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My Hohner Rocket Review

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HarpNinja 3772 posts Feb 18, 2014 6:22 PM	I compared the Rocket to other stock and custom Hohners, hastily. Conclusion - great tone, loud, responsive, but not gapped as tight as the Crossover or 1896. While equally as responsive (but louder and with a unique tone - and increased comfort), it didn't overbend OOTB well at all. I was hoping for gapping like the Crossover. Overall, I am VERY impressed...enough that I already gapped the C quickly and now have a smokin harp that even overbends. IMHO, the harp comes exactly as marketed. Vid 2: ---------- Mike My Website My Harmonica Effects Blog Last Edited by HarpNinja on Feb 18, 2014 6:23 PM
Rick Davis 2980 posts Feb 18, 2014 6:36 PM	Mike, excellent. Thanks. ---------- -Little Rick Davis The Memphis Mini harp amp The Blues Harp Amps Blog The Mile High Blues Society
HarpNinja 3773 posts Feb 18, 2014 7:04 PM	You only like it because I said your name. Seriously, though, they are pretty sweet if you are looking for loud and proud! ---------- Mike My Website My Harmonica Effects Blog
BigBlindRay 212 posts Feb 19, 2014 4:04 AM	Hi Mike Really liked your review mate but in all honesty, I could make no discernible difference tonally and volume wise between the Rocket or the Special 20. Though the OB testing gave some indication of how it is gapped. You have got me interested to try one simply to see how they feel/respond when playing them. I would be curious to see how it stacks up against competitors of its class, namely the Seydel Session steel/1847 and the Manji/Olive. Have you had an opportunity to A/B test the Rocket against its competition? What are your thoughts? ---------- Big Blind Ray Trio Website Big Blind Ray Trio Facebook Page Big Blind Ray Trio on Bandcamp
HarpNinja 3776 posts Feb 19, 2014 5:23 AM	Ray, The best comparison would be a Seydel 1847 in both tone, feel, and playability. The web cam mic and YT compression make comparisons tricky. I've played the A and G quite a bit now comparing it to both stock and custom harps. The gapping is wide, IMO, but the tonality is definitely louder and brighter than other Hohner's and similar to a custom. I don't have Suzuki's to A/B against. A couple of things I've noticed not covered much in the video - the gapping is wide enough that the 1 draw rattles on the G and sometimes the A. VERY easy to fix, but odd. The comb tines are narrow, which is like the wider comb on the 1847. Generally, I like this, BUT for octaves if feels sharper than a stock Sp20. The wide open sound of the Rocket is unique to other Hohners, and the MB rasp is not there. In contrast, the SP20's I play, which are all tweaked, sound more like a MB. As it stands, I like the OOTB Sp20's I've been getting more, BUT after gapping, the Rocket is pretty sweet. ---------- Mike My Website My Harmonica Effects Blog
robbert 284 posts Feb 19, 2014 3:21 PM	Thanks for the review, Mike. Seems like the Rocket is a pretty damn good instrument!
Martin 613 posts Feb 19, 2014 4:05 PM	Thanks for the info. Maybe it´s a tad vulgar, but the price? (Rest assured that for some of us that´s a key factor.) How many S20´s can I get for one Rocket? Also, for the future, would be really interesting to know how they hold up. I don´t know if you´re, like me, hard on your harps but longevity counts a whole lot from my standpoint -- I´m aware that that´s a non-issue for several players and I bow to them, but it ain´t me, babe. (Sadly: I´ve just today retired half a dozen harmonicas.)
HarpNinja 3782 posts Feb 19, 2014 7:17 PM	Less than two. SP20 - $40 Rocket - $69 ---------- Mike My Website My Harmonica Effects Blog Rock Lessons Last Edited by HarpNinja on Feb 19, 2014 7:18 PM
HarpNinja 3783 posts Feb 19, 2014 7:19 PM	$20 cheaper than an 1847, and $6 more than a Manji (way better than the Manji, too). ---------- Mike My Website My Harmonica Effects Blog Rock Lessons
Martin 614 posts Feb 20, 2014 5:17 AM	Thanks Mike. It´s almost fabulous how Hohner manages to avoid to disseminate this information. Crucial, for some. I don´t know, but maybe they´re striving for some Worst Home-page award: I was really given the run-around there.
