# Cheap harmonica: Hohner, or Swan **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [November 4, 2024, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-harmonica-hohner-or-swan/1009671 "2024-11-04T15:40:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-harmonica-hohner-or-swan/1009671/1 "2024-11-04T15:40:57Z")
My wife’s church is involved in a toy drive\* for underprivileged children. Yesterday I noticed a kid had a cheap harmonica, and I thought it might be nice if I donated a number of harmonicas to the drive. ‘Make a joyful noise’, as it were. I can’t find any quantity discounts, but I’m looking at these two harps: > **[Amazon.com: HOHNER Blues Band Harmonica, Key of C, Chrome (1501BX) : Everything...](https://www.amazon.com/Hohner-1501BX-Blues-Band-Harmonica/dp/B007IE5QP0)** > > Amazon.com: HOHNER Blues Band Harmonica, Key of C, Chrome (1501BX) : Everything Else > **[Amazon.com: SWAN Blues C Key 10 Hole 20 Tone Diatonic Harmonica for Beginners,...](https://www.amazon.com/SWAN-Harmonica-Diatonic-Beginners-Stainless/dp/B0BX8J3NM9)** > > Buy SWAN Blues C Key 10 Hole 20 Tone Diatonic Harmonica for Beginners, Stainless Steel Silver: Harmonicas - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases Full disclosure: I can’t play worth crap. When I do make the attempt, I use a Hohner Special 20. But I picked up some Blues Bands back when they were five or six bucks. They’re not as good as the Special 20 of course, but I keep one in each car in case I suddenly get the urge. I’ve found them to be pretty good. I have no experience with Swan harmonicas, but they’re $2 cheaper so I could donate 12 of those instead of 10. Given that these would be gifts for kids, which would be the better choice? **\*** It’s a different kind of toy drive. Toys are actually _sold_ to the parents for something like 5% of their value. The idea is that charging a small amount for the toys gives the parents more dignity that just giving them out for free. (I think that toys may be given for free, depending on circumstances.) ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-harmonica-hohner-or-swan/1009671/2 "2024-11-04T16:07:32Z")
So, your goal is to annoy as many parents in your church as possible? If so, I’d go with gifting them kazoos, [these are made by Hohner](https://www.amazon.com/Hohner-Accordions-KS48P-Kazoo/dp/B000ICZ6XQ?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A1ZMOST7Z1C60C) as well so they must be top of the line kazoos. They are made of plastic so the parents can easily smash them under their feet when junior won’t stop playing the things. Seriously, I think the kids would enjoy getting together with their kazoos more than harmonicas. It takes a while to get good at a harmonica, while a kazoo is good right out of the packaging. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-harmonica-hohner-or-swan/1009671/3 "2024-11-04T16:24:53Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > So, your goal is to annoy as many parents in your church as possible? I did consider the annoyance factor, but my ‘goal’ is to get kids interested in music. If I had learned harmonica when I was ten years old, I wouldn’t be disappointed in my playing now. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-harmonica-hohner-or-swan/1009671/4 "2024-11-04T16:31:18Z")
I’m sort of with @Si_Amigo here. But I applaud you desire to help and to help put music in their lives @Johnny_L.A But how about something like this - [13 1/2" Classic Hand-Painted 6-Hole Brown Bamboo Flutes - 12 Pc.](https://www.orientaltrading.com/13-1-2-classic-hand-painted-6-hole-brown-bamboo-flutes-12-pc--a2-16_265.fltr?sku=16%252F265&BP=PS544&ms=search&source=google&cm_mmc=GooglePLA-_-21375319616-_-OTCPMAX-_-16%2F265&cm_mmca1=OTC%2BPLAs&cm_mmca2=GooglePLAs&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA_qG5BhDTARIsAA0UHSLTIo6gAb6Tt7jbrXHVp5x5xUghHn6CMC2cEC46E6JEWdNtx_wX0EUaAhplEALw_wcB) Might be just as annoying, but maybe not. Probably easier to come up with a toon. Not nearly as complicated as a harmonica. