Seydel 1847 Classic vs Suzuki Manji

Suzuki's Manji and Seydel's 1847 Classic harmonicas occupy similar price points in the mid to upper end of the mainstream diatonic harmonica market. Let's compare them and determine which will best suit your needs.

Although both harmonicas have a fairly similar look and feel, they are quite different from a playing and construction point of view. The 1847 Classic features a traditional wood comb – in this case, maple – but swell resistance is excellent, thanks to extensive sealing and the choice of the wood itself. The Manji has a composite wood comb, which combined the swell resistance and durability of ABS with the tone of wood. Of the two harps, the Suzuki is likely to be a little easier to look after in the long term, thanks to this comb material.

Both harmonicas veer away from the commonly used brass reeds. The 1847 uses stainless steel reeds, which are long lasting, bright sounding and offer precise bending, whilst the Manji has phosphor bronze reeds, which also promise greater longevity than brass reeds, and produce a distinctive raspy sound.

Tuning wise, the Manji, like most Japanese harps, uses equal temperament, which slightly sacrifices the purity of chords in favour of evenly spaced single notes. The Seydel uses a compromised tuning to produce slightly purer chords.

One factor that may swing players in favour of the 1847 is the wider range of keys and tunings. The Manji is available in a limited number of alternative tunings, such as minor keys and low tunings, whereas the 1847 can be purchased in all low keys and a he number of alternate tunings.

	vs
Harmonica Name	Seydel 1847 Classic Harmonica	Suzuki Manji Harmonica (Richter and Natural Minor Tunings)
Harmonica Type	Diatonic Harmonica	Diatonic Harmonica
Number of Holes	10	10
Comb Material	Wood	Composite
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, Low F, G, C, F, E, B, E Flat, G High, F Sharp, D Flat, A Flat, Low E, Low D, Low F Sharp, Low E Flat, Low D Flat, Low C, Low B Flat, Low Low F, A High, A Flat High, Low B, Low Low F Sharp, Low Low E, Low A Flat, B Flat High, Low G, Low A	A, B Flat, D, Low F, G, C, F, E, B, E Flat, G High, F Sharp, D Flat, A Flat, A - Natural Minor, C - Natural Minor, D - Natural Minor, B Flat - Natural Minor
Price from	£59.99	£63.99
	View details & Buy	View details & Buy