Hohner Crossover vs Hohner Meisterklasse

The Meisterklasse and Crossover are two of Hohner's most expensive diatonic harmonicas - topping the MS and Marine Band ranges respectively. Let's take a look at the main differences between these two professional level instruments.

The Crossover takes its design cues and relatively diminutive size from its Marine Badn stablemate, giving it a very traditional look and feel. However, under the cover plates it's a very different animal from the somewhat timewarped 1896. Firstly, the cover plates are bolted to the comb, and the reed plates themselves are attached to the comb with screws, rather than the antiquated nails of the standard Marine Band. The comb itself is constructed from bamboo, which is supremely swell resistant and exceptionally light, and the reed plates are precision made with excellent tolerances.

The end result is a harp that's light in the hand, easy to bend and which experiences none of the swelling issues that blight many other wood combed harps. The MS Meisterklasse (not to be confused with the chromatic model of the same name) is a wholly different beast, with a modern look, provided by the full length cover plates. Its alloy comb and thicker 1.05mm reeds gives it a bright and lively tone, although bends are initially slightly harder to achieve, due to the thicker reed. It's a very durable harp, though, and feels substantial in the hand.

In theory, the Meisterklasse is interchangeable with parts from any of the MS range of harmonicas, but in practice few players would want to put parts from the cheaper Blues Harp or Pro Harp on the significantly more expensive Meisterklasse.

Ultimately, the Meisterklasse suits harder players looking for a durable harp that will last years. Those looking for a more traditional instrument that bends with ease will be best served by the Crossover.

	vs
Harmonica Name	Hohner Marine Band Crossover Harmonica	Hohner Meisterklasse MS 580/20 Harmonica
Harmonica Type	Diatonic Harmonica	Diatonic Harmonica
Number of Holes	10	10
Comb Material	Wood	Alloy
Number of Reeds	20	20
Spare Reeds Available?	Yes	Yes
Tuning	Richter	Richter
Valved?	No	No
Musical Styles	Blues, Rock, Pop, Folk	Blues, Rock, Pop, Folk
Available Keys	A, B Flat, D, G, C, F, E, B, E Flat, G High, F Sharp, D Flat, A Flat	A, B Flat, D, G, C, F, E, B, E Flat, F Sharp, D Flat, A Flat
Price from	£64.99	£89.49
	View details & Buy	View details & Buy