I am the newbiest of newbies and I have seen very few harmonicas before. Just bought the Hohner Special 20, brand new from amazon, the box came sealed, but there are some areas of the metal that are dented and I am not sure if that is normal. I seems sonehow as if somebody had assembled the harmonica using excesive force somehow and would have bent the metal.
Can anybody tell me if it is normal that in the areas that I’ve marked with red circles, the metal is dented? In the photos, due to the reflection, the dents are not that visible
No, at least in my experience, those dents are not normal. It raises the question: Did the reseller actually not sell you a new Special 20?
Having said that, those little dents will not affect the sound or life of the harp – but you paid for a new harp (I assume), not a used one or a reject from the factory. I would try to file a reclamation with not only the reseller but also with Amazon (unless you paid a really below normal price for that model harp).
Thanks, yes, paid for a brand new harp and that’s what I want, just ordered it to be returned, with a replacement being sent to me immediately. Hopefully I’ll be luckier this time
I hope so too, @tatelev – although the harp probably would play just, who knows what all actually happened to it? When you purchase an item that is supposed to be new, then it should be like new (with no blemishes)! Something like what you experienced should not happen.
I’m very new also, and received a new sealed Special 20 as a gift just a few weeks back.
So I got mine out and looked… Sure enough I can see minor distortion in the same exact areas on both sides… I’m more familiar with metal than Harmonicas, so here is my opinion. This is normal from the forming possess of stamping the flat piece of stainless into the shape it is. Notice the relationship of the locations to the bends of the cover. Also notice the relief dents in the extreme outside corners.
Thank you very much for the expert opinion, @yetavon !! As I noted, the harp’s sound and playing would not be diminished by these “dents”. I was more concerned that the reseller had perhaps delivered a used harp rather than a new one.
Thank you again for the information you have provided based upon your experience.
I wondered about that also as it didn’t appear to be random spaced dimples from handling / dropping or ??? but always best to double check. Better safe than sorry as the saying goes.
TateLev, let us know if your next one has similar distortions… Someone in an Amazon return store is about to get a deal on a Special 20…LOL. I must say that you looked that harp over pretty close…
the new one arrived and it has the same dimples, which matches with other people’s Special 20’s having them also, so what I thought might have been signs of having been improperly assembled or refurbished, seems to me normal in Special 20’s
Update on my previous comment. I took a file and then some fine grit sandpaper to the sharp edges and it helped a lot! I sure like the way the Special 20 sounds. Seems like Hohner could use some QA help!!
I have a recently acquired Special 20 (Key of G) from Amazon. Mine has virtually identical small indents that are Identical on both ends of both cover plates and look “virtually identical” to the small indents on your harp. In my experience, these are small ‘indents’ where the cover plates were bent into the curvature on the cover plates. These plates were likely bent in a ‘jig’ that is created to form the shape of the plates. BTW, I REALLY like my Special 20!
