Hohner Marine Band - Deluxe, Bb harmonica

General

On sale since 1896 and for more than a century, the authentic blues sound of this diatonic harmonica has been loved by starters and stars, players and listeners alike. Its warm sound is very recognisable and is therefore almost impossible to imagine the blues scene without. With the Deluxe version of the Marine Band, Hohner has made an effort to keep all the good and characteristic features and improve the outdated, lesser features. With over 150 years of experience, the German specialist knows exactly what it is doing and the result is great.

What has been improved?

Although the Deluxe is very similar in appearance to the original Marine Band, much has been changed on the instrument. Hohner has improved everything from covers to tuning reeds where necessary, without compromising the authenticity of the Marine Band. For instance, the reeds are better fixed so they don't rattle and the overall construction has also been improved for more stability. The covers are attached with four screws and, unlike its predecessor, are airtight. This makes the sound fuller, the response faster and, combined with the updated covers, allows for more volume. Although the pearwood was also used for the comb and mouthpiece of the original instrument, it now performs better due to the 3 coats of lacquer. Ergonomically, the Deluxe is also better designed, boosting both playing comfort and durability. Surely, all these features make the Deluxe more than "just" an upgrade. The Deluxe also has a warm, recognisable sound and is ideally suited for blues. Because it is tuned in Bb-major, this variant is widely used to play along with music in F-major.