HarpNinja 3784 posts Feb 20, 2014 5:44 AM	I am very impressed with the high end response. I did work on my C some and it is solid now. It is much punchier and brighter than other models. ---------- Mike My Website My Harmonica Effects Blog Rock Lessons
FreeWilly 408 posts Feb 20, 2014 6:27 AM	Okay, this is me in grumpy mode. I'm having a bad day. But seriously (And Mike, this is not about/against you, although I wonder if you're an endorsee with Hohner and if so, think you should disclose that in a vid or post like this perhaps, because making a review of this harp is pretty much unnecessary if you're not wanting to sell anything, so it would explain why you do it. An experienced player shouldn't take this model as seriously as you seem to do here: I'll explain in a minute after my killer opening-line is finished), this is all a bunch of steaming horse-dung, targeting new players wallets. Hohner Golden Melody, Special 20, Crossover, Deluxe, Marine Band ALL SHARE THE SAME REEDS. So when we're talking about a model, we are actually talking about 2 things: comb and coverplates. As soon as you're out of the newby fase, these things (like gapping, btw), become exchangeable to a very high extend. So if I buy a GM and order a custom comb, or a Crossover which already has a nice comb, you're looking at the same amount of money. Decision is about the coverplates in that case. And maybe the amount of screws. And if you look real careful the easy of tuning (which is high with the GM because you can click them together). Likewise a sp20 with a custom comb or a Rocket is pretty much trivial. Again: decided by coverplates. That is: if the Rocket comb is actually flat... The 2 named factors determine how raspy or loud or bendable it is. High end response on a Rocket is good? Ok. Kudo's. You've gapped it right (or got a good one. Some rivets are put in better than others). It has nothing to do with the Rocket as such. So it's not a sale-argument for or against a Rocket. New players should know this. To all newbies: buy a harp because you like the comb or the coverplates or both. The rocket is another option. No need to try how wonderfully loud it is. Get a sp20 a new comb if you want loud. And vent the sides and backs. Don't be bullshitted into a rocket, unless you don't want to do the work. Trust me on this: blowbends won't be better on a rocket vs a sp20. Or a marine band. Or a Golden melody. So if you don't like vented plates, there's really no need to try this harp. Don't go: I don't like vented harps, but perhaps if it bends better.... It won't! I'm sure there's a niche for the Rocket. That niche is very similar to the Manji-niche. Manji is bigger than a marine band and has vented sides... Might explain why Hohner made this model. Fine. Competition serves the community. Lots of people will be happy buyers, and the product might be a bit expensive, but it's a whole new harp, so that might be reasonable to some. Talking about loudness or the playability of this harp to me seems to be a screwed sales-pitch. edited to add: of course one could see this review as saying, very friendly: the harp seems to be well made and airtight: I like it. Fine. Nothing wrong with saying that. I'm just being polemic. As I said: I have a bad day. rant over... Last Edited by FreeWilly on Feb 20, 2014 6:31 AM
HarpNinja 3785 posts Feb 20, 2014 6:43 AM	The annotation to start the vid states I am an endorser and customizer. I don't recall claiming the reeds were different. Displacing anger is a bad habit. ---------- Mike My Website My Harmonica Effects Blog Rock Lessons
FreeWilly 409 posts Feb 20, 2014 6:55 AM	I looked again: there are 2 annotations overlayed in the beginning. I can make out the word endors.. somewhere there. So you did disclose it, but not readable. That of course changes the setting of my earlier remarks. I don't recall claiming that you claimed the reeds are different. I recall claiming that you claimed that the Rocket blowbends pretty well, and had something to say about that which was not really pointed at you (as I pointed out), but at a possible interpretation of what things said in that vain might mean. Displacing anger (if done with the right amount of well-mannered-ness) can help bring certain slight irritations to the fore that might otherwise not be mentioned. So it's not black and white I guess.
