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Hohner

collapse expand iconDescription

The legendary Special 20 harmonica offers unique qualities in its response, superior bending, and a rich tone. Featuring a durable, airtight, plastic comb, it has become the harmonica of choice for recording artist John Popper (Blues Traveler), as well as musicians that enjoy a wide variety of genres from country and folk, to rhythm and blues. Available in 12 major keys as well as a special Country Tuning, which features a major 7th when played in the cross harp position.

With their excellent response and great tone, diatonic harmonicas from HOHNER have earned a worldwide reputation for the finest quality. They are frequently referred to as "Blues Harps" and are primarily used as melody instruments in blues, rock, pop, country and folk as well as other styles.

Hohner Progressive Series 560 Special 20 Harmonica F#/Gb
Hohner Progressive Series 560 Special 20 Harmonica F#/Gb
Hohner Progressive Series 560 Special 20 Harmonica F#/Gb

collapse expand iconFeatures

  • German craftsmanship provides superior response, bendability and tone
  • Precision molded plastic comb for unmatched comfort and durability
  • Recessed reed plates and airtight designfor consistently excellent performance

collapse expand iconSpecs

  • Type: diatonic
  • Ttuning: Richter
  • Number of holes: 10
  • Reeds: 20 brass
  • Cover surface: stainless steel
  • Reed plates: 0,9 mm brass
  • Reed plate: surface brass
  • Mouthpiece: surface ABS
  • Comb: ABS, black
  • Length: 10 cm

collapse expand iconReviews

4.35

46 Reviews

90%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend

Hohner is one of my favorite Hermanicas
Excellent Harmonica for those that want good quality

Most Liked Positive Review

5

Excellent Harmonica for those that want good quality

I would absolutely recommend this (mid-range) harmonica to anyone that wants to pick up a quality instrument that will give you much better sound compared to the cheap models ($5-15). This model is used by many professional players. It has a good crisp sound and is responsive enough for beginners and advanced players. Hohner have been making quality harps for quite some time and their precision engineering shows. They are visually beautiful harps too! Leaving a bad review because of low skill level should not be attributed to the overall score of this instrument either. I actually wish Guitar Center would remove a couple of the reviews for this model. This is NOT a 2 1/2 star harp. This is a 4.5-5 star harp on most other sites. Every single harp that leaves the factory is tuned and ready to play. I have not received one that is not. Of course they can be tuned and "fixed" to your needs but be careful! I have compared the single notes and chords to a chromatic tuner set to 144Hz. They all come back right on the mark. I am by no means an expert level player but I know good sound and the tuning for this harp is a great introductory and advanced harp that is a "Just Intonation" temperament. Which means good sounding chords. Not as good for single note melodies but that certainly does not mean that you will not sound good at single notes. Needs more finesse and practice. A Golden Melody for example is great for melodies and not quite as smooth sounding for chords. Overall, this is a fantastic quality instrument for someone that knows they are serious about getting a good quality harp that will last them many years. You could easily find something for $10 and frankly it will sound like it. Spend the extra $30-40 and get yourself something of quality and precision.

VS

Most Liked Negative Review

1

Unhappy Customer

Hate to write about this problem, but its what happened: This was My favorite harmonica-- (The Spec 20)-- until I bought 2 new ones, an E & G at Guitar Center & they were both defective-out of tune. Hohner replaced the E but refused to fix the other one saying I had taken it apart. This G harp was to be a back up as my 3 year old G was getting weak. It was a few days out of warranty but they said that was not the problem. It was brand new--just taken out of the box---I had played it about 5 minutes & did NOT take it apart. The harmonica they returned appears NOT to be the one I sent in as it looks old, worn, & scratched. Probably will NOT buy another Hohner even though I "did" like the playability and sound, I now question the dependability, & Customer service. I don't know what happened with this ordeal but it was NOT something I did to this defective harmonica. Real sad situation, as I "only" have about 70 Hohner harmonicas of all types, (I switch around when playing.) Several are out of tune but I never returned them--they are basically junk now)

