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Forums :: Ask Harmonica Expert Winslow Yerxa

How long do hohners last?

1 reply [Last post]
Mon, 07/30/2018 - 16:52
RB
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Joined: 04/20/2018

I know, I know - it depends.... but roughly?

For a guy playing 1 hour a day, intermediate level?

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Tue, 07/31/2018 - 11:37
#1
Expert Winslow Yerxa
Expert Winslow Yerxa's picture
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Joined: 01/16/2010
Years if you treat them right (and with a little luck)

How long does any brand last?

Cheap ones (Hot Metal, Blues Band, etc.) are badly made and more likely to fail quickly. But mid-priced harps from any of the major manufacturers can last indefinitely.

Treat a harp badly and it will fail faster:

  • If you breathe too hard through it.
  • If you suck instead of inhale.
  • if you shape your mouth, throat or lips to interfere with the free flow of air.
  • If you try to bend by force instead of persuasion.
  • if you try to bend a note beyond its limit.

Every now and then a harp will have a defect in a reed that makes it fail quickly. But I have harps that are nearly 100 years old that play perfectly.

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