HarpNinja 3786 posts Feb 20, 2014 8:15 AM	The comb is not a Special 20 comb. It is recessed ABS, but the design is different. The corners are rounded, and the chambers are an entirely different width. The covers are also unique in design. They aren't not opened SP20 covers or open MB covers. There are side vents and the ridge in the back is crimped differently than a MB. Both these pieces not only alter tone and volume, but they are also much more comfortable than the other Hohner harps. The only issue I have is the tines are narrow enough to feel sharper on the tongue when playing octaves. All Hohner handmade reeds are the same. The profiles are identical. The reedplates vary. The Rocket has different screws - the smaller ones like the Crossover. It also has two more screws. In the four I have tried and compared to MB's and SP20's, this makes a noted difference in tone, volume, and response - as the stock gaps were very wide, but on all keys, the harp played well with a really great high end. Reeds and how they are set is absolutely crucial, however, the harp has a synergy that is the sum of all its parts. I can clearly feel and hear that when playing different models. To discredit the importance of the comb, covers, and seal would be unwise. Regarding an ABS recessed comb being flat - no way. The harp does not feel or sound like a Special 20 or Crossover. You cannot replicate the impact of the comb easily as there aren't recessed combs similar to that. The covers are more debatable, however, but to pay a customizer to polish a SP20 comb and open the covers, and then drill vents would run more than $69. You still wouldn't have the new comb design, though. ---------- Mike My Website My Harmonica Effects Blog Rock Lessons Last Edited by HarpNinja on Feb 20, 2014 8:16 AM
Slimharp 205 posts Feb 20, 2014 8:25 AM	Interesting, I didnt pick up a sales pitch on Mike's vid. I did see a lot of comparisons made and detailed discriptions of what the Rocket was and how it was similar and different from the other harps.
HarpNinja 3787 posts Feb 20, 2014 8:40 AM	The harp is super comfortable. Stocking gapping was too wide on all of them, and I am usually not someone to whine about that. ---------- Mike My Website My Harmonica Effects Blog Rock Lessons
1847 1510 posts Feb 20, 2014 9:12 AM	Interesting, I didnt pick up a sales pitch on Mike's vid. those are the best pitches,lol lots of people here are selling things i am ok with that. i would absolutely love to buy a joe spiers harmonica but i am too cheap. all hohner harps are similar...it is called marketing and they are good at it. the original meisterclass is just a marine band with a fancy comb. the rocket looks like a nice harmonica. when the reeds go bad, couldnt you just buy a special 20 and transfer the plates? what i like about my seydel when a reed goes bad i just put in a new plate pretty simple. i have been trying to get seydel to make a harmonica the same size as a marine band but with steel reeds. maybe after all the new models that hohner is producing seydel will get with it and do a little marketing of their own. ---------- ---------- i get a lot of request when i play my harmonica "but i play it anyway" Last Edited by 1847 on Feb 20, 2014 9:15 AM
robbert 285 posts Feb 20, 2014 2:35 PM	Although I disassemble my ootb harps, reduce gaps usually, and perform some embossing, tune them when necessary, replace fractured reeds, and experiment with reed shaping(very cautiously), open backs, I have not yet reached the point where I am satisfied with any given harp that I have worked on. I'm still pretty new to working on harps, but I am usually attempting to make overbends accessible, but without having the harp choke when the music gets a little vigorous. I actually don't use overbends often, but part of the process of using those notes is knowing they are useful, accessible, and that I can produce them on the harp I'm playing with the technique I have so far developed. My customizing skills are far from complete...so even though at home, the harp in question will chord, accept medium attack, and overbend...during performance, when everything is louder, and faster, the instrument, and my technique fall a little short of what I want. Generally though, even though I don't have quite what I want in the harp(or my playing technique)when I work on my harps, I get something much more responsive in every way...I'm just not where I want to be...yet. However, it's very satisfying, as a player, to know you can work on your instruments, and refine the response you can get from them, as you refine your technique. A lot depends on what style of music you are playing, and want to play. I've been seriously playing for close to fifteen years, and only got into harp customizing in the last few years. If I could, I would purchase all custom harps from professionals, as those instruments are usually fantastic to play. There is nothing better than having a truly great instrument to play.
robbert 286 posts Feb 20, 2014 2:36 PM	...and I posted this to the wrong thread!
