Hohner Special 20 vs Suzuki Bluesmaster

Hohner's Special 20 and Suzuki's Bluesmaster have long been two of our top recommendations for beginner and experienced players alike. They both feature ABS combs, an ergonomic design and are keenly priced. However, there are some differences between the two models - read on to see which best suits your needs.

The most obvious distinction between the Bluesmaster and Special 20 is the reed material: Hohner sticks with traditional brass, whilst Suzuki opts for phosphor bronze. The latter is purported to have greater longevity and a brighter sound. Whilst the difference in tone is slightly noticeable, longevity, over the years we have sold these models, is fairly similar for both. I would note, however, that, in my experience, Suzuki harps have the lowest number of warranty issues of any of the major brands.

Perhaps a more obvious point of difference is the intonation. Like many Japanese harps, the Bluesmaster features equal temperament, whilst the Special 20 uses one of Hohner's many compromise tunings.

We won't discuss the complexities behind intonation here (if you wish to read more about this topic, I have produced an in depth article about why intonation matters), but we can look at the differences in practice, as demonstrated by these two harps. Compromised tunings tend to produce purer sounding chords (as the thirds and fifths are pitched closer to pure thirds and fifths), but this is at the expense of the purity of individual intervals across the harmonica. Equal temperament splits the octave evenly, which provides consistent intervals for melodies at the expense of the purity of the chords.

In reality, on the harmonica, these differences are fairly minor, and many players would be hard pressed to tell the difference in a blind test. However, some harpists who regularly use the chords at the lower end of the harmonica will find that they are better served by the Special 20. Conversely, if you play mainly melody lines, the Bluesmaster may be the better choice.

Price wise, the Bluesmaster has always been a little less expensive than the Special 20, but recent changes to the Suzuki price list, primarily as a results of a strong Yen, mean that the difference is now minimal.

	vs
Harmonica Name	Hohner Special 20 Harmonica	Suzuki Bluesmaster Harmonica
Harmonica Type	Diatonic Harmonica	Diatonic Harmonica
Number of Holes	10	10
Comb Material	Plastic	Plastic
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	£33.99	£27.99
	View details & Buy	View details & Buy