I have a question regarding the Suzuki Manji. I really want to try one out and I’ve heard it’s one of the best, if not, THE best OOTB harmonica out there today. The question I have is regarding its comb. I don’t buy the whole “wooden combs have a better tone than plastic combs” BS that blues traditionalists try to put on me. Wooden combs don’t have a very distinctive sound except if you play with a very bad embouchre (I play mostly lip pursed so I don’t play 100% tongue blocked) and they don’t sound different from all of the different combs that I’ve played. The reason why I don’t like wooden combs is because of my sensory issues. I don’t like the feeling of wood on my tongue when I do octaves or slaps. They’re also a pain in the butt to play because they swell up. I know the Manji has wooden fibers in its composite comb, so how does the comb feel when doing minimal tongue blocking (octaves and slaps primarily)?
I had a Manji -
I really liked the tone, but the harp has some major drawbacks.
1.) The holes are much smaller than many other harps - not that it is unplayable, but tongue blocking is harder.
2.) Screws in the cover plates corrode over time., and leak white corrosion everywhere. The Manji is not a durable harp, and does not last. The company would not honor their warranty on mine.
I moved to Seydel Session Steels and haven’t had an issue. They are well made, durable, and sound great.
The Manji comb is a composite, and I liked it. Honestly I am not convinced that it made much difference with the sound though.
I mainly play the Hohner Golden Melody and I’m a country player more than a blues player, so I’m kinda used to smaller holes. I have three Bluesmasters (also by Suzuki) and they’re great, it’s just that the timbre on the higher keys sound too light for my liking.
Hey @KeroroRinChou I’m guessing you will like the feel of the composite comb better than wood. To me it feels more like plastic than wood. I think very comfortable. Not the best ootb harp imo though. I always find the -2 and and -3 to be less responsive than other harps. But it’s been several years since I bought one. Maybe they’ve improved.