To be frank, I have only tried two different diatonic harmonica models: this and a Chinese-made harp from Mud Puddle. The former is clearly better than the latter, in my opinion. I have been playing these Special 20s since December 29, 2018 as a self-taught blues harper and these babies are tough as iron nails. What I meant by that is that for practice from 10 minutes to one hour each day, the harp is just a workhorse. The pitches for each hole on both reeds don't go flat and it still retains its responsiveness. As for the harp itself, in terms of what makes it famous, the response is astronomically good and it's very air-tight despite the rasp in its timbre. For its comb, it's actually fairly smooth even though you can cut your lip on it sometimes. Despite not being known for this next part, I just want to give this away. The Special 20 may have the best timbre for any diatonic harmonica. This may be controversial, but let me explain. Since the inception of the internet (as far as I'm concerned), this harmonica's timbre is described as being mellow and/or sweet. I never saw where they were coming from. From the Special 20s that I've played so far (C, Bb, and Ab), they all had a warm, powerful sound with a raspy tone. That raspiness is often overlooked, but it gives the harp a distinct and dark timbre that is just made to play the blues. Just a heads up that the bends will sound growly at one point or another. There is only one other gripe I have with this harp which isn't the comb. My Bb has a slightly angled top cover compared to the other two. Which had me make a "conclusion" that some of them look rushed. However, my Bb played extraordinarily well and is my favorite key for the Special 20.

Harmonica Playing Pichu

Huron, OH

I like the plastic comb; Special 20 is a good all-purpose harp. I play guitar and harp (keys A,C,D,F,G): country, folk, blues, pop, Cajun and zydeco. Eventually I blow them out and have to replace them. I understand they can sometimes be repaired, but I've never been good at it, so I look for deals -- buying the package of 3 saved about $15. Cheaper harps aren't worth getting.

Andy, The Porchdogs

Orlando, FL

the best

EJ

hawthorne ca

The SP20 is one of the gold standards in diatonic harmonicas, but they tend to have quality check issues coming out of the factory. Often you'll buy one out of the box that has flat notes, or gets flat very quickly. The latest one I bought was like this, and when I took it apart to tune and gap it, the draw reed plate was discolored! And the cover plates were put on slightly crooked too. Jeesh. But hey, I still love the sound and tone, so I come back for more. Also note that the SP20 isn't as durable as the Lee Oskar (another gold standard), so you might find yourself replacing your SP20 more often. A big issue many have with the SP20 is the sharp comb edges. This becomes a pain when you're playing the 1 and 10 holes. Handy players will usually round out those edges with their tools. Lastly, something to consider is the tuning. The SP20 is JI/compromised tuned, while the Lee Oskar and Golden Melody are ET tuned. This does make a difference, so try out both. People generally say that JI strikes a good balance between single note lines and chords, while ET is mainly good for single note lines.

Mike T

Garden Grove, CA

This harp has never let me down. I have tried so many different brands and models. None play as easy and sound so consistentley good all the time. They play smooth so breathing through them is no effort. I've been playing for about 40 years now so they are all I buy anymore.

Mickey D

Glassboro,NJ

Perfect Blues Harp. Suprisingly many professional blues musicians use this harmonica (John Popper from Blues Traveler, although not the best blues harp player, certainly one of the more famous). I learned on this harmonica, have tried others, and you just can't get the same tone or easy bending capabilities from other harmonicas. If you are looking for other styles of harmonica playing, wood might be the way to go, but for blues harp, this is the gold standard.

Island Jammer

Kane, PA

i know nothing about music and wanted something to play different notes without having to know anything. this did it. i just played alone along with christmas songs, salsa,kenny g sax songs, etc. BUT U BETTER AT LEAST KNOW HOW THE SONG GOES IN YOUR HEAD.

SSSUPERMAN[...]

NEW YORK