Hohner 590 Big River MS-Series Harmonica 

Comments about Hohner 590 Big River MS-Series Harmonica:

My favorite harps are Hohner Special 20s but, with the significant rise in price of the better quality harps, I have reached a compromise and have been purchasing the Big River harps. While not as warm or easy to play as the Special 20s (or the Lee Oskars), you get a decent sound and playability with these harps for a much lower cost.

I personally find these easier to play than the Hohner Pro Harps and Golden Melodies - I don't like the Pro Harps finish and the Golden Melody harps are narrow, making it more difficult to form an airtight seal with the lips, especially when using a brace.

An added bonus is you can replace the reeds with MS replacement plates.

Comments about Hohner 590 Big River MS-Series Harmonica:

I've been playing blues over 30 years. I've tried every kind Honner has come out plus Lee Oscar. Due to the fast increase in the price of harps and me being hard on them I trued the Big River. For amplified blues harp you can't beat the value because you still get a rich sound and easy to bend notes with also. The price is right for me to keep spares of all the keys I carry.

Comments about Hohner 590 Big River MS-Series Harmonica:

big river harp is the worst. leaks badly go for the special 20

Comments about Hohner 590 Big River MS-Series Harmonica:

The sound is full and in tune, the construction feels solid; after all it is made in Germany. However, this is the 3rd or 4th harmonica in this line that only lasted a few months. As I mentioned, I am NOT a hardcore heavy user, so I expected a lot longer life out of these instruments. I hope to find another option that will last longer. I wish someone would offer a solid intermediate harmonica that wouldn't break the bank--somewhere in between the current offerings of crap and high-end.
I am a full-time live singer-guitarist who only plays harmonica on a handful of songs during my gigs. The Big River series seemed at first like a real step up from the cheap harmonicas I had been using (Jambone, etc.) but it has been a disappointment.

Comments about Hohner 590 Big River MS-Series Harmonica:

These are good harps.I have them in keys of G-C-D & D low,this covers most of the music I play For me.they are best for practice as they sound as close to the Marine Bands as you can get.I do use Marine Bands when playing out or @ our jam sessions.Have played these for 2yrs. now & only blew out 1 in G,so I would recomend them highly.However you just can't beat the sound & durability of the Marine Bands [I still have 3 in their old paper box that play well after 30yrs],that's the only harp that I'll use when you want to be at your best.

Comments about Hohner 590 Big River MS-Series Harmonica:

It had taken me a while to sift through the remarkable variety of harmonicas that my friend had been playing (25+ years) before having to move from the Pocket Pal (my Girlfriend 'acquired' from me) to something more suitable for my own abilities. The Hohner Big River Harp appeared to have all of the features that a person can purchase with pocket cash. I understand that technology has progressed instruments to areas that I did not consider; for example, wood vs. resin. However, this harmonica has opened a bit more than anticipated and I admit that Hohner (as well as the others) know what a variety of sound that can be produced and what the musicians want; enough of a variety in order to develop ones own individual sound and style.
The recessed comb seat promotes very good sound. It allows for slightly more mating surface area between the comb and the reed-plate (lateral stability). Not a 'pretty harp', but the sound will get your attention and playability is as good as any other harp to include more expensive models. I prefer the resin comb. Yes, the wood looks nicer and has its own resonance, but the resin comb definitely has its place and is here to stay. I wonder what other composite materials would be useful for this application (poly-carbon, Grivory, Teflon, stone)?
The Engineers/Musicians appear to have done quite a bit of homework for this product. Everything appears to have a tight fit. The combination of a recessed reed-plate and the bead on the plate by the mouthpiece end that mates with the cover-plate are just plain smart. The resin comb appears to put more of the sound on the reeds instead of resonating through the wood. Yes, this makes a different sound, but also makes a remarkably stable instrument.
This instrument is an excellent value; perhaps, the best value for a harmonica that can easily be used by beginners or professionally.

Comments about Hohner 590 Big River MS-Series Harmonica:

I've had several of these. If you cast about the web, you'll find that most sites recommend that you upgrade, especially if you're going to bend a lot of notes. I'll recommend it for beginners. I'll also recommend it for a decent practice harp to keep in the car. Also for the weird keys like Ab that you hardly every use. Once you're at the intermediate level, consider Special 20 or Golden Melody.

Comments about Hohner 590 Big River MS-Series Harmonica:

Over the last few years I have purchased about 12 of these in various keys. Easy to handle, I like the sound and as an introductory harp it seems professional to me. I can hit the Highs and lows and through my Champ 600, the sound blends perfectly with the blaring guitars. I don't know if the more expensive harps sound much different but for the price I paid I happy with my Big River harps and I will eventually own the complete set.

Comments about Hohner 590 Big River MS-Series Harmonica:

Just picked up a Big River in the key of A at a local music store. Quality is nice, sounds a world better then the Blues Band that I picked up the other day. Of course the price of the Big River is almost 5x more but hey, you get what you pay for. Makes me wonder what the ever more expensive Special 20 would be like??

Comments about Hohner 590 Big River MS-Series Harmonica:

I had every major key of the special 20 harp besides the F. I didn't know how much I'd use it so I went with the Big River on the presumption that based on the price it wouldn't be much of a step down and I'd get it for cheaper. I should've paid the extra ten dollars and gotten another special 20. The Big River takes a lot of effort to get to sound good. Trust me, you might not know how good of a harmonica player you are until you try a nice harp. Spend the extra money.