# Hohner Enthusiast series: Same things, different covers?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hohner-enthusiast-series-same-things-different-covers/744116>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [January 24, 2016, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hohner-enthusiast-series-same-things-different-covers/744116 "2016-01-24T22:13:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**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:** [January 24, 2016, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hohner-enthusiast-series-same-things-different-covers/744116/1 "2016-01-24T22:13:11Z")

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I’m going to start a new ‘learning harmonica’ thread soon, I hope. In the meantime, I’m curious about Hohner’s Enthusiast series. These are cheap harps from China. (I used to see – and have bought – the Blues Band for $5 to $6 as late as last year.) Doing a search, I found one person asking:

> [@](#):
>
> Last we have the [Enthusiast](http://us.playhohner.com/instruments/harmonica/diatonic-harmonicas/enthusiast-series/) series. These are the cheap ones. But there’s 6 different kinds. Is there any difference besides the images on the covers?

I see two answers:

> [@](#):
>
> Enthusiast: Cheap, crappy Chinese-made harmonicas. I would assume they’re all pretty damn similar, and pretty crappy overall.

and

> [@](#):
>
> The “enthusiast” harps are all crappy throw aways that are meant as impulse buys by non-players.

The comments are about the perceived quality of the Enthusiast series, and do not answer the question: **What are the differences, beyond the cover plates, between the harmonicas in the Enthusiast series?** Based on the specs (such as they are) on Hohner’s page, I’m guessing the differences are purely cosmetic. But I hope someone will know for sure.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [January 24, 2016, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hohner-enthusiast-series-same-things-different-covers/744116/2 "2016-01-24T23:39:28Z")

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FTR: When I start lessons I’ll be using my Special 20, and not the Blues Band. I’m just curious about the Enthusiast series because I have some Blues Bands scattered around and I like that they’re really cheap but still actually playable for a beginner.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [January 29, 2016, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hohner-enthusiast-series-same-things-different-covers/744116/3 "2016-01-29T00:07:37Z")

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In case anyone is interested, I heard back from ‘Ask a Hohner technician’. Apparently, the Enthusiast series harps are identical except for the cover plates. So why the difference in prices (about $5 to about $20)?

I watched a few videos online, reviewing the Bluesband, Old Standby, and Hot Metal. The reviewer’s harp of choice is the Special 20, and he compares the Enthusiast series offerings against it. Obviously he’s not impressed. He didn’t seem to mind the Old Standby much, he had little regard for the Bluesband, and hated the Hot Metal. Maybe, though the harps are the same, the workers assembling and tuning them take more care with some models?