What Model and Brand Harmonica Lasts the Longest?

If you find this guide helpful (hey, or even just mildly interesting) how about helping old eezy out by clicking on the button below that says so! (Please?)OK, I've been in the harmonica business for a while now and I've heard just about everything about every brand! I've had folks tell me Hohner Special 20s last a long time and also I've had others tell me they wear out quickly so they want a different model. I've heard the same thing about Lee Oskars, Suzukis and Seydels, too! So is there really a particular brand or model that lasts longer?Let's establish a couple of things. First of all, harmonica reeds are thin pieces of metal that repeatedly bend back and forth at high rates of speed. Ever bend a hanger back and forth until it wears out? All harmonica reeds eventually wear out regardless of brand or reed material --period. Second, a lot depends on the player. I've been told, on good authority, that Charlie Musselwhite rarely blows out a harp. Other players, like Jimi Lee, wear them out frequently. So playing style makes a difference. I know of one particular guy who always uses the same key harp, because he plays with a guitarist always playing blues using an open G tuning, and this fellow also seems to play the same licks over and over again, at full throttle. No wonder he goes through harps like Joey Chestnut goes through hot dogs! So how a player plays will have a lot to do with reed life. Third, playing after drinking tea or beer, playing while smoking, or not tapping a harp out after playing can all contribute to reed failure. Sometimes the problem isn't even reed failure, but food, mustache hair, or other gunk blocking a reed from vibrating. You're going to find this hard to believe, but I once read a review of a certain model chromatic harmonica on Amazon that geplained it didn't last as long as another brand did when he played while chewing tobacco! It takes all kinds....All that being said, I believe Seydel's stainless steel reeds and Suzuki's phosphor bronze reeds are probably the longest lasting. Seydel reports their stainless steel reeds lasting up to four times longer. A steel spring will last longer than a brass one, so that makes sense. They are also very quick and responsive. Phosphor bronze guitar strings seem to last longer than regular springs, so it also makes sense that the same would be true for harmonica reeds.A final thing to consider: Buy a quality harp that has replaceable reedplates! Most Suzuki harps, all Seydel harps, some Hohner models (MS Series) and all Lee Oskars have readily obtainable replacement reedplates. If you are a player who blows out harps frequently, take this into consideration, as replacing reedplates is much cheaper than replacing a whole harp. The Seydel Session has brass reeds, but you can also purchase new reedplates for it in stainless steel, since they make a Session Steel now, so this is a nice feature.So you can change your model, change your habits, and change your playing style. All these factors can help alleviate the cost of constantly buying new harps. As a dealer I always love to sell harps, but as a harp player, and a friend of many players, I hate to see people waste their money!Again, please click the button below if this was at all helpful! Thanks in advance!