One of the most portable musical instruments around – just pop it in your pocket
A great harmonica at an incredible price that delivers that classic, big blues sound. Key of C. Features the metal Hohner nameplate that is recognised around the world by musicians and novices alike. “How to” and song sheet included. 10cm long.
Suited to age 6 to adult.
Hohner has dominated the harmonica world for so long, it would be easy to assume that it invented the instrument. In fact, the Mundharmonika or "mouth organ" was probably invented in Vienna around 1825, eight years before company founder Matthias Hohner was born.
A native of Trossingen, a small town near the Black Forest in southwest Germany, Matthias was the son of a humble weaver who briefly made his living handcrafting watches and selling them door-to-door. According to Hohner family lore, when Matthias began making harmonicas, the first six were rejected as tonally inferior to established brands. However, his wife, Anna, suggested, "Just send them to cousin Hansle in Canada. They won't be so finicky over there."
Indeed, sales to North America soared, serving as a lesson that instantly and forever impressed upon Matthias Hohner the importance of international trade.
Recognizing his early instruments' shortcomings, in 1871 Matthias sent a trusted employee to work for a competitor to "discover" its vaunted production methods. The employee returned six months later with the critical information, and by the end of the decade Hohner's production methods and instrument quality rivalled the best in the world.