Hohner Big River Harp MS, Eb harmonica

General

The original blues originated in America on the Mississippi Delta. Even then, harmonicas were hugely popular. Hohner has been making these instruments for over 150 years, so they were also around back then. Because of their raw sound, harmonicas are often used in musical styles such as rock, jazz, soul and blues. In blues, techniques like bending and train whistling are frequently used. This Big River Harp is made after those sounds and techniques.

Blues on the Mississippi

This largest river in America played a very important role in the development of the blues in the 1920s. Many workers from that region met regularly to support each other through music. A harmonica was always present to give extra power to the songs. Still today, this instrument is used for the same reason. The Big River Harp ensures that those beautifully raw tones are not simply forgotten, but still provide us with a fresh dose of blues.

Materials

To create that real blues sound, Hohner had to work hard to find the right materials to put the Big River Harp together. In the end, they succeeded very well. The comb of the Big River Harp is made of ABS plastic and the tuning plate and the 20 reeds of copper. Hohner chose to make the covers of this harmonica from stainless steel. These have been designed so that the harmonica sits comfortably in the hand, but that the raw bending tones also come into their own. This Big River Harp is tuned in Eb and can be used as a crossharp for music in Bb.