SeydelSession Steel Harmonica (Blues

I have played Hohner blues harps almost exclusively for 30+ years. Recently I bought one that went flat quickly so I thought I would try another brand. I got a seydel Nobel 1847 and it made the blues harp seem like a toy in comparison. It was heavy, solid and sounded awesome. So I thought I would try this one. Different feel altogether. It sounds ok. Pretty similar actually to the blues harp ( BH a little richer). Something about the feel is off for me. It’s not a bad harp, but unlike the 1847 which was so incredible, this one does nothing for me.Now I get to shell out another $100 for another damn harp.Curse you ‘ Teddy Harp Folsum’. I wish I’d never seen your Live performance.FOLLOW UPWell, it has been a year or so since I wrote the first review. In retrospect I think I was too harsh on the harp. It does in fact play well. I needed to become accustomed to the different feel of the Plastic. It has shown itself to be durable and keep its tuning in a way that the Hohner Blues Harp does not. Not my favorite harp, but a decent solid instrument.

I've bought a C and an A in the last 3 months. I gig just about every weekend and after running through one of the "new" Special 20's and a Lee Oskar (both key of C) in 4 months I decided to give one of these a try. I was very impressed with the tuning of the reeds - every octave split I played was in perfect tune (tongue block). Someone said these are larger than the Hohners or Lee Oskars but I don't notice any difference when playing. What really surprised me was the tone. I was expecting a bit of harshness from the stainless steel reeds but they sound very smooth and clear. They bend easily and, so far, they seem pretty robust. I play mostly Fingers Taylor style but I also play blues on these and they work fine. I will no longer buy the Hohners or Lee Oskars. The first one of these I bought has already outlasted my last Special 20 and Lee Oskar in the same key.

Great sound. A bit raspier, which is good in my opinion, than Hohner. I have a Hohner 20, and give seydel a clear nod. Steel reeds are the way to go. Side vents are closed so its a bit muted. Feels good in hand and mouth. Its thicker. Good A harp

Durability of Seydel Session Steel isn't always the best, but sound quality and playability is second to none!

I got this to replace a worn-out Bonner Special 20. It sounds fantastic, but as others have pointed out, it takes a while to get it gapped for playability. The Special 20s are much easier out of the box, but I think this is a much better sounding harp now that I've done some work on it. Hope the durability of the steel reeds makes it worth the cost. I would NOT recommend this for a beginner due to the required adjustments, but it does sound great!

I received an email from another website about a Fender John Popper signature harmonica. There was a video with John talking about how great his harp was because it had a steel reed plate. It also costs $80. So, I decided to shop a bit and that's when I discovered the SEYDEL steel plate harmonica. It looks just like the $80 one, but only costs $60 on Amazon. I gave it a try.I've been playing Hohner Special 20s. I really like the tone and after a short break-in period, they bend just the way I like. They are reasonably durable. The SEYDEL played like a broken in harp right out of the box. It has great tone and feels really nice in the hand. I haven't had it more than a few weeks so far, but it feels like it is holding up better than the Hohners. I will probably use these for lower registers like the A that I purchased this time. I find the higher register keys last longer anyway.

Feels good in hand and mouth. Different from Lee Oskar and perhaps a step up. We'll see. Getting used to the stainless reeds perhaps longevity might be in this harp.

As I had mentioned in a previous review of my Seydel Blues Session Steel Harmonica in the key of G, the Seydel is a bit more expensive than the Hohner Marine Band and the Lee Oskar Major Diatonic, but I have found it much better in terms of ease of playing and reliability (i.e., reeds not sticking).  I have a Seydel Blues Session Steel Harmonica in the key of A now as well and will continue buying these as my brand of choice going forward for any other keys.