HarpNinja 3791 posts Feb 24, 2014 6:56 AM	Well, we ha a two day blizzard followed by the weekend, so I had some time to noodle. The more I A/B the rocket with other harps, the more I notice how different it is. I flat sanded, embossed and gapped the C...nothing crazy, and while it plays great, it still plays differently than a MB or SP20. It is just a more focused and clean sound - very powerful. Overbends work just fine. I gapped the A. Just gapping and nothing else...it really plays great. I think marketing it for loud and maybe hard played rock stuff is perfect for the harp. It works great for my style of playing, anyways. I need to get a couple short slot ones to check out. ---------- Mike My Website My Harmonica Effects Blog Rock Harmonica Lessons
HarpNinja 3808 posts Mar 10, 2014 8:24 AM	I had a gig this last weekend after over a week off from playing anything. The first song I had to play was Runaround by Blues Traveler, which is by no means an easy warm up, lol. I used the C Rocket, as well as a G, A, and Bb...the other harps were SP20's. All-in-all, I preferred the SP20's to the Rockets. They just felt better and I could play them cleaner. I found I played sloppy with the increased size of the Rocket. I also found the tone with the SP20's to be more my style. I mentioned in the original vid that the Rocket made the SP20 feel a lot more like a Marine Band, and I think I like that. I also have found that a MB with nails is the best harp ever, lol. ---------- Mike My Website My Harmonica Effects Blog Rock Harmonica Lessons
groyster1 2563 posts Mar 10, 2014 8:53 AM	I have many vintage marine bands with nails....the best are the pre wars....
HarpNinja 3809 posts Mar 10, 2014 9:01 AM	I prefer the new stock. I like the pre wars too, but they are obviously a rare commodity. While they set up great for overbends, I prefer the timbre and tone of the new ones. Probably sacralige, lol. ---------- Mike My Website My Harmonica Effects Blog Rock Harmonica Lessons
arzajac 1301 posts Mar 10, 2014 10:42 AM	"Probably sacralige, lol." I serviced four pre-war Marine Bands for a musician in Nova Scotia. He asked on a whim if I had a Marine Band in B for a song he is recording. I happened to have one in stock and so after a short delay, I sent him back his four vintage harps and a Custom Marine Band in B. He phoned me just a few weeks ago to tell me how happy he was with the harps. The old harps are wonderful but he was ecstatic about the new stock harp. No comparison. ---------- Custom overblow harps. Harmonica service and repair. Last Edited by arzajac on Mar 10, 2014 10:42 AM
1847 1562 posts Mar 10, 2014 11:12 AM	you sent him a custom marine band but he was ecstatic about the new stock harp. ---------- i get a lot of request when i play my harmonica "but i play it anyway"
arzajac 1302 posts Mar 10, 2014 11:58 AM	"you sent him a custom marine band but he was ecstatic about the new stock harp." The new stock harp was the custom harp. I had done a lot of work on the pre-wars, too. But the new harp blew him away. ---------- Custom overblow harps. Harmonica service and repair.
MP 3111 posts Mar 10, 2014 1:30 PM	Thanks for the new info! I was curious about the Rocket comb and I like how it doesn't have that sprue support running between the teeth of the comb ike SP/20s and GMs. I have special hook tools and gage supports to work on those models w/ stock combs. As far as I can tell you cannot make a Rocket out of a Special 20 due to comb differences. ---------- Affordable Reed Replacement Marks Harmonica Tune-up Click user name MP for contact info Last Edited by MP on Mar 10, 2014 1:31 PM
HarpNinja 3813 posts Mar 10, 2014 1:41 PM	Well, the comb chambers are wider as are the slots. I only bought longslot Rockets, but for me, the SP20 feels better in my mouth...I really like the Rockets, but they feel more like a Seydel to me. Not that that is a bad thing. I can tell a huge difference when playing a Rocket vs. Sp20 in overall feel, even if both are gapped the same. I just need to noodle more to really make up my mind. I am just really enamored with the Sp20 and its tone and how they feel when tweaked. ---------- Mike My Website My Harmonica Effects Blog Rock Harmonica Lessons
Sherwin 130 posts Mar 10, 2014 4:19 PM	Mike what joy it is to hear you speak so highly of the old 1896, nails and all. Michael Must take pleasure in the small things, I say
