Johnson BK-520-C Blues King Harmonica, C

My seven year old has recently discovered the joy of music. He has been carrying around a little plastic harmonica that works less than it doesn't work. When I saw this, I thought this would be a perfect item for his stocking. This came in and I was VERY pleasantly surprised. For the price, I expected just a cheap metal harmonica. What I got was SO DIFFERENT! This comes in a nice case, the harmonica itself is VERY heavy and sturdy. It plays beautifully, and all notes are in tune. In addition, the harmonica comes with a cleaning cloth. I was VERY happy with this purchase and cannot wait to see my son playing it on Christmas morning!My review process is as follows:5 stars: An excellent product and I would purchase again and recommend it to my friends and family4 stars: Product is very good and exceeds most expectations. I would likely purchase again.3 stars: Product is sufficient for its purposes, but you do get what you pay for2 stars: Product was NOT sufficient for its purposes and likely is overpriced for its stated purpose1 star: Product is NOT as described. Product does not work. Product is a COMPLETE waste of money as item cannot be used in any fashion.

I bought this harmonica because I needed another inexpensive harmonica -- my leaky Pocket Pal had finally gone squeaky and way out of tune. The price was right ($4.00, but I've seen them as low as $2.50 -- as much as a cheap plastic one), so I decided to give one a try. Maybe I just got lucky, but to say that I was pleased would be an understatement.Like many other inexpensive harmonicas, this one is made in China, but the construction and sound are far above the other inexpensive harmonicas I've used. The reeds and reed plates are brass, the comb is plastic, and the covers look to be nickel-plated steel. The reeds are recessed into the comb, and held down with nine screws, making the whole thing pretty airtight, with little leak. The reeds are all very responsive (even to a slight puff of air), with no squeaks or other funky sounds.The tone is very good. Probably not absolutely perfect, but still very good (people won't cringe when you play it). I was able to bend notes out of the box, and it got easier as the harmonica was broken in.The case is a reasonably soft plastic clamshell that fits the harmonica much more tightly than the inexpensive Hohner cases, meaning that your harmonica doesn't loudly rattle around in it, and the case doesn't leave marks on the harmonica. I'm not sure how long the stressed plastic hinge will last, but so far, so good.As an added bonus, the harmonica comes with a cleaning cloth.All things considered, this is an outstanding harmonica for the price. A tight, responsive, instrument with a case and cleaning cloth, all for less than other manufacturers charge for their introductory harps. At that price, you can assemble a complete set of the various keys for very little money. If you need an inexpensive harmonica, the Johnson Blues King is well worth a look.

Learned a few scales on this before I upgraded. The sound was great considering the price and even a child could use this. The material was not a+ quality but overall I thought it was great value.

Harmonica itself is made of shiny, engraved metal and a dark-purple plastic; the colors of true royalty, if I've ever seen them! You can tell it is the harmonica of a true harmonican, because it comes with a sturdy blue case and a cleaning clothe softer than the peachfuzz on a 13-year-old-boy's chin.The harmonica has a good feel to it, slightly thicker than the dime-store harmonicas and, if you ask me, thicker is probably better (at least it is when it comes to things like bacon and chocolate coatings). It plays nicely (though this is my first harmonica, so what do I know?)

Cant go wrong for the money spent. It plays well with reasonable volume. good for a throw down harp to carry around or to give to friends who are interested in playing. Does not play as well as a high dollar harp, so what, it isn't. Very adequate however.

As part of my ongoing goal of driving my sister insane, I got one of these for my nephew to honk on constantly. He's a precocious 3 year-old, and he loves music, repetition, and bothering his mom. For these purposes, the Johnson Blues King harmonica was just fine. I got one for me, too, because the price was so reasonable. I'm no kind of harmonica expert, but I can play a little, and I'll say that for the price, I was quite pleased with the performance of this harp. It's not as responsive or nice-sounding as my special 20 or lee oskar, but it can bend just fine and has a very harmonica-ish sound to it.

I got this for my son's 5th birthday and it has been a prized possession ever since (1 year later). The sturdy plastic case is perfect for carrying it in backpacks when we go out and he loves performing for anyone willing to listen. It plays well for the average non-musician but I can't say how it holds up to a true professional model. For the price, it's amazing and the sound quality is very nice. For something so small and seemingly fragile, I'm amazed that it's still in one piece, let alone the same condition as when we bought it.

I can't think of anything that could make these shoes better. They are comfortable, attractive, and versatile. We took ours to the islands and wore them in the ocean and hiking on boulders. They have a sole like a tennis shoe and good support but are very light weight and perfect for the water. And the seller means it when they say returns are free; we had to return some that were the wrong size and it was no problem at all. You do want to go a little smaller with them. I usually wear a 9-9.5 and I ended up with an 8. My husband always wears a 12 and found that 12 was too big but 11 was perfect.