Hohner Marine Band - Classic, Db

General

The Marine Band is perhaps the most famous harmonica in the world. First introduced in the year 1896, it marked the big breakthrough for harmonicas. The popularity of the instrument was unprecedented and still an awful lot of people play a Marine Band every day. Well-known international artists using a Marine Band include Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan. From the advent of the Marine Band, the harmonica has undergone a number of changes over the years (for example, the Marine Band Deluxe, Special 20 or the Big River Harp), but the Marine Band Classic has remained the same all these years. So enjoy its rich history and its equally rich sound.

The Marine Band Classic Db

Since a harmonica simply does not have all the tones at its disposal, as a harmonica player you have to choose which harmonica to use. Diatonic harmonicas are tuned in different keys. This example of the Marine Band Classic is tuned in the key of Db. This allows you to play along perfectly with music in the key of Ab.
This key is not always useful for music lessons or courses, but if you want to play along with songs in this key or shine during a performance with this harmonica, it can come in handy.

The materials used

This harmonica was not put together overnight. Hohner took years to arrive at this result. And that 120 years ago. We cannot deny that it is a success, but what exactly makes this harmonica so good? For a start, the Marine Band Classic has a pearwood comb. This gives a warm sound with and helps the harmonica resonate finely. To prevent the comb from swelling or shrinking due to moisture fluctuations, Hohner has sealed it very well. The tuning plate and twenty reeds of the Marine Band are all made of copper. These ensure a very fast response. Finally, the covers are made of stainless steel and beautifully finished with a Hohner print. This combination of materials and the way they work together make for a great harmonica, one that has become the standard by which to judge other harmonicas.