BigBlindRay 215 posts Mar 10, 2014 8:00 PM	I got my hands on some Rockets in C, G and A and here is my 2 cents... Got my hands on some Hohner Rockets today. Here are some of my thoughts in point form 1) Main upgrades I think from the Special 20 are the open, vented cover plates and the rounded comb. The front screws IMO don't impede on comfortability. Overall a very comfortable Harp 2) The selling point of the Rocket appears to be that it is loud. I have A/B tested it against a MB Crossover and a Seydel 1847. It is no more or less loud 3) Tonally it sounds a lot like the Crossover 4) Seems the tuning is a Just/Compromise tuning - Chords are somewhat smoother sounding than the X-Over. On Par with the 1847 Tuning Wise. 5) It responds well to my playing - But no more or less than the SP20 does. It does feel a bit more leaky compared to a Xover or 1847 6) This Harp is NOT set up to Overblow ootb. You will need to gap the reeds if you want that. 7) After spending 5-10 minutes gapping, can get 4,5,6 OB to sustain with hardly any torsional vibration. 7 OD can be played but not well enough to sustain. OD's will require more reed work (As with any ootb harp). Conclusion - After spending a few hours with it - I think it is a good harp. IMO I would put the Rocket in the same league as the Seydel Session Steel. I am critical of the set up of the reeds though. I think Hohner should have went ahead with having the reeds gapped a bit tighter to facilitate OB's at least of 4,5 and 6 like they do with the crossover. Although it is easy enough to DIY. I am curious though to try the Seydel Session steels as they are about $10 cheaper and If I am not mistaken, the reed plates are set up exactly the same as with the 1847's Im not big on vented cover plates. Think Hohner should have just gone ahead with opening the backs but thats just me. At the end of the day - I really think the extra $$ is really going into upgrades on the cover plates and Comb. I think if Hohner wanted to sell it as being LOUD - they should have at least made the reedplates a bit thicker. Spent a while last night working on the reed plates. I did some gapping, embossing, tip scooping and made some adjustments to the zero point. Still not completely done but comparing the work I have done so far on the Rocket I set up in G compared to a stock 1847 in G. The 1847 hands down is still more airtight and responsive to the nuances of my playing style and 4,5,6 OB and 7OD on the 1847 is still (for me) more pleasurable to play - there is a richer tone and better pitch sustain with minimal torsional vibration compared to my semi set up Rocket without compromising any ability to play tongue blocked. ---------- Big Blind Ray Trio Website Big Blind Ray Trio Facebook Page Big Blind Ray Trio on Bandcamp
HarpNinja 3818 posts Mar 11, 2014 7:47 AM	1) Main upgrades I think from the Special 20 are the open, vented cover plates and the rounded comb. The front screws IMO don't impede on comfortability. Overall a very comfortable Harp - Notably longer than a Special 20, including the reedplates, but I agree. 2) The selling point of the Rocket appears to be that it is loud. I have A/B tested it against a MB Crossover and a Seydel 1847. It is no more or less loud - I find the timbre to be very different between the Rocket and other Hohner's. I feel if sounds most like a 1847. I don't know for sure if it is louder, but if is definitely brighter and more open sounding than a SP20. I A/B'ed again this AM with a R and SP20 in A. Huger difference in tone. 3) Tonally it sounds a lot like the Crossover - I would say more like a 1847 in the keys I've tried...more like a Crossover sound than SP20, though. 4) Seems the tuning is a Just/Compromise tuning - Chords are somewhat smoother sounding than the X-Over. On Par with the 1847 Tuning Wise. - Yep. 5) It responds well to my playing - But no more or less than the SP20 does. It does feel a bit more leaky compared to a Xover or 1847 - Agreed. 6) This Harp is NOT set up to Overblow ootb. You will need to gap the reeds if you want that. - 100x agree after trying 5 Rockets, some in the same key. 7) After spending 5-10 minutes gapping, can get 4,5,6 OB to sustain with hardly any torsional vibration. 7 OD can be played but not well enough to sustain. OD's will require more reed work (As with any ootb harp) - I am torn as to if I like the Rocket more or Sp20. The Sp20 stock is too muted in comparison, but I tweak my harps anyways...I LOVE the bottom three holes on the Rocket...and the high end plays wonderfully, but the SP20 plays faster for me with the smaller come and chambers...it also is shorter and I can tell when it is in my mouth. It is a tough call for sure. ---------- Mike My Website My Harmonica Effects Blog Rock Harmonica Lessons Last Edited by HarpNinja on Mar 11, 2014 7:48 AM
