SUZUKIHarmonica, Silver with chrome plating (MR-350-D)

My old one that I have had since Highschool ( 1980 ) was recently stolen. I replaced it with this one and am pleasantly surprised it might be even slightly better? Granted my old one went through 8 years of the Army doing Special Operations and all my time as a Commercial Salvage Diver so has been through a lot. It was a tragic loss. Or so I thought. I love my new one as much as my old one and actually like this new case better than the old plastic clamshell one. I don't know that the zipper will survive 40 years use like the clamshell lid did but that's okay. I likely wont live another 40 years.I plan on buying a whole set of these as well as the Valved ones. A little pricey but you get what you pay for. Being able to put this in a dishwasher is very nice. Cant do that with a wooden comb. If you want a fine Harmonica you are looking at the right one to get. They will last you a lifetime too if you take care of it. Worth every penny for sure.

El empaque venía abierto, eso me dio muy mala impresión, cuando hice sonar algunos bendings juzgue mal por la impresión del empaque pero la armónica está bien es de buena calidad y suena muy bien.

This thing rips.One of my absolute favorites.

Until today the Suzuki Manji was my favorite harp. I've been playing a mix including Hohner Special 20, Marine Band, Lee Oscar, and the Manjis. This past Sunday I lost the 5 draw on my Marine Band D. After over 2 years of pretty regular and somewhat aggressive play the reed broke.So I went to order a replacement. I was torn because I really do love the sound of the classic Marine Band but it leaves much to be desired in durability. The things that make it so desirable also make it finicky. The wood can provide a rich and dirty sound but at the same time it is highly influenced by the environment. From week to week the sound is a bit different so on my Marine bands I take time to play them a fair bit to "wake up" the wood before playing live. Between the moisture from my breath and experimenting with the sound I can get relatively consistent sound, but it takes experimenting and play. Of course, that is half the fun.On the other hand, the Manjis are just beautiful sounding all the time. They are consistent and with practice I've been able to make them growl quite nicely. It may lose some of the warmth of the wood but the consistency means I can apply practiced skills to get very good results. They are also much tighter than any other harmonica I've owned ... until now.I remember the first time I played a Manji and how much I was impressed by the ease of play. I felt like the lightest breath could produce a rich sound and bending or overblowing was a breeze.The Promaster is to the Manji as the Manji is to every other harp I've played. It takes the experience that I thought was as good as it gets and improves it.For some, weight might be a concern. I personally doubt it will be a problem for me. I'm not a small person but for some the weight might make a difference over a long session. Like anything, though, just keep at it. It's not like it's a 50lb weight. It feels roughly double the weight of the Manji but that isn't a dramatic issue. For me, the weight makes it feel like a dramatic increase in quality.My only "complaint" is the shape of the box it came in. I setup all my harps in a row on a table. I have the boxes lined up from Ab to G and put the harp on top of the box. This lets me very quickly see which harp I'm grabbing. This box is very nice looking and seems plenty sturdy to keep the harp safe, but it is curved so the harp won't site cleanly on top. Additionally the key is on the top of the box, not the side like every other case I've got.I'll figure out a solution for this, but it is a little annoying that I've got to change something that has been working well for years.

Like many harmonica players, I have a collection of harps in various brands and models I've tried over the years, and when I go to open jam sessions, I bring a full set of 12 keys (not all Promasters) because one never knows what will be needed. I love the solid feel of these aluminum combs, and the full cover is absolutely preferable for anyone with a moustache. I also have Suzuki Bluesmasters, which are a bit less expensive, using a plastic comb but with the same reed plates and covers, and the difference in volume and brightness between them is noticeable. Suzuki Promasters are not the most expensive off-the-shelf harps I've tried but they're my favorites. A couple of them are the valved version, which come close to the custom harps I've tried. Either way, these are excellent instruments.

Skill Level: IntermediateKey purchased: GThis is one smooooooth harp! Both in ease of playing & its overall feel & appearance.One of the more weighty diatonics, it just feels good in one's hand... Just enough heft... very solid.Quite airtight. Bends fairly easily.I also own Suzuki Manji harps, and in comparison (tonality being subjective, of course): this is a "cleaner", more "pure", focused-sounding harp. While not equal-tuned, I prefer to play it for music one usually associates w/equal-tuned harps: melodic pop-rock, lead style, even classical pieces.I think of this Promaster as the more formal, luxury, richter-tuned version of the Suzuki Olive (Manji's equal-tuned "sister").The Manji (with its wide open back & side openings) sounds louder, with an "organic" tone, better suited to gritty, blues music (it's intended purpose).Manjis feel "looser" to play -to me- while Promasters have a stiffer feel... not in a negative way, but I think of it as a controlled, "formal" sound/feel.Since so many are familiar with Manjis, thought I'd use the comparison to help with this Promaster review.The Promaster comes in a protective light grey hard shell, molded case with darker grey plush lining. It's curved shape is pleasing aesthetically and makes carrying this harp in one's bag or pocket very easy.Overall, I'm very pleased with this harp... As I am with all Suzuki harmonicas. Can't go wrong with the fine, Japanese precision engineering and attention to detail.Easy accessibility for cleaning & repairs, and replaceable reed-plates are a major plus. Price point for this high-quality instrument is appealing.Thank you for reading,-CC, Amazon Prime Member-Reviewer