Side by Side Comparison of: Swan vs HOHNER

Excellent quality/sound and craftsmanship, every hole and reed plays well. And great value at around twenty dollars, less than most brand name diatonic harps.I have a few good diatonic harps, the chromatic has different feel, but I like being able to play melodies, and half-steps with this one, haven't really tried bending notes. The quality is on par with the marine band harps I have.

I've been playing harmonica for about three years. I do not play blues (although I wish I could). I play melodies, many tunes both classical and classic. Classical being "The Blue Danube Waltz" Classic being "Rock Around The Clock". I really enjoy this harmonica. It is inexpensive yet allows provides good tone.If you are learning to play Chromatic. This is a great first Chromatic harmonica.

I just wanted to get a chromatic harmonica that's affordable; I didn't expect it to be such a great deal. I love the sound and the playability of the Swan 10 hole chromatic tuner. I've been playing mostly with Suzuki harmonicas, but I'd buy a Swan harmonica again any day. Tried one, you won't be disappointed. Forget the negative reviews. You'll get more than what you paid for.

This was my first harmonica. I have since purchase Horner's beginner set of diatonic harmonicas which were very inexpensive. First of all, you do get what you pay for. Secondly, I would suggest you spend the money towards some of higher value harmonicas even for starters. This Swan is much superior to the Horner ones I purchased. I prefer the metal body of the Swan and all of the notes work... unlike the Horner. I will be purchasing a Horner of equal value and build to be fair in comparison. This Swan in my opinion is a good harp...no complaints

Great beginners harmonica. Nice solid feel, good solid sound. Yes, it's true that hole 1 has a tough draw, but that's pretty much true for any cheaper harmonica (and most wind instruments in general!) In addition, these low notes are rarely used so you will probably not even really notice. A great little guy to carry with you and not care about, to learn on and to just have fun. But I will agree with the other reviewers that more serious players should grab something a little more pricey-- but should have this guy in the bottom of that backpack!

This is the same Chromatic as one that I bought in a music store in Matamoros Mexico while on vacation in 2007.. It was labeled with the name "Lark" instead of "Swan" and it was priced about the same as the Swan 10 hole Chromatic Harmonica.. It is a great sounding harp that will last a person a long time.. It sounds good, is very rugged, easy to bend notes on and play the hell out of without needing attention for a long time, which isn't the case with chromatic harps with windsaver valves.. The slide button is stiff at first and will stick slightly at first but loosens up in time.. It is the best buy I have ever made on a chromatic harmonica, and at this price I will be purchasing a few more for the grand kids that are showing a serious interest in music.. I don't think you can find any 10 hole Chromatic that is any better for double the price or even more.

They are ok quality Definitely all you need for kids.

Very Good!

My husband wanted these for himself, but they've been getting a lot of use from our 16 month old son as well! Quality seems very nice, even with a little one using them frequently. Definitely happy with the purchase, and would recommend!

Great starter pack for learning to play the Harmonica.

This product is very nice, I was a beginner and I think that it's great for me. The sound is nice and clear, and I can make bends and play with the sounds. It's nice to have more than one tone because the songs are differents. The only bad thing is that it doesn't have anymore the free online course :(

Love the online learning that comes with the product. Also, there was a how to guide in each harmonica case. We're going on a long hike and having something to play, that's light weight and easy to carry is awesome!