BigBlindRay 217 posts Mar 11, 2014 8:36 AM	Hey Mike. I gaffa taped the vents and IMO - The Rocket sounds WAY better without the Vents, more focus and projection out back (where I need it most really) Once Vented - it really does (to my ears) sound very similar to the 1847. It urks me that Hohner vented this Harp. I feel Hohner should have not increased the overall size of it, opened up the back and left it un vented - then at least (it you wanted to) could swap out the plates with crossovers (or Vice Versa) if you were that way inclined. I really am at Odds to determine why Hohner went down this path. They should phase out the MS series, focus on the Handmade line - Keep improving it, still offer the cheaper original options and allow for a more modular aspect ---------- Big Blind Ray Trio Website Big Blind Ray Trio Facebook Page Big Blind Ray Trio on Bandcamp
smwoerner 250 posts Mar 11, 2014 8:52 AM	"They should phase out the MS series, focus on the Handmade line - Keep improving it, still offer the cheaper original options and allow for a more modular aspect" I agree. It would be nice if they phased out the MS series and brought back a nailed blues harp using the same comb and reed plates as the MB but with non-vented covers. Then they could also offer a blues harp deluxe similar to the MB deluxe. ---------- Purveyor of Optimized New and Refurbished Harmonicas. scott@scottwoerner.com
HarpNinja 3819 posts Mar 11, 2014 9:10 AM	You realize they would cost more money than the MS harps, right? I like the fact the Rocket is different. It isn't really just a SP20 with different covers, nor is it a Marine Band with a recessed comb. It is its own thing. I just can't decide if it will dethrone some of my other harps. I go in waves with stuff, and right now I am very much digging the nailed 1896, although the SP20 is my main axe. ---------- Mike My Website My Harmonica Effects Blog Rock Harmonica Lessons
BeeAge Gumbo 1 post Mar 28, 2014 12:49 PM	Hohner's SP20 reflects a good price/value relation, and IMVHO especially when it comes to reed replacements. Hohner's product management from Trossingen plays the same old track all the time when it comes to inquiries about their non- lasting reeds: Our products are of highest quality, we do not have any quality issues and we are the best in the market. Well, not sure why they introduced this Rocket product amongst their other well established product lines like the Crossover and Golden Melody. Loudness? If you need loudness, simply take the volume knob to the max, either on your mic or on your amp. Personally, I prefer TONE versus Loudness. I have to admit, I am a true beginner and for the last couple of months I spent $$$ on replacing Hohner harp reeds because I put all my energy in destroying them by playing hard. Yes, I learnt my lessons, and I switched to Seydel (and I adjusted my style of playing, too). Their reeds last much longer (so far, these harps survived despite all my efforts of hard draw/blow playings), my only concern is or better was that it takes some strength to get them to sound. Hohners are much easier to handle in this aspect. But Back to the topic, the question remains to me, what makes the Rocket so unique in Hohner's point of view, besides being a loud harp? Maybe their annual roadshows will reveal the uniqueness of the Rocket.
Frank 4070 posts Mar 28, 2014 1:28 PM	I thouhgt I read the Lee Oskars are better then Seaydells? where does the troof lye :) ---------- The Centipide Saloon Tip Your Waiter Please
1847 1643 posts Mar 28, 2014 1:40 PM	frank you tried the rocket, did you like it? looks like a super bitchen harmonica to me. you sold it pretty fast,whats up with that looks like a marine band with a recessed comb to me i like a recessed comb. is it just me, or when someone post for the first time are they highly suspect? ---------- i get a lot of request when i play my harmonica "but i play it anyway"
Frank 4071 posts Mar 28, 2014 1:53 PM	I liked it, prefer marineband -so went for a barter :)
SuperBee 1833 posts Mar 28, 2014 2:58 PM	Bob, it's just you. I don't know if we can go on together if you're going to be so suspicious everytime we meet a new friend.
