Suzuki Chromatix SCX-56

At first I thought there was a problem as there is a quiet rattle when playing low notes. However, this I have since discovered, is normal and is the windsaver covers closing.As the low notes use large reeds they continue to vibrate a little and so you hear the windsaver valve close against it. Higher notes do not have this noise as the reeds are smaller and cease vibrating before the windsaver closes over the reed opening. Only the harmonica player will hear the windsaver valve close on a low note, it cannot be heard by anyone listening to you playing this harmonica (unless you ask them to get close and ask them to listen for the rattle). Now I know all this I am more than pleased with the overall sound. This item will please many for years to come. Suzuki have made this instrument repairable and re-tuneable by the end user. With the phosphor bronze reeds and overall quality of the Chromatix you'll need to spend a lot more money to find better. The Hohner280/64 is close but this sounds just that bit richer........I'm going to love it.

Comfortable to play ( rounded-off edges ), loud ( important for me, I'm a bit hard-of-hearing ), notes can be surprisingly well bent ( I would rather expect this from a "standard" diatonic harp ). I like the sound of it, not exactly Hohner but still exquisite. Very well built, heavy-duty quality ( made in Japan, not in a low-wage-country). Thank goodness the comb is made of ABS-plastic, so you can simply douse the harp in water should the slide get stuck ( consult hereto the YouTube -tutorials). My first serious foray into the world of chromatic(x) harmonicas, I promptly caught the bug. Worth every penny, one cannot fault this beautiful little piece of engineering.

Solid construction but I question the "hand-made" claim by Suzuki. This is most definitely a factory made instrument with minimal personal intervention, otherwise every reed/valve would be perfect, but they are not. The SCX-56 delivers a subtle and classy sound, and generally it is consistent along its 3 and a half octaves but there are some notes that have poorly optimised reeds or valves. The distance between the "C" at the top of one octave and the next "C" in the following octave does not have enough physical separation, particularly in the lower octave. This means that it is quite a challenge to avoid a "doubled" and unpleasant sounding combined note of C particularly in the C3 range. The top octave is rather weedy and rather dull in timbre. Maybe this instrument will open up a little with playing. It is not quite the value of its expensive price. The EastTop King Dream is the Suzuki's near equivalent except for the extra four low notes of the SCX56, but is far less than half the price. The EastTop (indeed most chromatic harmonicas) requires user or expert adjustment as there are always some stuck notes or faulty valves but at £209 I would have expected the Suzuki SCX56 to be flawless, but it isn't. The EastTop, when sorted, has more character to its sound. The Suzuki is good but lacking in dynamic range and tone. It's a good instrument but at the price advertised I expected rather more. For this reason it is always a risk buying a harmonica for more than around £150 because it is impossible to predict whether quality control, or lack of it, justifies the price. I haven't tried the Hohner equivalent. Edit 2021: After laying aside this instrument for a year or so, I had another go at improving its playability. The biggest problem was stuck valves/windsavers which kept blocking notes even after warming up. There is a flaw in these plastic valves and the same notes kept popping or refusing to sound. In frustration I got a pair of scissors and chopped off the offending valves about a third from the tip. That has done the trick and in effect these notes are valve-less. However there has been virtually no degradation in projection, tone or volume, so I conclude that windsavers in this kind of instrument are often more trouble than they are worth unless they are perfectly set. My advice to anyone with similar problems is not to be frightened about chopping off at least a small length of these windsavers (disclaimer - please do this at your own risk) if they are causing any popping or stuck notes even when you have warmed the instrument.

I’m a beginner on the chromatic harmonica and just started taking lessons at the end of July. My would be chromatic harmonica teacher at the time (before my first lesson) recommended this harmonica. And I’m so glad he did. It is a beautiful instrument and far easier to play than I had expected. Everything about it is so smooth and easy to play. Also, credit goes to the seller (and Amazon) for making it possible for me to buy this harmonica in perfect condition and for it to arrive in perfect time for my first lesson. I’ve been enjoying playing on it since. Thanks everyone so much. Ps- I should also mention that the first thing my teacher taught me is to warm my chromatic harmonica up before playing, in order to avoid sticky reeds and notes that won’t play. Apparently it’s not so vital with a diatonic harmonica because of the difference in size and material (of the reeds). He advised me that the easiest and quickest way to warm it up, is to pop it under my armpit before playing. It seems to work. No sticky reeds from the start. I hope this isn’t telling everyone something they know already. For me, it was something I wasn’t aware of until I was explicitly told.

Disgusting experience today. Suzuki packaging and insufficient allow for USED and RETURNED harmonicas to be returned and sold as NEW again. I just got one today and quickly discovered that it was used before and judging from the internal damage of the case - it was probably dropped. And yeah, harmonica is damaged too, because few notes simply hiss and don't work... ( I have been playing harmonica - including one identical for years, so no, not technique problem. ) Then somebody took off the seals ( see thay are not completely round anymore ) and place them again, just smartly lower, so they look like they are new, and so it can disguise the fact that they were once opened. Awful experience.

Wow what a harmonica, I have a couple of hohner and a couple of seydel chromatics but this was in a different class. It felt well made, had a good solid feel was so easy to play and the sound is beautiful. It inspires you to play. Beautiful harp get one you wont regret it.

great harmonica; thank you james

Très bel instrument,qualité de fabrication irréprochable ,étanchéité exceptionnelle due au faible nombre de pièces du mécanisme de la tirette.L'embouchure est de section arrondie , ce qui facilite le jeu.Côté qualité du son rien à redire également.A mon avis cet harmonica surpasse largement le CX12 (que je possède également) sur tous les domaines.Maintenant il reste à confirmer ces remarques à l'usage .

Ein tolles Produkt. Funktioniert sehr gut.

Suzuki harmonica with steel reeds is a good instrument. Precision notes, handy and good to play with. Value for money. Happy about owning one.

Esta armònica està bien afinada, tiene volùmen alto, buen aspecto. Estoy muy conforme con mi compra

Si au début ma compagne était très satisfaite de son cadeau, la déception est très vite venue avec des trous qui se bouchent, un piston qui coulisse mal et des tonalités qui ne passent pas. Nous devions l'utiliser en concert mais nous n'avons jamais osé car les son est bien trop aléatoire et les risques de problèmes de plus en plus récurrents.