This is a my first little experiment with a new Kongsheng Solist A-harmonica (China) with an aluminum body (total price was about 40 euros imported from Sanghai to my door in Finland). The price / quality ratio compared to the Suzuki Fabulous metal body harmonica is at least 10 dB better. Here your hopefully hear the real sound of this harmonica: very loud a bit metallic sound. Just recorded in my kitchen, no echo or filtering added (I do that often even with this kind of videos). I can play this a bit better using both hands but this way you can hear the real sound better. Positive remark: Holes 4,5&6 are very easy to overblow. Negative maybe?: 1) When drawing first hole hard the reed hits to the cover plate.2) Hole 10 is difficult to "blow-bend" and I hardly get it right on the video. I don't know the reason yet, mara
The Kongsheng Solist are very sensitive to how much force you use the hit a note or bend. It's not really set up for over blows or over bends but it can do them. The more relaxed and focused you play the notes the better they respond. It's a precision made harmonica and very airtight. The stainless steel cover-plates are matte finished and open in the back to allow for free airflow to the blow reeds and the draw reeds. The reed-plates are brass and secured to the aluminum comb with 10 screws including the 2 cover-plate screws. The reeds are high quality phosphorus bronze. It's a very easy to play model.