MP 3132 posts Mar 28, 2014 3:41 PM	I have a Rocket repair on the way. Not a repair really but a gapping job. One of the perks from fixin harps is I get to try out new products. I'll give a review of my own if I discover something not covered so far. I doubt it but we'll see. ---------- Affordable Reed Replacement Marks Harmonica Tune-up Click user name MP for contact info Last Edited by MP on Mar 28, 2014 3:42 PM
MP 3137 posts Mar 29, 2014 2:18 PM	Mike and the rest of you pretty much covered everything but i had a bit to add.-- Got a Rocket yesterday to work on. The owner said the reeds were slow on the uptake. YEEP. just as mentioned above the reeds aren't gapped tight enough. Loud? The one I have is loud. Almost as loud as my B-rad and that's really loud. the Rockets reed plates look like SP/20 plates with extra holes. I took it apart and put them on a SP/20 comb. They fit. Then I put on my custom SP/20 covers.(open back, vented sides) It became a ROCKET with smaller chambers! Just as loud. Then I took the Rocket plates and put them on a Crossover comb. Perfect fit except you'll need to flat sand the bottom plate and it's ugly. I don't recommend it. The Rocket OOB is almost equal to my optimized SP/20s. The big differences can't be done at the factory and these are instant reed response/OB stuff. I love the tone! it's a great harp and worth the money. You would pay a customizer a lotta dough for these standard features. Also, the comb is one of a kind. The covers are a new mold too. deep in the front. they're sort of a cross between Big River and SP/20 covers. It's only fault is the gapping but since when has an OOB harp had perfect gapping?. The comb is a handsome grey w/ the key painted on the end where I like them to be. If I needed a good top shelf harp I'd buy one. ---------- Affordable Reed Replacement Marks Harmonica Tune-up Click user name MP for contact info
Slimharp 283 posts Mar 29, 2014 4:14 PM	I just got a Rocket from Rockin Rons. Got one in C. It is very comfortable. Draw 1,2,3 a very breathy and average volume. The rest of the harp plays OK. I will have to pull it apart and work on it. I have some slightly tweaked 20's that play better. Last Edited by Slimharp on Mar 29, 2014 5:58 PM
Slimharp 284 posts Mar 29, 2014 6:05 PM	Do yourself a favor. Tweak a Sp 20 and save $ 30.00. Outside of the comb being more comfortable, not impressed. I dont know if it's because of the channels being bigger, but after gapping the pressure on draws felt mushy and slow. The harp was not any louder than my stock 20's that had the coverplates opened.
shadoe42 291 posts Mar 29, 2014 10:05 PM	The slightly larger size would put it into a size category with the Susuki Harpmaster too. When I move to one of my SP20s from the HM I have to adjust to the smaller and closer together holes. Not sure how the HM compares size wise to the Manji. oh and for the record you annotations even on the default tiny screen size were quite clear and readable. ---------- Dr. Rev. Mr. Cheeks Miller My Electronic Music World
MP 3140 posts Mar 30, 2014 12:14 PM	----Hi Slim! Interesting that the one you got doesn't have a lot of volume. The one I'm working on does. Odd. Since I've customized a lot of SP/20s I certainly don't need a Rocket. If a person knows what they are doing- I totally agree w/ your idea of just tweaking a Special 20 and saving $30. ------ Affordable Reed Replacement Marks Harmonica Tune-up Click user name MP for contact info
groyster1 2577 posts Mar 30, 2014 2:55 PM	I have 5 very strong sp20s.A&G(Harvey)Bb(spiers)C(chromatic..kevin)and F(MP) I also have 2 rockets D&Eb....very good ootb but not as good as the souped up SP20...
Slimharp 293 posts Mar 30, 2014 7:41 PM	MP, I dont know if I just got a shitty reed plate but mine was terrible. I re- gapped and it was still slow and mushy. After playing it a bit to see if it would loosen up I discovered blow 6 was bad. BAD. I re-gapped it several times. No go. It was also a cent flat. Oh well, that happens once in a while. I loved the comb. I was going to put one of my 20 plates on the Rocket comb. Ha- Hohner took care of that. The holes dont match. Live and learn. IMHO The Rocket I had could not touch a good playing 20, but I probably got the worst Rocket Hohner has made. That will learn me. LOL
MP 3141 posts Mar 30, 2014 10:45 PM	Slim, Funny how that works. I've found lemons in every flavor Hohner harp and several Suzuki dogs; the Olives being the worst. Oh well. Sorry to hear about your loss. ---------- Affordable Reed Replacement Marks Harmonica Tune-up Click user name MP for contact info
jiceblues 323 posts Mar 31, 2014 1:40 AM	Michel Herblin tested an ootb Rocket .He says you need more breath force to play it than a SP20 . I think it's because of the wider chambers . I have a SP20 stage in A from JOE and one in Bb from Chromatic .My best harps .I think i don't need a Rocket since my tweaked SP20's play well and effortless .

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