Mine works well. It's one of my favorite harmonicas even when I'm not playing anything which needs the slide. Unlike all the Swan chromatics and diatonics I've tried, all the reeds of this one work.It deserves a much better case than the nasty zip-up soft pouch supplied.A much bigger Swan chromatic, the 1664, is just horrible in nearly all respects. I only bought it because I found this relatively little guy to be very good. Big waste of money, there.UPDATE - The tuning is a bit unusual. It's basically "solo" tuning, often seen on chromatic harmonicas, but modified because this is a 10-hole rather than the more common 12-hole instrument. The tuning isslide out (at rest) 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 hole # C - E - G - C - C - E - G - C - E - G blow D - F - A - B - D - F - A - B - - F drawI don't know what draw on hole #9 is supposed to be, because that reed has died.slide in (button pushed in) 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 hole #C# - F - G# - C# - C# - F - G# - C# - F - G# blowD# -F# -A# - C - D# - F#- A# - C - D# -F# draw

Great tone and intonation. Heavy metallic taste and feeling during and after playing but this really is the only downside. It is about a fifth of the price of a Hohner and the only real alternative for the occasional player.

Great little harmonica, especially for the price! It would have been 5 stars if it'd just come with a decent case.

I Like It good sound, reasonably priced

The Swan Silvery 10 hole chromatic harmonica is a good buy for the intermediate or beginning player. The reeds are not bad at all. I found every one of the forty reeds satisfactory. The harmonica is a great size to enclose within the hands. If you are an advanced player and expect a lot of dexterity and speed with the return of the control button I think you will be expecting too much for the money. I'm having fun with it.

For the price this harmonic is great.

What I expected.

good cheap set. the C reeds are starting to stiffen up but that was probably because I was drinking things like juice before playing. Only drink water when/about to play.

My husband and I decided to learn to play the harmonica together, but we didn't want to spend a lot of money. We bought this set, but one harmonica quit working after about a week. We contacted the manufacturer, and they sent a new set to us very quickly. I haven't had any problems with any of the three harmonicas since. They have a great sound! This set is good for anyone who is learning (especially kids, who we all know can be fickle) without paying a lot of money upfront. We had initially planned to purchase more expensive harmonicas as we progressed, but we're happy with these.

Great for begginers. Simple to learn on and very accurate in tune,

Great harp for the money. It's not quite pro level. It does feel a little cheap, but it is a value for the money.

A decent pack of harps, in the right keys, at a good price. A great beginners set. Learn how to bend the notes, and you are on the way to mastering the blues harp.

ok

It works good and is mostly accurate, lacks volume. I like the smooth mouthpiece.

This item is commensurate with its price, in other words you get what you pay for, no more, no less. It is a good instrument in a good price range for learning to play a chromatic harmonica.

It's OK. It is in tune but it sometimes doesn't make a sound from hole #1! you cannot play loud either. But as a training Chromatic Harmonica it is OK. If you don't learn to play or decide you do not like the harmonica, ast least you only spent $25.

I did not receive this product free or at a discounted price in exchange for "honest, unbiased review". All of my reviews are based solely on my experiences with the products I buy at full price.I'm not an experienced Harmonica player, so my review isn't based on comparisons with other harmonicas or my early years, over 50 years ago, with the basic now an expensive model of the Hohner. Based on other reviews I didn't have high expectations, I just needed something to get started with to see if I could learn to play an instrument while relearning how to read music. A friend plays guitar, his wife drums, and a couple of their other friends play different instruments and invited me to start playing as a way to face retirement. My friend suggested my French Horn experience wasn't going to be of much use with a blues, pop or rock band, so he recommended I pick up the harmonica. He suggested either an A or C key, and when I saw this pack that had those plus another key, G, I figured what the heck. it's not like I need a high end harp, and playing these three different keys would help me decided which one would be the best for me.I bought these through Amazon LLC and they came quickly with Prime. I opened the A first, tested it, and it seemed to blow and draw fine (if those are the correct terms) Same with the C. The G however, only drew on the last two reeds. Granted, these are basically 6 dollars each so it wasn't like I was expecting a lot. But I did expect the units to function properly.I'm continuing to use the A and C to improve my wind for now. And if it wasn't such a hassle and was possible to send back and have replaced just the G, I'd do it. Maybe, if I get a little better, I'll check into getting a G, and most likely will upgrade to at least the Marine Band basic, for now the A and C are fine for me, a beginning novice with bad wind and a faded knowledge of reading music. Oh, and a French horn that unless there's a hard up orchestra, that's probably as useless as me at this point.

pay the extra money for a better harmonica. Hohner is great, but this is an entry level harmonica. Go with "Marine Band" if you know how to play or are interested in playing single notes. It's not a good harmonica for single notes, only chords (or multiple holes at once).

