thanks.
I’m an intermediate player. I have a marine band in c that I use a lot, but I want to experiment with new keys. Thanks for the review-I think I’ll try these out as a starting point. I’m curious-how easily do they bend? I know some cheaper harps are hard to bend on…
So, how much are the "Special 20" for each one? Are they "blues?" How many keys/harmonicas are there, to make up a set? 7 is a partial set, right? Does high/low humidity have any effect on the sound? Especially the wood parts. How do you know what a harmonica is made of when shopping/looking for one? If you buy separate ones in the small hard cases, what do you use to carry them or transport them to gigs and such? Thanks:)
fantastic review ...good information . Could you please tell me why harps breakdown and is the cleaning process hard . I have only been playing a short while and have come a long way ...I love it .
This set is ok.. I just got it today for $19 at a Guitar Center. I have been teaching myself harmonica on a C harmonica, but the materials I have been using have started to move in G and A keys. But, I don't know how dedicated of a player I will be.. So, I was thinking.. Either I spend $30-40 each for top of the line harps, or just get these to knock around on. Right now I am happy for getting these.. And the case is nice.. If I spring for nice harps, I will keep this case..
Thanks for this video - helped me learn that I should probably not be cheap and buy a real Hohner wood harp. Judging by the comments below, I'm not sure this is a good note-bending blues harp but sort of "good enough" if you're not a pro.
Geoff Warren go right ahead and buy quality harps. I don’t recall claiming these are. But also don’t count these out. The do offer a decent sound, for a beginner or intermediate harp. I’m on point saying they get you started. Amazingly, I’ve had these now for 10 years, & they are carried with me in my Kayak. Used often. I certainly keep getting my money out of them.
Yes, thanks for reply! Yea, you gave an Excellent tutorial - many thanks. It was some of the comments posted etc, that led me to go guy ONE hohner MS series blues harp, which cost me $57 Cdn on Amazon. Funny thing though: I bought and "A" so it I could jam in "D". Was told to always go up a 5th (so if you want to play in C you have to buy a G harp.) But for some reason, the A harp plays in E blues - not in D. So I have a $57 wrong harp! I think I'll just buy the set you have till I work it out! lol
Matthew Torres Well, I'm still using four of the harps 5 years later. The G, B flat, & A harps have been replaced with Special 20's simply because those keys tend to get played more often. If you are a daily player these won't last you long, but if you need a harp once in a while, they will fill the bill.
Dude get unless you have alot of air and a good set of lungs,dont get a piedmont set,I got a set too,and they are not worth it ,buy a better harp even if you are just learning,special 20 is real good right out the box,you dont need all keys either
They suck. I use the case for my 250 dollars worth of decent Marine Bands. I'm not even a "Good" harmonica player and I love my Marine bands and my 1 special 20. The quality is BAD on those.
James, I understand your points, They are not top quality. However, economics being as it is, these harps offer good value. For the cost of 1 premium harp, you get 7 that will get you playing. When you're playing a jam session and a song starts you have 7 chances of finding a harp in the correct key instead of sitting out because you have a harp in a different key. Of anything, they make you appreciate a better quality harp when you can afford them. For a beginner, or ANY harp player on a tight budget, these offer a great value. IMHO.
Just took a second set back to the store for an exchange (thought I'd give them another chance,but no go.) Still crap..leaky,no sound,off tune,only a couple work properly. Wouldn't even buy for kids to play. Spend fifty bux..by one decent harp,and save for another. BTW, my SP 20s would not fit properly in the hard case supplied,and other real harps were quite tight for fit. Not at all worth the money.
Thanks for this review, it's exactly what I was looking for. I play multiple instruments and I've been wanting to learn harmonica. The local shop has this set so I think I'll pick it up on pay day. A guy I talked to told me to get a special 20 because it's a better harp, but then again I didn't learn guitar on a Les Paul, I didn't learn piano on a Steinway and I still enjoyed learning.
Thank you, Bob. This review helped me rule this harp out as an option. Just about everywhere I turn, the Special 20 is overwhelmingly the recommendation I come across most frequently. Thanks again.
Hey! Whatever works. I agree, the Special Twenty is a premium harp, definitely head & shoulders over these Piedmont Blues. But I wasn't offering them up as a comparison, instead, looking at them as a starter set for a wide range of keys. They do the task that a fistfull of 'twenty's' would do but at 3 times the investment. Enjoy the Special Twenties, they are great harps.
For a beginner, I would recommend getting one good harp to start on, mayby a Special 20 in C.
WOW! 8 years since I made this. Funny, I'm still using this set... well SOME of this set.... well... mostly, using the case to carry my Special 20's with the remaining "oddball" Key Piedmont Harps that get VERY little use. Let's face it. These are NOT top of the line Honer Harps, but they DO fit the bill fine for me. The G,A,C Harps blew out in time and Special 20's took their place.
Eight years on & my case is still fitting nicely inside my guitar case and they are still doing fine. Not bad for a $30 investment in two fist-fulls of harps.
