Seydel Harmonica (10330LC)

I am fortunate to possess many high end harmonicas, and I play them all. This one is my current favorite for solo music. The low C sound is to my liking, and really resonates - especially on the lower notes. My puckering style makes it easier to play than the Hohner cx or even the 64 chromatic. It fits my hand nicely, and it is small enough to carry in my pocket. I really like it, and for now it is my favorite.

Great rich sound, feels sturdy. Tuning is great for playing melodies (old folk songs and such, popular American music of the 19th and early 20th century), feels much more natural to me than Richter, as I do not play blues. It is much easier on this to take a tune in your head and just play it, like humming. Still getting the hang of the layout, but I find this tuning a better starting point if you are not a blues player. Unfortunately, the hole 2 draw (low B) is out of tune and possibly leaky (hard to tell), making what ought to be 3/4 of some inversion of a B minor 7th chord sound like a diminished chord, and an out of tune diminished chord at that. Figuring out how to play around it, but it is frustrating to have to deal with a harmonica that is messed up brand new out of the box. Hopefully you will get lucky and yours won't be messed up, because it is the nicest harmonica this beginner has had so far.

Hohner’s best come close in this price range for example their Thunderbird .Seidel’s SS reeds are very finely tuned giving more dynamics, control ability and the combs and shells are blowing perfection

I never heard a bad thing said about Seydel harmonicas. They possessed a reputation for good sound, tough steel reeds, and good fit and finish. Too bad the only reality here is that the reeds are steelThe Orchestra S Session Steel (OSSS) is a poor quality instrument from parts, to construction, to tuning. It has the hand feel of a $15 local music store budget harp, but just a touch heavier. There is no effort on parts matching and fitting the parts to each other. Crooked might be a pretty fair way of describing this harmonica, physically. Also, I strongly suspect mine might have been used. Something I discovered long after I had started playing it. So, beware and thoroughly check everything on a harmonica before putting your mouth on it. This includes things it was packed with like instructions or anyting else it might have been packed with.The top coverplate is shifted to the left, flush against the combs lip, leaving a gap of about 1 to 1.5mm on the other side. Might not sound like much, but the hand, eye, and mouth do notice it. it is also not flush with the reed plate near the corners of the comb. The rounded corner of the coverplate is slightly upturned where it should meet the reed plate. This creates a wedge-shaped gap at each corner, and the ones at the front of the comb grab facial hair. The bottom coverplate is evenly spaced, but also has hair-grabbing gaps at each corner.The plastic they use to make the comb is thin and reminiscent of the clear plastic they use to make windshields for little toy cars. It is too thin in spots, and especially the corners where it is slowly cracking. They wanted a clear red comb for some curb-appeal. So I guess style and flair win out over strength and longevity that something like a fiber-filled polymer could have provided.The sound is nothing to write home about. It does what it promises on the box with a few issues. The notes play flat, not in the technical sense, but like a flat soda. Very lifeless. The first 3 holes on mine are poorly tuned. Play any of them alone and it sounds adequate, #2 is a little muted. Try and play 1+2 or 2+3 and you'll get anything from beating to thrumming, to a weird sort of oscillating tone. Overall, a very dull unimpressive sound presentation.The harmonica I can best compare this to is my Hohner 364-S 12 hole solo-tuned harmonica for about the same price, $50 thereabouts. Fit and finish is excellent, the parts selected and fitted well, and the reeds are properly tuned and respond exactly as they should. The sound, very much alive and engaging. If you want a solo-tuned harmonica, I would recommend it any day of the week over the Seydel.Lee Oskar is another that defeats the OSSS in construction and sound quality.Anyways, I wanted the OSSS to match Seydel's reputation. Instead, I got a poorly made harmonica that sounds lifeless. So, that's a big pass on the OSSS. I wouldn't bother, just get a Hohner 364-S and save yourself the time and trouble.

This is an interesting tuning. Like playing a chromatic layout without the button. It suggests some different ideas for a usual richter player. It is quite playable, however, the reeds are a bit airy. Not what I would expect from a Seydel.

Takes a bit getting used to, but a beautiful instrument. Not recommended for blues harp, but perfect for in key soloing. I had tried the Hohner Rocket, but found it difficult to play. Too much leakage on the upper holes. The more I play, the more I like it. The low C configuration adds a new dynamic to harmonica playing.

I have been wanting to learn to play a chromatic harmonica, but it is frustrating to have the layout be so different from the diatonic that I can carry in my pocket. This harmonica has over two octaves of the C major scale without the need to bend notes, perfect for someone like me, who mostly wants to play the melodies of hymns and Christmas carols, etc. Anything you can play on this harmonica can be played exactly the same way on a chromatic harmonica (in the key of C). The chromatic can be played in any key, and eventually I will develop that ability, but for now it's nice to have a harmonica for major key melodies that I can carry in my pocket and then be able to transfer the muscle memory of playing a song with a certain pattern of holes to the chromatic.