By: Kyle Vallone
Buying a harmonica has evolved over the years since I first started playing in 1979. Back then you could buy a harmonica at a retail store or a music shop. That was pretty much it. If you purchased a harmonica from a tabletop display at a local hardware store, the clerk pulled the harmonica out from the display and handed you the harmonica that you chose. The clerk probably never really knew anything about the instrument and that was about the end of it. And you usually paid full listed retail price. The other alternative was to head down to your local music store. There you could usually find someone at a minimum that was familiar with the instrument even if they did not play it.
Once you had decided on the harmonica that you were interested in purchasing the clerk would pull out a device made by Hohner called a harmonica tester. The harmonica tester would blow air over the reeds so that you could hear the reed vibrate and make a sound.
Hohner Harmonica Tester
You put each hole of the harmonica over the open slot and then you squeezed the harmonica tester and let air flow in both directions over the blow and draw reeds. If the reeds made a nice clean sound, the harmonica was good. If a reed stuck while performing this operation, then the harmonica was not good. Federal law prohibits allowing you to put the harmonica in your mouth to test it.
The advent of the Internet has created a new dimension in harmonica retailing. Unless it is an emergency, I rarely purchase a harmonica in a store. The convenience of shopping on the Internet is too attractive. Just go to Google and search on “harmonica” and hundreds of retailers come up. Some are bricks-and-mortar stores; others are tiny specialized retailers who only focus on the harmonica. I play Lee Oskar harmonicas because of the combination of quality and price. When I need to purchase a new Oskar I just go to http://www.harmonica.com/store/harmonica-lee-oskar-major-diatonic.php and search on the harmonica in the key I want. Then I have a boat-load of harmonicas at varying prices to choose from vendors all over the country. If you know what you are looking for, this is a very convenient way to purchase a harmonica.
While the Internet, with its level playing field and competitive pricing, is changing the world, you should also get to know your local music retailer. Even if they cannot sell you a harmonica at the price you want, you may want to get to know them as a resource for microphones, microphone stands, cords, amps etc. For bigger ticket items, it is nice to try a piece of equipment out before you buy. The Internet is changing everything but there has never been a time when people who want to purchase a harmonica had more options in terms of price and quality of harmonicas available to them as we have today.
