Hohner Rocket

Features:

• 10-hole diatonic harmonica
• Key of C
• Comb: Plastic
• Includes a nylon protective storage case
• The 5 Keys Set with a nice Carry Case option is available here.

Is the Hohner Rocket Any Good?

Verdict – The Hohner Rocket is the loudest of Hohner’s harmonicas, and Hohner claims that it’s easier to isolate notes on it (because its holes are slightly bigger.) This harmonica would definitely be a great choice for someone who’s needing a louder sounding harmonica. For playing unamplified choose a Rocket, or for playing through a bullet mic choose a Rocket Amp. The Rocket is not as responsive as I’d hoped for, and because of this factor, it doesn’t make it onto my list of favorite Hohner harmonicas (which are Crossover, Golden Melody, Special 20, and Marine Band.) Nonetheless, it’s a fantastic harp, and it’s worth considering. TOTAL: 4.6 out of 5 Stars

Bendability – This harmonica is incredibly easy to bend. And I find it easy to control the bends with great precision. This baby bends like a champ! 5/5 Stars.

Comfort – The Rocket’s ABS plastic  comb with rounded corners, and rounded comfort plates make it a very comfortable harmonica on the lips and hands. And if you have very big hands, this might be a great choice for you, as the whole harmonica is ever so slightly larger than average. 5/5 Stars

Tone – The tone of this harmonica is great, and leaves nothing to be desired. Did I mention that it’s loud? 5/5 Stars

Responsiveness – This is the only problem I had with the Rocket. For my personal playing style, is the reeds didn’t respond quite as quickly as I would like them to in the lower register draws. It’s still better in this category than many Suzuki’s and Seydel’s that I’ve played, but not as good as Hohner’s Crossover, Golden Melody, Special 20, and Marine Band models. 4/5 Stars

Looks – Pretty ugly harmonica in my opinion. I guess the Rocket Amp models are pretty cool if you like fluorescent green. And the Low tunings are cool if you like blue. But the grey comb on the regular Rocket’s is pretty ho hum in my opinion. I would have given it a 3 out of 5 stars, but Hohner finally gave me a great, easy to read key label on this harmonica, so I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. 4/5 Stars

Durability/Fixability – The plastic comb is not susceptible to any of the swelling or splintering that a wood comb could be over time. Like the Crossover, it comes in an oval shaped nylon case with a zipper that’s specifically designed to let moisture escape, while keeping dirt and debris out. And only 2 phillips head screws per cover plate should make it pretty easy to take apart to clean or fix.

From the Manufacturer

Rock is many things – quiet is not one of them. For a harmonica to not be lost between squealing guitars and heavy drums, it has to be loud too.
Which is why rock harpist Jimmie Bones relies on the power of the HOHNER Rocket. No other harmonica is this loud, while being this comfortable at the same time. Get ready to be blasted through rock, pop, jazz, and country with this incredibly powerful harp for advanced players.