SeydelHarmonica (Blues SESSION Standard C)

My other harmonica is a Golden Melody and I prefer the Seydel. The shape is more ergonomic, with a soft groove for the index finger. The sound is a bit darker and less shrill. The holes are wider and more spaced out than Hohner, which I also like. Great quality and craftsmanship. On the picture you can see it side by side with Hohner Golden Melody.

I am new to the world of harmonicas and have been learning to play for only a couple months. I have a couple Hohners, an old Echo and a Bluesband. After alot of research I decided my first serious harp would be a Seydel Blues Session. I am very happy with that decision. This harp is loud, easy to bend and makes even a bad player (me) sound good. It made me see what a waste of time a 5 dollar harp is, beyond just deciding if you were going to get serious about playing. I love how these are hand made still and it just feels like a quality instrument. I still want to try a Suzuki Promaster, but my next purchase is going to be a Seydel 1847 Noble. Okay thats a bit pricey, maybe a 1847 classic....

I don't like the way this model sounds or plasys. The Session Steel model is so much better

This definitely a good harmonica. I've tried so many, and this and two others are my favorites. I quite like the Hohner Special 20. My other favorite is a modified Marine Band harmonica that is not available for purchase.This is the cheaper of the two Seydel Blues Session models. This one has brass reeds. The Seydel Blues Session Steel has an orange plastic comb and steel reeds. Steel reeds supposedly last a lot longer than brass reeds. The Steel model costs $60. I like the tone of this one a bit better than the Blues Steel model. There isn't a huge difference in the tone of the two models, but there is a difference. This one sounds a bit more bluesy and old-timey, I guess. The tone difference is because of this one having brass reeds, and the other having steel reeds.The type of metal affects the tone.The tone of Seydel Blues Session models are unique. They have the fullest sound of any harmonica I've played. Sort of like comparing the sound of an electric guitar equipped with humbucking pickups to a guitar with single coil pickups (single coil pickups, most commonly found on Fender guitars, have a noticeably thinner sound than humbucking pickups).The tone of these Seydel Blues models reminds me a bit more of an accordian-type sound than other harmonicas. For that reason, I think they are especially good for folk and Celtic music. These will work for blues too.There are several models which are very similar to this one in appearance. These are the Special 20, Bushman Delta Frost (the same model of harp is also sold by Suzuki and labeled "Harpmaster," and sold by Buckeye Music, and labeled "Soul's Voice"), and the Lee Oskar Major Diatonic harmonica. All of these have the usual shiny cover plates and black plastic comb. But, there are some differences.The Seydel is a lot thicker and a bit longer than the other harmonicas. Also, it has cover plates that are almost as long as the comb. This harmonica, because of its size, feels strange to hold and play, especially at first, and especially if one has been playing Hohners or other models for some time.Yes, the Blues Session Standard is definitely the most uncomfortable for me to hold, even though I have fairly large hands and very long fingers. Being uncomfortable to hold is this harmonica's biggest weakness.Like the Special 20 and Lee Oskar, the Blues Session Standard has brass reeds. The Bushman and related harps have phosphor bronze reeds, which supposedly last longer than brass.The other harps I am mentioning in this review will fit into a harmonica rack, as far as I know. They are fairly comparable in size compared to the Blues Session Standard. This harp will, from what I've read, not fit in a harmonica rack. I won't be able to play this and a guitar at the same time, which is too bad, since I think this harp is especially suited to folk music. Maybe Seydel will get a clue and make their own racks for their harps.Blues Session Standard (which I will sometimes refer to as "BSS") vs. Special 20: Special 20 is a lot more comfortable to hold and play. The tone of these two is definitely similar. The SP20 has a fairly full sound, but a bit less full than the Seydel. I like the tone of the Seydel a little better, usually. I've found the Seydel to be a little more airtight than the Special 20. But really it is a very tough call deciding which one of these I like better. I might actually go with the Special 20.BSS vs. Lee Oskar: I know there are many many Lee Oskar enthusiasts out there, but I am not one of them. I found the Lee Oskar's deeply engraved top cover plate to be uncomfortable, and the harp to be too narrow. Also, I did not like the tone of the Lee Oskar. Even though the Seydel feels kinda bulky, I like the feel and tone of the Seydel a lot more than the Lee Oskar. The Lee Oskar I owned for a short time was almost as airtight as the Seydel.BSS vs. Delta Frost: The DF is the least alright of the models I am comparing. It has cover plates that are somewhat similar to the Hohner Marine Band, but has a plastic comb like the Special 20. I find this to be an odd combination. Also, the DF has a comb that sticks out noticeably further in the back than the cover plates. I don't like this.The DF tone is not great. It is thin, and a bit too shrill. The DF does not project well. Slightly better tone than the Lee Oskar, but not as good as the Seydel or SP20.A good plastic case is included with Special 20 and Lee Oskar Harps. The Seydel Blues models do not come with a case, but instead, a very thin leather pouch, which I do not like. The pouch is smooth outside, but inside is a rougher suede. It is hard at first to put in and remove the harp from the pouch. Also, the pouch isn't vented like plastic cases, which at least have small vents.The Bushman Delta Frost does not come with a case or a pouch, which is a bummer.For the Delta Frost and the Seydel, I bought a Hohner zipper case. It is not vented, but is made partially of neoprene, which is supposed to be moisture-absorbent. I usually let my harps air dry a bit after tapping them out, and before I put them in the case. The bad part about the Hohner zipper case is it has a chemical smell which gets on the harps. And the zipper can be a bit of a bother at times. Other than that, I like the case. Currently, you can buy the Hohner zippered harmonica case here on Amazon for under $6 and free shipping. Every model of harmonica I own fits in these cases.In summation, I think this harmonica is worthy of 4 stars because it has great tone and is airtight. I'm deducting one star because it is uncomfortable to hold, does not fit in a rack, and does not come with a good case.Is this harmonica better than a Special 20? I'd say, for the most part, no. The BSS is a little more airtight, but the tone of the two harmonicas is close, and the SP20 is more comfortable to hold and play. Also, as I mentioned, the SP20 will fit in a harmonica rack, and the BSS won't.Also, you get a good case with the SP20, and with the BSS, you get a the leather pouch, which you might not be happy with. Luckily, you can buy a Hohner case cheap, and not have to go to Seydel's website and pay $20 including shipping for one of their zipper cases.Buy this harmoinca or a Special 20.. either way, you'll have a rather good harp.

