Here's a post from Steve Shaw that I didn't want to see lost in a 2000-message marathon thread.

Thread #166789   Message #4022417
Posted By: Steve Shaw
06-Dec-19 - 04:52 AM
Thread Name: The current state of folk music in UK
Subject: RE: The current state of folk music in UK

Belatedly, Al, but since you asked...

I haven't bought any new harmonicas for a good few years so be prepared for potentially outdated advice. First, never buy cheap harmonicas. The tuning and reed setup will almost certainly be wrong. Reeds are likely to blow out quickly (they go flat). A harmonica killer. Reed response will be uneven. On the other hand you can push the boat out and get harps customised, but a set of those will cost a ton of dosh. The happy medium is to buy decent-quality middle-of the-road harps (maybe up to and around £30) and if necessary make minor tweaks to suit your playing. Speaking of 10-hole blues harps, the only Hohner ones I ended up using were Special 20s, nice tone but not quite bomb-proof. Lee Oskars are good and loud and very resilient and you can buy replacement reed plates. For easy playability and even response my favourites are Suzuki Bluesmasters and Suzuki Promasters. Despite the price difference (Promasters are more expensive) they have the same reedplates, which have phosphor-bronze reeds (last longer than brass) which are spot-welded instead of riveted. The Promasters have metal combs, which I like. All the others I've mentioned have plastic combs, which are fine. I have never got on with Seydel harps. Others' mileage may vary.

If you prefer tremolo harps instead (I use both), you'll be very happy if you stick to Tombo Bands. Hohner trems are cans of worms. Suzukis have a good name but I've never had one. There are loads of cheap, useless trems around. A golden rule is to never buy harmonicas on eBay, and avoid used ones like the plague unless it's your uncle giving them to you for nothing.

As for tweaking, I mess about with fine tunings meself but that's a low priority. Oskars and Suzukis come in equal temperament, Special 20s something in between Just and ET. The one tweak I find occasionally necessary is to increase gaps a touch to avoid choking on hard playing. Low gaps are ideal for overblowing, but I don't do that. All you need to do the gapping is a screwdriver to get at everything and something like a thin feeler gauge to lift the reed tip. And a steady, gentle, confident hand. Gapping is the one thing that all harmonica players should teach themselves to do. Many years ago a great guy called Rod McDonald come to our folk club. He told me that he was peed off with his Lee Oskar because a note wouldn't sound when he hit it hard. He was about to ditch the whole harp. I could have fixed it in sixty seconds for him but he didn't trust me!