The Hohner Crossover is one of my highest rated harmonicas at 4.6/5 stars.
In the Tone category I dock it one star for being a bit bright, and in the looks category I dock it one star for lacking good readable key labels, but other than that, this harmonica is tough to beat.
The only thing that stops me from buying more Crossovers is the price tag of $85!
I recently got my hands on a couple harmonicas from Yonberg - The Typhoon and the Black Storm.
I think these now are the most expensive diatonic harmonicas I’ve played, going for around $120. (You can pay $170 to get the Typhoon as titanium.)
What I Love
Super-responsive. Every bit as responsive as the Crossover, or more
Also super bendable. On par with the Crossover
Looks - these things look so bad ass!
Easy to take apart
What I Don’t Love
I’m not sold on the tone. Check out this vid, and leave a comment on which one you think sounds better between the Yonberg and the Crossover.
Tongue-Blocking. I can’t figure out a rational explanation for this, but for some reason I have a harder time tongue blocking on the Yonberg than I do on the Crossover.
The Price - depending on the model, the cost is 50%-100% higher than a Crossover! Now maybe the titanium build makes them last forever. I don’t know, but it’s a tough sell.
In conclusion, there is absolutely nothing wrong with these harmonicas. If money is no object and you wanna pick up a harmonica for people to ooh and aah over, look no further. Just head over to Rockin Rons and grab one!
But if I was looking to buy some expensive harmonicas, personally I’d probably just stick with the Hohner Crossover.