1950s Hohner 280 C "64 Chromonica" Chromatic Harmonica

Excuse the soundclip -- but, suffice to say, this is a nice old chromatic harp tuned to C. It plays in tune, doesn't take all your air, and has a great warm, woody tone. It's pretty dry-sounding in the clip, though. Compared to the $250+ you'd paid for a new one, vintage Hohner harps in good condition can be a bargain. I did a quick cleaning and inspected the reeds on this fella and it's all good to go. I'm pretty sure the box dates it to the 50s or early 60s at the latest. Like any nice old German Hohner, the build is sturdy, professional, and well-thought-out, too -- and has the old (figured) pearwood comb, too, rather than plastic.

If you're wondering: chromatic harps have a pitch lever that lets you jump a half-step up so you can "fill in" the missing notes and thus play... chromatically.

Pearwood combs turned to plastic on this model in the 70s.

Nice old original case, too!