MIMIDI Blues Diatonic Harmonica with Harmonica Box, Key of C Standard 10 Holes 20 Tones, Suitable for Beginners and Professionals

I've played a chromatic harmonica since being given a Hohner over half a century ago, and recently bought a Swan chromatic which I found to be just as good as the Hohners though a fraction of the price. Then while researching Harmonica playing online I discovered the incredible playing of Christelle Berthon on Youtube, and decided to try a blues harmonica, realising that this is a very different instrument, much smaller, and with a different layout of notes in the lower octave. I bought the Swan ten-hole and found that it sounded very quiet and dull. So I thought I would try the Suzuki Manji as used by Berthon. There is no comparison between the two! The Manji is loud, bright-sounding, and the notes ring out making it possible to get those sweet sounds on straight playing. The reeds of the Suzuki clearly have a 'high Q factor' in engineering terms, probably because they are spot welded rather than riveted, giving a firmer better-defined fixing pont with less energy loss. The Swan has a very low Q factor and by comparison seems to be a toy. I can't comment on ability to bend notes as I have a whole new thing to learn here and am struggling! The seal on the Manji is much better than on the Swan, which has central screws and a poorer fit along the edge. Rounded ends on the front of the cover of the Manji plates also makes more sense than the cruder corners on the Swan. So you don't always get what you pay for - the Swan Chromatic is very good, but the Swan Blues harmonica is not! I've no experience of other blues harmonicas, but given the huge difference in sound I'd say take a look at Suzukis, if only for the innovative welded reeds (the Manji is one of the more expensive, but there are cheaper ones.)

Great little harmonica. Looks a lot more expensive than it is!I got this for my son (2) and he loves it. As well as having a lot of fun with it, it also survives all the normal things a 2 year old will do with his stuff.Being a Diatonic (no Sharps out flats) all the notes that could make it sound bad have been left out!Much easier on the ears than my old school recorder.All that aside, this is a proper instrument which would be fine for anybody needing one as a second instrument, or just to learn the basics.

At the price, I really wasn't expecting it to be any use. It's fairly melodic, and the holes don't seem obstructed, so okay for practice?

This was bought as a cheap way to rty out something new musically and I am having fun. The instrument itself is cheap and cheeful and I am having fun. Perhaps BGT will be a little time away but I will keep trying.

Excellent piece of kit at a good price. Maybe not full performance standard but great for home and fun use.

Prompt delivery and looks good. Christmas present, so wait to hear how it plays!

My 14 year old lad wanted a harmonica for Chrissy so after a bit of research I bought him the Swan Blues Power in C. Christmas day he was playing simple tunes from internet tabs sites (check out harptabs.com) and he's currently practicing 'Heart of Gold' and a simple 12 bar blues. The mouth harp is a 'family friendly' instrument (unlike, for instance, violin or drums) as a diatonic always sounds harmonious. Looks like we'll be buying him a G harp for his birthday.

bought as a Christmas present and seems easy to play with a good sound