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-harmonica-hohner-or-swan/1009671/5 "2024-11-04T16:37:42Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > But how about something like this - [13 1/2" Classic Hand-Painted 6-Hole Brown Bamboo Flutes - 12 Pc.](https://www.orientaltrading.com/13-1-2-classic-hand-painted-6-hole-brown-bamboo-flutes-12-pc--a2-16_265.fltr?sku=16%252F265&BP=PS544&ms=search&source=google&cm_mmc=GooglePLA-_-21375319616-_-OTCPMAX-_-16%2F265&cm_mmca1=OTC%2BPLAs&cm_mmca2=GooglePLAs&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA_qG5BhDTARIsAA0UHSLTIo6gAb6Tt7jbrXHVp5x5xUghHn6CMC2cEC46E6JEWdNtx_wX0EUaAhplEALw_wcB) I did consider [tin whistles](https://www.amazon.com/Whistle-Instrument-Dustproof-Instruments-Beginner/dp/B0D5B2GRP2/). But I play with my harmonicas more than my tin whistles. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-harmonica-hohner-or-swan/1009671/6 "2024-11-04T17:50:28Z")
I spotted harmonicas at FiveBelow a few weeks ago. I don’t play myself but noticed they looked suprisingly decent for $5. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-harmonica-hohner-or-swan/1009671/7 "2024-11-04T17:56:47Z")
My first musical instrument in elementary school was a cheap plastic recorder. Though we weren’t just handed these and expected to figure them out; there was a teacher and a series of lessons. So if you just hand out harmonicas to kids, you’re just going to hear noise. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-harmonica-hohner-or-swan/1009671/8 "2024-11-04T18:04:04Z")
The other thing is that kids share their toys and that’s not a good idea with something like a harmonica, where there’s saliva involved. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-harmonica-hohner-or-swan/1009671/9 "2024-11-04T18:19:38Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > My first musical instrument in elementary school was a cheap plastic recorder. Heh. Mine was a Triangle that I hit at random times. A musician I am not. I was probably thinking that I was calling people to lunch. That’s when I got drafted to run the AV machines. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-harmonica-hohner-or-swan/1009671/10 "2024-11-04T20:10:06Z")
I have a Hohner Marine Band that might date to the late 1930s. It still plays well. Those things last. Of course it doesn’t hurt that it is rarely played. Got it out for the grandkid recently. 4th gen family member that’s tooted on it. Do you want something that will last or something that’s basically disposable? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-harmonica-hohner-or-swan/1009671/11 "2024-11-04T20:16:01Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > I have a Hohner Marine Band that might date to the late 1930s. It still plays well. Those things last. I have one or two ‘loose’ Marine Bands in the key of C, and a cased set with all of the keys. > [@ftg](#): > > Do you want something that will last or something that’s basically disposable? I bought my Blues Band harmonicas because they used to carry them at the corner market and/or a convenience store, and they were only five bucks at the time. I’ve always thought they were a good ‘emergency harmonica’. I have a cased set of Hohner’s ‘cheap harmonicas’ as well. Again: I don’t play often or much; but ISTM that the Blues Bands play better than the others. (NB: Not including the Special 20 or the Marine Bands.) For kids (I’m thinking around ten to 15 years old) I think the Blues Band is playable, and durable enough for them to decide if they want to contibue playing. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2024, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-harmonica-hohner-or-swan/1009671/12 "2024-11-12T23:04:30Z")
Update. I decided on the Hohners. The pastor just texted me that he talked to the woman in charge of the toy store, and she said as long as they’re not cheap plastic ones then she thinks harmonicas would be great. I sent him a link to the Hohners, and he said they would be great. (The ‘desired toys’ list did include ‘musical toys’.) So I’ll donate 10 of them. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2024, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-harmonica-hohner-or-swan/1009671/13 "2024-11-19T22:34:30Z")
I heard of a U.S. submarine officer in WWII who drove the crew crazy by playing his recorder. It stopped short of mutiny though.