This is a great good quality beginner harp. It is fairly airtight has a decent tone and doesn't get caught in your mustache. I really like the design. It's not a big issue but it was a little smaller than I thought it would be but the leather pouch makes it low profile and easy to carry in your front pocket.

Very good SEYDEL Blues Session Standard Harmonica C ... cheap brand $34 brass reed & ~German Silver~ reedplates 8.5 and expensive brand $65 SEYDEL Blues Session Steel reed & ~German Silver~ reedplates 9.5 and player 5 times life... compare brass reed. Both play smooth lip harp very good sound~*~*~* Sleek ergonomic chrome cover set and genuine leather case.100% German made ;{D~*

This item is sold as a Standard C. To me that means a Richter tuned harmonica not a "Paddy C" that I was shipped. Before I realized that it was not a standard tuned harp, I had already put it in my mouth and I just couldn't return it. But beware, the supplier I bought from, Instrumentpro, will dump their hard to move tunings so look at it carefully before you use it.But the product isn't bad, it has a nice sound, however, it is quite a bit thicker than most harmonicas I have played which takes some getting used to. The main difference between this harmonica and ones I prefer is that it takes more air (breath) to play. This may be what makes it harder for me to bend the low holes, esp. 3. It may be because the holes are a little bigger than most other harmonicas. So basically for me the Seydel Blues Session is not air tight enough and is harder to bend the low holes. (Comparison harmonicas were the Suzuki Bluesmaster, Hohner Special 20 and the Lee Oskar major diatonic).

Great harmonica for quick fun! I only play the harmonica for fun here and there so by no means am I a professional but I have to say this little guy is a blast to play and it looks good too. I think seydel does a great job with the quality of their harmonica's.