Hohner Special 20 Harmonica - Key of A Reviews
Here's the perfect harmonica to learn on. The Hohner Special 20 gives you great tone and excellent bendability. Plus, since it has a special airtight design, the Special 20 is the choice for harmonica players of a bunch of different styles — from blues to country, folk to rock. The plastic comb also doesn't absorb moisture, so the Special 20 is made to last a long time. The Special 20 is the kind of harmonica you rely on, and the pick for countless gigging players (including Bob Dylan on his 2007/2008 tour). When quality and affordability count, go with the Hohner Special 20 from Sweetwater.
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Most Recent Reviews
Better for me than Marine Band
I'm a guitar player who uses a harmonica holder, and I've been using the Marine Band for years. But they aren't really repairable so I tend to go through them faster than I'd like. So this is the first Special 20 I've used, and I have to say I like it a lot better. It's smoother on the lips, and my mustache and beard don't get caught like they used to with the Marine Band. The sound is fuller and seems louder than the Marine Band. And while I haven't had to yet, looking forward to being able to unscrew it to open it and clean it in the future. I will definitely be replacing all my Marine Bands with Special 20s over time.
Special 20 Key of A
I have Special 20's in nearly all of the keys. I think they're great! The one I grab to put in my jacket pocket or kick back and just jam, is the "A". It's great for straight or cross harp. Not the lowest OR the highest, bends easily nice tone. It doesn't seem to "screech" like the higher keys. Taken as a portion of a complete set OR as part of a starter, the Special 20 in the key of "A" is a lot of fun, and lives up to Hohners great reputation.
Really impressed
The special 20 sound is truly impressive,Highly recommend..
Great sound
The sound and response are excellent highly recommend.
Special 20
Excellent sound and ease of playing
Hohner Special 20, Reliable
What can I say about the Special 20?
It's a reliable harp! More pro's use it than any other. I've been playing blues harp for 50 years and played Marine Bands until they came out with the Special 20. It was so much more air tight and easier to play, that I switched from the Marine band and still play it.
Not really what I expected
The service is great, but the product is not really good. I ordered it because my Marine Band A comb was swelling and bending out of the cover plates making it impossible to play for a while until it gets dry again. The sound is a little muffled, you have to do some extra effort to achieve desired sound, and some notes in lower and high keys sound too muffled; tune is off in lower notes (2nd draw) and doesn't respond properly (like a gap). I have also Golden Melody C with plastic comb and it sounds great compare to this plastic comb. So, I'm not satisfied, not recommend this product, or may be I wasn't lucky enough and just this one was a poor quality. Will try to read on an internet how to fix it.
Smooth Playing
This harp has a very nice rich deep tone, just what I was looking for.
It plays very smoothly and the holes are easy to hit, but my mouth gets a bit irritated going from the 1 hole to the 2 and back again. Let me state, I am a beginner. who is used to a Suzuki Pro Master.
Special 20 harmonicas
Great customer service you guys always follow up! The special 20 harmonicas are fantastic!!
Special.
I buy 4-6 harmonicas a year. Not the best, but Special 20's are dependable, consistent, quality harmonicas. Still very annoyed Hohner doubled the price about 10 years ago, but what are you going to do?
True pitch
This harmonica is great. It is on the mark with pitch, weight, and no stick reeds
great harp
they make too many lol this one is way more accurate and easier to maintain then the Marine band but Marine band has the best sound in my opinion
Great item,Great Service
The Hohner Special 20 was great and the quick delivery and follow up service was even better. I will be using Sweetwater to purchase other items in the future.
Good experience
Harp played great out of the box The personal service I got was also great, including the telephone follow-up. I highly recommend Sweetwater for an easy shopping experience.
Draw your own conclusions
I could tell you about how great the Hohner Special 20s are. OR... you could buy a bunch of different harmonicas to compare and figure it out yourself that these are the best. What do they sound like? Listen to John Popper of Blues Traveler play them. I wish Sweetwater carried all the keys.
