Suzuki Manji vs Olive

Suzuki's Manji and Olive harmonicas are extremely similar diatonic harps that utilise the Japanese company's signature phosphor bronze reeds and wood resin composite comb. However, there are some small differences that may make players choose one or the other. Let's take a look at these.

Both harmonicas share the same reed plates, which like most Suzukis feature phosphor bronze reeds and equal temperament tuning. The comb is also the same wood resin composite material on both harmonicas, although the holes for the cover plate screws are in different places on each model, and the Manji has a natural finish to the comb, whereas the Olive's comb is black.

The main difference other than the colours of each harp (green and black for the Olive, silver and brown for the Manji) is the cover plate design. The Manji has traditional cover plates that are folded down towards the ends of the harmonica and have side vents. The Olive's cover plates are full length, have no side vents, and are supported by a middle strut at the rear, making them a little stiffer.

In practice, this makes the Olive a little less liable to being crushed by players who grip their harmonicas tightly, and the lack of side vents mean more of the sound is projected directly outwards from the back of the harmonica. This makes it slightly more suitable to miked up playing than the Manji, which works a little better as an acoustic instrument.

These are small differences, however, and most players will make their choice based on their preferred aesthetics and feel in the hand, as tonally the two harps are hard to tell apart.

	vs
Harmonica Name	Suzuki Manji Harmonica (Richter and Natural Minor Tunings)	Suzuki Olive Harmonica
Harmonica Type	Diatonic Harmonica	Diatonic Harmonica
Number of Holes	10	10
Comb Material	Composite	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, A - Natural Minor, C - Natural Minor, D - Natural Minor, B Flat - Natural Minor	A, B Flat, D, Low F, G, C, F, E, B, E Flat, G High, F Sharp, D Flat, A Flat
Price from	£63.99	£56.99
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