@Luke @chris3 @HarpinBobbyMcB @PapaCurly etc.etc. I’ve come to the conclusion from the various responses that looks do matter. It may be real, psychological, a placebo effect or what have you, I’m not qualified to judge but it seems without doubt that visual appearances benefit the players and possibly the reaction of other members of a band even if the audience can’t see any difference. I’ve seen the reactions of other musicians when jamming to my pulling out a chromatic. I’d like help with trying an experiment. Does anyone else notice a change of attitude from other musicians towards the expectations of harp players who have visually more expensive diatonic or chromatic harmonicas in a proper case against those who just keep a few harps in their pocket? Secondly, if so does the expectation spill over to the music? Might be fun for a really good player to see if he/she can ‘sit in’ with other musicians when pulling out a bog standard harp? Jay1
Can’t help you with that, but as a very average beginner i could pull out a really expensive harp if that helps 
I’ve never seen anyone where I hang out play a Chromy, If I did I’d be the first up there talking to the harp player asking him about a thousand very possibly stupid questions. I’m planning to be the first person around here to give it a go. I’ve got my eye on a few of those East top Chromys you mentioned
@Andy2 Andy it’s a total myth that they are any different from any other harmonica. A lot of people get put off by the button, don’t be, all it does is raise the note up a step, nothing else. Play it without using the button as you would a diatonic until you feel comfortable with the size, weight and hole spacing then you can play with the button. There are no such things as stupid questions only stupid answers. One of my favorite stupid questions was Why don’t you ask them about XXXX, I’ve seen it asked lots of times on Judge John Deed I didn’t reply 
If you decide to give it a go or look at different key harmonicas, they’re not necessary but can be helpful, let me know and I’ll try to help as much as I can. Jay1
Thanks Jay, I might try and A or an D to begin with as they are common blues keys and I find it easier to zero in on what I’m doing. But I definitely will ask when I get one, which should be when we get back from York
@Andy2 Standard C Chromatic for key of A start on -3 or -7 and for key of D start on -1 or -5 using the minor Pentatonic scale. Once you get used to the slide you can add the ‘blues notes’ between the 3rd & 4th note of the minor Pentatonic scale for A the blues note is Eb slide in <-5 and for D the blues note is Ab slide in <+3 with < = slide in. To start with ignore the slide until you’re comfortable with the harp size. Some people go for 16 hole 4 octave chromatics but a 10 or 12 hole is enough. My go-to is a 10 hole, when playing with others I’ll use a 12 hole and can’t remember when last used the 16, I’m not that much of a big mouth! 
Message for Mrs. Andy He only needs one C chromatic to start with, honest, trust me I’m a lawyer 
Jay1
my wife will just be happy it’s not more Guitars:roll_eyes: she doesn’t understand why I don’t have just one of those!
I agree having great looking instruments give us more inspiration or at least makes you want to play them more often. And having them setup for easier playing , no matter if it’s a guitar, sax , or harmonica really helps beginners and professionals IMHO
Playing diatonics, for all the stated reasons it doesn’t matter… to the audience. Only another harmonica player might ever notice. That being said, none of my harps have the original combs and a majority have Tom Halchak’s custom covers. It’s an inside joke that only I know – like being in a serious suit & tie business meeting but wearing black on black Mickey Mouse socks. Everyone is being serious and I’m laughing on the inside trying to not fall asleep. Only I am enjoying the joke. So, if you like different looking harps, have them for your own enjoyment!
One exception for me. I was at SPAH one year and a friend called from California and wanted me to get a deal on a Grégoire Maret Suzuki Chromatic. I don’t play well or often enough to warrant a $500 harmonica (my friend’s does). It was a really pretty harmonica – sort of metallic purple covers.
Not near as much as sound.
@scott4 You’re right there, trouble is it’s difficult to tell how a harp will sound until it’s played and we can’t play it until it’s bought. I’m convinced that identical harps sound differently when played by different people so are judgements made regarding the anticipated sound by how a harp looks? I suspect the opinions on YouTube by ‘independent experts’ may have something to do with decision making especially for newbys. Jay1
I agree, there are certain players I like where their technical ability just blows me away but how they sound doesn’t do anything for me. Then there are those who may have less Technical ability but they have great tone and timing and showmanship, I think there’s room for for both, but I’ll always go for the overall package of the latter than the former whilst appreciating both.
Heck yes they matter.
Those acylic combes with the hot lines through them, I love those. Looks so cool.
The polished brass combs? Yes please.
A 100% smooth metal cover with no stampings or markings? THAT is a thing of beauty.
I like Julia Dill’s glamour stones she puts on her harps.
I’ve not dressed up my harps. But I imagine it would be fun.
Hmmm thinking about it I used to build and paint models, I bet I could lend my skills to this
Its so funny you say this. I just bought a new Harmonica and in doing so, saw some of the same advertisements and even some reviews that mentioned the look of the Harmonica and I immediately thought to myself, "Who in the __ck cares about what a Harmonica looks like?!? Its literally basically never seen. However, I must say after reading some of the reply’s its obviously a thing, so what do I know…. Plus, I agree with one reply I read, I’m not really a fan of the bright colored Harmonicas. I stick to the Silver, Black, Wood and even the dull brushed metals are nice, but none of those wood even matter to me over feel and sound for me personally. Great topic though…
Thanks for all the comments and opinions, I’ve come to the conclusion that the final decision is 
=Well, maybe looks matter or alternatively maybe they don’t. Perhaps that is the decisive conclusion you should expect from a lawyer
@Jay I can neither confirm nor deny that.
For me looks is all about my own personal inspiration. I agree with others - nobody else notices. The MIC they might notice! NOT the harp
@Hogie.Harmonica - I agree about the unstamped cover plates 
! Do you know anywhere to get them tho?
Joe Spiers made some with them and I asked him about them and he said that was just a run he ordered from Hohner one time that were mistakes and didn’t have the engraving!
@Luke I have actually made some of my own by grinding out Big River coverplates and then sanding them until smooth, then polishing.
I have also retrofit smooth coverplates to other harmonicas. Another approach: buy a double set of coverplates, and use bottom coverplates for both sides of the harp. I did this for my classic Golden Melody harps. But since they discontinued I’m moving away from using them, and just making smooth coverplates a requirement for any harp I buy.