I just bought a case of these things yesterday. I am a guitar player and singer now 40 years, and have had the worse cold ever this Winter, and totaly lost my voice. Can't talk, let alone sing. Bought a set of these, real cheap, and have had a great time figuring them out. These are not by any stretch of the imagination professional harmonicas, but they work real good for a sick ole boy like me during this miserable Winter. 😁
Agree. That was a damn perfect review. I play multiple instruments, and have been wanting to learn harmonica so I think this is the set I will buy to learn on. Thanks.
I’m an intermediate player. I have a marine band in c that I use a lot, but I want to experiment with new keys. Thanks for the review-I think I’ll try these out as a starting point.
I’m curious-how easily do they bend? I know some cheaper harps are hard to bend on…
They are NOT a harp for bends. Consider them a “beginner” level harp, good for straight harp and becoming familiar with playing fundamentals.
So, how much are the "Special 20" for each one? Are they "blues?" How many keys/harmonicas are there, to make up a set? 7 is a partial set, right?
Does high/low humidity have any effect on the sound? Especially the wood parts. How do you know what a harmonica is made of when shopping/looking for one?
If you buy separate ones in the small hard cases, what do you use to carry them or transport them to gigs and such? Thanks:)
fantastic review ...good information .
Could you please tell me why harps breakdown and is the cleaning process hard .
I have only been playing a short while and have come a long way ...I love it .
As you wear out the piedmonts you can replace them with Marine Bands and you still have a really nice case.
This was very helpful! Thank you so much. I've now got one on its the way to me.
This set is ok.. I just got it today for $19 at a Guitar Center. I have been teaching myself harmonica on a C harmonica, but the materials I have been using have started to move in G and A keys. But, I don't know how dedicated of a player I will be.. So, I was thinking.. Either I spend $30-40 each for top of the line harps, or just get these to knock around on. Right now I am happy for getting these.. And the case is nice.. If I spring for nice harps, I will keep this case..
Great review! I play guitar and want to get something inexpensive to experiment with. It looks like this will fit the bill nicely.
Thanks for this video - helped me learn that I should probably not be cheap and buy a real Hohner wood harp. Judging by the comments below, I'm not sure this is a good note-bending blues harp but sort of "good enough" if you're not a pro.
Geoff Warren go right ahead and buy quality harps. I don’t recall claiming these are. But also don’t count these out. The do offer a decent sound, for a beginner or intermediate harp. I’m on point saying they get you started. Amazingly, I’ve had these now for 10 years, & they are carried with me in my Kayak. Used often. I certainly keep getting my money out of them.
Yes, thanks for reply! Yea, you gave an Excellent tutorial - many thanks. It was some of the comments posted etc, that led me to go guy ONE hohner MS series blues harp, which cost me $57 Cdn on Amazon. Funny thing though: I bought and "A" so it I could jam in "D". Was told to always go up a 5th (so if you want to play in C you have to buy a G harp.) But for some reason, the A harp plays in E blues - not in D. So I have a $57 wrong harp! I think I'll just buy the set you have till I work it out! lol
Yeah, I bought it and wasn't impressed. A couple of holes made no sound then after practicing for a bit a couple notes sounded kind of dull.
Good job.
How long would these last me?
Matthew Torres Well, I'm still using four of the harps 5 years later. The G, B flat, & A harps have been replaced with Special 20's simply because those keys tend to get played more often. If you are a daily player these won't last you long, but if you need a harp once in a while, they will fill the bill.
Dude get unless you have alot of air and a good set of lungs,dont get a piedmont set,I got a set too,and they are not worth it ,buy a better harp even if you are just learning,special 20 is real good right out the box,you dont need all keys either
tanks blues-man
They suck. I use the case for my 250 dollars worth of decent Marine Bands.
I'm not even a "Good" harmonica player and I love my Marine bands and my 1 special 20. The quality is BAD on those.
Bb F C G D A harp and be able to play with a guitarist... You know .... the guitarist with the halfway decent epiphone.
HOLAAAA VERY GOOD¡¡¡¡
No, not a good harp at ALL. hard to get air in and out, poor sound flat reeds Honer has lost the edge. go with sydel much better harps.
James, I understand your points, They are not top quality. However, economics being as it is, these harps offer good value. For the cost of 1 premium harp, you get 7 that will get you playing. When you're playing a jam session and a song starts you have 7 chances of finding a harp in the correct key instead of sitting out because you have a harp in a different key. Of anything, they make you appreciate a better quality harp when you can afford them. For a beginner, or ANY harp player on a tight budget, these offer a great value. IMHO.
So seven rotten apples for the price of one fresh one? I'll pass.
Just took a second set back to the store for an exchange (thought I'd give them another chance,but no go.) Still crap..leaky,no sound,off tune,only a couple work properly. Wouldn't even buy for kids to play. Spend fifty bux..by one decent harp,and save for another. BTW, my SP 20s would not fit properly in the hard case supplied,and other real harps were quite tight for fit. Not at all worth the money.