Filters
Best Uses
  1. Performance25
  2. Practice24
  3. Jam Sessions18
  4. As a toy1
Cons
  1. Wears Easily3
  2. Flat Sound1
  3. Inconsistent1
  4. Poor Quality1
  5. none1
Describe Yourself
  1. Experienced19
  2. Novice13
  3. Professional Musician10
Pros
  1. Great Sound26
  2. Durable24
  3. Excellent Craftsmanship22
  4. Great Intonation22
  5. Highly Responsive22

Reviewed by 46 customers

  • Wonderful first harmonica

    5

    Verified BuyerVerified Buyer

    submitted2 months ago

    byAnton

    fromDublin, CA

    Submitted as part of a sweepstakes

    I did a lot of research before buying this harmonica. The Hohner Special 20 in the key of C is the most recommended one. I love it; it has a tough build and sounds wonderful.

  • Definitely Recommend

    5

    Verified BuyerVerified Buyer

    submitted5 months ago

    byRon

    fromOklahoma City

    Submitted as part of a sweepstakes

    There's nothing quite like sitting around in a comfortable chair chiming on my harp. Far surpassed my expectations especially at this price point!

  • Quality Product

    5

    submitteda year ago

    byRosemary

    fromChicago

    My Mom bought this harmonica to use in her Zoom harmonica class. Quality product, has a nice, full sound. Good for playing blues music.

  • First time with a Hohner Progressive Harp

    5

    Verified BuyerVerified Buyer

    submitteda year ago

    byJohnny

    fromCoachella CA

    Submitted as part of a sweepstakes

    The packaging said it wasn't preferred for Blues or Jazz but I disagree. I bought the Bb which is a key that is hard to find, to play Jazz/Blues in F and it worked out perfectly.

  • I would buy this product again

    5

    Verified BuyerVerified Buyer

    submitteda year ago

    byChris

    fromSouth Sutton, NH

    Submitted as part of a sweepstakes

    I am just learning the harmonica and this was rated as a good started product.

  • Excellent Quality

    5

    Verified BuyerVerified Buyer

    submitteda year ago

    byAndrew

    fromDetroit

    Submitted as part of a sweepstakes

    This harmonica is extremely responsive and sounds great. I went for this instead of the Marine Band, because it is easier to disassemble and clean. I think it has a warmer tone compared to the Marine Band.

collapse expand iconQ&A

Have a question about this product? Our expert Gear Advisers have the answers.

  • submitted5 months ago

    asked byKeith

    fromMoorestown, NJ

    How can I clean my harmonica

    How can I clean my harmonica

    Open Reply - Gear-Support
    To clean a harmonica, disassemble it, then gently clean the reed plates with a soft brush and a small amount of soap and water, while carefully wiping the comb and cover plates with a damp cloth; if your harmonica has a wooden comb, avoid using water and instead use a dry brush to clean it; always make sure to dry all parts thoroughly before reassembling.

  • submitted6 months ago

    asked byBrando

    fromBaton rouge Louisiana

    What's high G mean

    What's high G mean

    Open Reply - Gear-Support
    I'm sorry but I'm not sure.

  • submitted2 years ago

    asked bycarol

    fromMilw wi

    what does Bb mean? How is it different from B?

    what does Bb mean? How is it different from B?

    Open Reply - Thomas
    Bb is 1/2 step lower than B

  • submitted4 years ago

    asked byGoyo

    fromBrownsville, Tx

    Does the harp come with a hard case and a pouch? Thanks

    Does the harp come with a hard case and a pouch? Thanks

    Open Reply - Thomas
    Unfortunately, no

  • submitted5 years ago

    asked byCarl

    fromPhoenix, Az

    How come on the key chart it says second position on a C harmonica is F, it should be G

    How come on the key chart it says second position on a C harmonica is F, it should be G

    Open Reply - Thomas
    We appreciate your feedback