Shortly after I purchased this set, and started playing through the 3 different keys, the "G" harmonica's reeds started sticking.

A friend of mine, that teaches harmonica, says they're OK. He feels you do not get the same "volume" of sound out of these v the typical Hohner Special 20 harmonica. Can't recommend, since I can hear what he's talking about. For kids, or just for fun would work but if you want to learn how to play, I would recommend going up to the Hohner Special 20

Purchased these to learn as my father has been playing for 50 plus years and loves Hohners. Was practicing with the c note before he came to visit and sounded really bad, thinking it was me I had dad check it and it had a flat note. He tried to adjust it but to no avail. If wanting to learn purchase a marine in c note and be done with it .I would not purchase these again

Let's be clear... These are inexpensive harmonicas. But they are GOOD inexpensive harmonicas and they are EXCELLENT for several applications...1) Do I even want to play harmonica? A low-cost way to find out.2) I think I do want to play harmonica, and want a few in different keys.3) I have a good harmonica, but need several other keys, fast.4) I want something for a kid (or grown kid) to be able to noodle around on.I purchased them because I was doubling on harp for one song... Wanted to make sure I could cover the part and wanted to make sure that that "G" was the right key harp for the song... That mission accomplished, I shelled out the bucks for a Special 20 (THAT is a good harp!).

Thought it sounded good but hole four and five are blowing the same note is there a fix for this or do I have to return it . It's actually almost unplayable. Was totally looking forward to it, big disappointment .

not responsive . some holes better than others. ok for the price

Reeds do not have clear, on key tone especially on high notes.

Not bad if you have the lungs of a sprinter

Do not waste your money, you can find cheap $5 Chinese harmonicas that function better. Do not let the "Pro Pack" name fool you. Not one of the harmonicas in the pack works or makes sound from every hole. All three proved useless the first time out of the box.

You get what you pay for..not great quality from Hohner.my fault trying to save money.

The C harmonica had the low C hole not working, otherwise the rest are all working good

These were badly out of tune. Useless for playing. Only good as noise makers for toddlers.

Do not buy these. They are cheaply made. If you don't sound good, you won't enjoy playing it get any better. Save your money and buy a golden melody or a blues harp. Chinese hohners are not legit. German made hohners are super legit.

Blow 4 and 5 is the same note this is wrong.

First time chroma player here, but I am a musician and I know what instruments sound like when they work. Had this thing for only a month and now it's broken:Right out the box the slide gave me non-stop trouble, which made for some funky action with holes 2 & 3. After extensive research I learned that it needed cleaning. I did. Twice! Then it worked as it should.Two days after getting it clean and functional, the spring for the slide SNAPS right in the middle of practice!!!I did play this thing basically everyday for 5 hrs, because I wanted to play on a recording, but that shouldn't matter! That's what instruments are for.One star! It couldn't even take the practice of a serious player. Pissed! If you're buying this as a toy for kid, have at it. If not, don't get too excited by the "affordability". You're basically buying two harmonicas when you buy this one.

Cheaply made. Don't bother to buy.

Basically I wouldn't give this harmonica even one star. I purchased two at the same time and both already have at least one note that is either flat or won't work at all. I played one Swan for approximately two weeks before it went belly up; the second one lasted about three days. By the time I received the charges on my Discover bill, both harps were kaput!

i did not get a chromatic i got a ten hole which sucks

not made very well and out of tune

made in China

Some hole The cords A harmonica doesn't sound

No.

They were broken and un unusable.

The second hole don't work well in 2 models.

they were not tuned properley.