Hohner Pro Harp Review: the Black & Gold Brother of the Fantastic “Blues Harp”

Hey guys and girls!

Today’s post will be a Hohner Pro Harp review. – a sexy model in black & gold which is actually the identical brother of the fantastic Hohner Blues Harp, but with one difference – the comb is made of plastic instead of wood. Honestly – besides the pro harp being just a tad lighter and also having that plastic comb which feels nicer on the tongue, they are almost identical, and the differences can come down to the looks and which one you prefer. Hence – my review will also be very similar to the review that I wrote about the Blues Harp.

They also both sell for about 40$. So let’s begin our review:

That’s what you get out of the box. The Hohner Pro Harp and the hard-shell case.

Hohner Pro Harp – Pros:

• Feels great in your hands: The Pro Harp belongs to the category of harmonicas that I like to call “satisfyingly heavy”. It’s made from metal, brass and with a plastic comb and it feels like a premium product and not like a lightweight, cheapo toy.
• Sound: The Pro Harps have a BIG sound that projects beautifully across a room with a powerful volume, and it feels very controllable both with multi notes and single notes. Here is a live example of me playing the song Knockin’ on Heaven’s Doors with the Blues Harp (the “sibling” model) both on single and multi notes.
• Durability: As a result of how it’s built, the Pro Harp can take a lot of beating while still lasting like new. It does not have the thin upper and lower cover plates that the Marine Band has – which make them prone to dents when traveling and not being very careful about storing them in the case. I traveled a lot with Blues Harps and one Pro Harp and all of them still play and feel almost like new which is a huge plus.
• Bending: If you are into blues and bending – this one is the easiest harmonica to bend that I played. Both out-of-the-box but especially after you do some basic modding like tightening the space between the reeds and the comb. The bends also feel very precise and controllable.
• Looks: I think that as simple as it is, it’s one of the best looking Hohner models. There’s nothing fancy about it, but it just looks muscular and expensive with the big, square-edged and decorated metal casings.
• Hard shell case: It comes with a hard shell case, and while it’s not on the fancy side like Suzuki harmonicas at this price range usually have, it defiantly does the job. This case is better and stronger than the case that comes with the Marine Band. (some would argue that it’s less attractive, but that’s not the real point of a case anyway…)

My Pro Harp with one of my Blues Harps. Almost identical twins.

Hohner Pro Harp – Cons:

Honestly, it’s hard for me to find any cons here, because I think that’s how a harmonica should be like. If you never played diatonics that cost 100$ and north of that, then you would not know harmonicas can get any better. one con I do have though:

• The G Pro Harp came a little bit slow to respond out of the box. I am not sure if it’s mine that was a lemon, because usually G harmonicas, as the lowest tuned harmonicas, tend to not be as fast to respond and feel “heavier” to play. However, my G harp did benefit a lot from tightening the airspace – and I recommend you do the same if yours does not feel a breeze to play. It takes less than 20 minutes and you’ll get a “turbo harmonica” in return.

Final Verdict: 9

Another shot of my Pro Harp. I love how compact harmonicas are!

That’s it. I highly recommend either the Marine Band or the Blues Harp / Pro Harp as a first harmonica. In the key of C they both feel very responsive and fun to play, they are the best bang for the buck, and they will last a very long time.

Enjoy your harmonica journeys.

Update – as of now – September 2016 – the Pro Harp model has been discontinued. As stated above – you can get the Blues Harp which is pretty much the same instrument but in different colors and with a wood comb. 

Note: I am not endorsed by any specific harmonica company. These reviews are strictly based on my own experience and opinions.

Since the Pro Harp has been discontinued – Click to get the best deal on the Blues Harp through Amazon. If it’s your first harp – get it in the key of C.

You can watch my video review of the Blues Harp from my channel – and as I mentioned – the Blues Harp and Pro Harp are almost identical so this review would give you a solid idea of what it’s about.

See me playing a full Knockin’ on Heaven’s Doors cover on the Blues Harp:

Alon Cooper

Hey! My name's Cooper, I'm 28 and I'm a musician based in Tel Aviv, working with other artists as a harmonica player, guitarist and pianist. In the last few years, I traveled through four continents while performing and teaching music, and I also run the blog GuitarSongsMasters.com - one of the world's top five most-read guitar blogs. I hope to be helpful to you on your harmonica journeys. Cheers! Join 4700+ Successful Harmonica Jamz students - Play any Song and Jam with Other Musicians