Harmonica Manufacturers and Builders

[ Major Manufacturers | Specialty Manufacturers | Custom Builders ]
 

Major Manufacturers

Harmonica manufacturers have multiplied in recent years. Japanese and Chinese companies have begun selling their wares in the west, and American companies such as Huang and Lee Oskar have accelerated this trend. Just beginning to make their presence felt are companies centered in the former East Germany. Harmonica players now have a profuse array of choices and alternatives for all sorts of harmonica models, at just about any price level.

Hering

Brazilian manufacturer Hering has been in existence for over a century, and at one time did manufacturing for Hohner. Their present line of diatonics and chromatics have been getting rave reviews, especially their airtight chromatics. The last few years have seen a major push into the North American and European markets.

Hering Brasil

Hering USA

Hohner USA

Hohner is the traditional powerhouse of the harmonica business, and maintains a presence in each major market worldwide. Hohner USA is an independent marketing company with major influence at the home office in Trossingen, Germany. Hohner has perhaps the widest harmonica product line of all manufacturers, and many valuable model names. Their products set a standard to which all others are compared.

Hohner Germany

Trossingen is a smallish town in the Schwarzwald (Black Forest) of southern Germany, about an hour's drive south of Stuttgart. This is where Hohner has been making harmonicas since 1857, absorbing all the rival companies in the region over time.

While some manufacturing is now done in China, the major finishing work and the premium lines are still made in Trossingen. Every four years, the World Harmonica Festival is held in Trossingen, and harmonica players from the world over descend on this quiet little burgh. The Trossingen Harmonikamuseum is also located here.

Hohner UK

Huang Harmonicas

Cham-Ber Huang is a classical harmonica virtuso, born in China before the revolution. Emigrating to the United States, he worked for Hohner for many years, where he designed the Chordomonica, Chordomonica II, and the CBH 2016, before founding the Huang brand.

Huang is one of the few harmonica manufacturers to offer chord and bass harmonicas in addition to chromatics, diatonics, and double reed diatonics. Huang products are low in cost and very responsive. However, they can often benefit considerably from post-purchase adjustment.

Lee Oskar Enterprises

Lee Oskar moved from Denmark to the united States, where he was a founding member of the popular group War. He now has a career as a solo artist and harmonica manufacturer.

Lee Oskar harmonicas, manufactured to Oskar's specifications in Japan by Tombo, are renowned for their high quality. They are airtight, responsive, and last a long time.

Lee Oskar harmonicas are limited to the 10-hole diatonic, with no chromatics. double reed or band instruments. However, the Lee oskar harmonica is offered in four tunings, meant to played in second position. In addition to the standard Richter tuning, Oskar offers melody Maker (giving a major scale in second position without requiring bends), natural minor, and harmonic minor.

Seydel

Seydel is one of the old eastern German manufacturers in the Klingenthal region. Their current line includes single reed, tremolo and octave tuned diatonics, slide chromatics, and melodicas.

Suzuki Corp

Suzuki is a major Japanese manufacturer of a wide variety of industrial and consumer products, including musical instruments. They make a full line of harmonicas - including chromatics, single and double reed diatonics, band instruments and minor-tuned tremolo diatonics. They have also introduced diatonic models to facilitate the extended use of bends and overblows, including the Valved Promaster (with valves to make the non-bending reeds bend) and the new Overdrive Harp that makes all bends and all overbends achiebvable.

Suzuki USA has not featured harmonicas in recent years, but in 2000, the Japanese parent company decreed that harmonicas were part of the line, and the U.S. company would promote them. The U.S. website still does not show any harmonicas, but the Japan website does, with English language pages.

Suzuki USA

Suzuki Japan

Tombo Musical Instrument Co. Ltd.

Tombo manufactures a wide range of harmonicas, many unique to Tombo. In addition to 10-hole diatonics, tremolos and slide chromatics, Tombo makes a series of slideless chromatic instruments in several ranges, including the Contrabass, the Hornpipe series, the Unical and S-50 chromatics. While available in Asia and Europe, Tombo products have no distribution in North America, aside from the Lee Oskar diatonic, which they manufacture for Lee Oskar Enterprises.

Weltmeister

Weltmeister is one of the old eastern German harmonica and accordion manufacturers, now expanding their presence worldwide.

WeltMeister Germany

WeltMeister International, US Subsidiary