Hohner Killer? East Top T008k Harmonica (Review)
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- Опубліковано 13 чер 2022
- Now available @ www.harmonica.com/store/east-...
Can it offer the quality of a Hohner Special 20 at half the price? The is my review of the East Top 008k (aka T008K) Harmonica. - Навчання та стиль
Everytime I watch your harmonica reviews I end up buying one. Thank you for the impulse buying. Great review.
LOLOL. 🤣 Glad you like them! And glad I could help with your G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome.) 😜
I have two of these, they are indeed nice sounding and nice to play
I started playing the harmonica few months ago n got this 1 because it was cheapish at £20 and I love blue... apart from not letting myself go and having more confidence on practice/playing i love playing/practicing for my pets as they don't mind my bum notes or repeat bad attempts,giving me more courage to play 4 hubby n show him the new songs im learning.... I may never play like a professional but im happy trying and hopefully im improving thank to lessons like u post ;) so thank you!
Right on Niki. I'm glad the lessons are helping. Keep on rocking! 🤘🏼
Thank you Luke, enjoyed it, very helpful
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for this review. Very helpful.
Glad it helped. Great harp for the money. Best budget harp imo.
Thanks for your review. I now own also in addition of Hohner and Lee Oscar that harmonica. 😁 Plus thank you so much for your classes. Your harmonica learning course is in my opinion the best one.
My pleasure! Thanks for the kind words, Oscar. I'm so glad you're digging the course!
Thanks Luke for your opinion and you play really well!!
Thanks Todd! Glad it helped. Rock on! 😎
Thanks for this and all your other reviews. I have been a Lee Oskar guy for over 20 years. I like their tone, the way they play, and their incredible durability. I have a few from 20 years ago which still play great, though they are lesser used keys. I started buying East Top several years ago due to the low price and solid construction (9 screws to hold down the reed plates). I still prefer the way LO plays and sounds, but I'm not sure it's twice as good, and they are twice the price.
Hey Alan - yeah man. When it comes time to press record or get on stage, I'm still a Lee Oskar guy myself!
Finaly you review easttop 008k...good review
Yeah, sooooo many people asked me to check it out. I was surprised by how well it plays.
I have few easttop harps. They are all great. The 008L with an acrylic comb and 008K are great. I have one with a chrome cover plates and white plastic comb. That I love.
Ooooooh that sounds like one good looking harp!
I love the T008L with the clear or white [painted, I checked] acrylic comb. However, the T008L's white painted covers are a drag, literally. I swapped those for Hohner MS series Blues Harp covers, makes a super Frankenharp. Any Hohner MS series covers will fit the T008 series. A minor turning back of the Hohner covers' supports make for a perfect fit. The Hohner Blues Harp covers are not so bunched at the lips like the T008 series covers have.
Thanks man. This content is great and so much helpful💯🤘.....and I'm rooting for you.....well I guess the 008k is gonna be my 1st diatonic harmonica in my collection 😬
Right on Daniel. I hope that you love it. Glad you liked the video. Keep us posted.
hi, thank´s for your lessons
You are welcome!
About time for the review I have had one for 5 years used to get them for 12$ canadian. I definitely can't make it sound like that tho haha
Right on! Thanks for the kind words. 😉 ROCK ON!
Good review!😎👍
Glad you liked it!
I literally bought that same harmonica in amazon like a week ago to learn, thought it wasnt really good till now that i see this video
Right on Chris. Should be perfectly acceptable to learn on. 👍🏼
Great playing brother!!
Thanks Andrew! 👊🏼
👍🎶✌️Thanks nice blowing blues
Thank you so much for your kind words. I really appreciate it.
Rock on my friend! 🤘🏼🎶😎
Aloha,
Luke
Already bought one before this video was made... 👍 But I agree.
I have two Easttops and I love them both. They sound "jangley".
Jangley sounds make me happy. 😎 Rock on Jeremy!
💜@@Harmonicacom💜
The 008k? Creative naming. I wish I could afford all the fancy Seydels and Arkias.
Thanks Luke. I have a low F Easttop that I bought from RockinRon on its way to me
Ooooh nice. Let us know how you like it Bob!
@@Harmonicacom I really like it! I was anticipating a little rattling on the low end------nope. It was airtight and responsive right out of the box. I have owned other Easttops and they were a little more in line with what I would expect from a lower price harp-a little stiffer reeds, not quite air tight. The low F was none of those things. Very impressed and happy.
like to sound of the east top
Good review. Been looking for a cheapie to keep in the car and play at the beach etc and don’t want to take my expensive harps. For this price I wouldn’t be as worried about getting sand or salt in it
Perfect for a beater Chris. Rock on! 😎
I spent yesterday swapping between my Special 20 in C, and my East Top T002 in A, which is basically the same harp as the 008K, but with closed sides, according to a review I watched. The slightly larger holes on the East Top allowed for better note isolation I found.
I'm a raw beginner, just learning the basic skills like that atm, so I can only give feedback along those lines.
I found it great to play. Swapping between the two put me out a little bit, just due to that slight difference in the size of the holes and length of the row of holes. I found navigation and isolation slightly easier on the East Top. I certainly couldn't find any huge difference in the two though.
Intersting, Dave. So you're saying you found it easier to isolate notes on the East Top than on the Special 20?
@@Harmonicacom Yes, just a little, using your tilt and half pucker technique. When you hold them up together, you can see that the East top has slightly larger holes, with thinner spacers between them, I think that made it easier.
Great video! I really enjoyed the way you played both chords and single notes around the 1:23 mark. Was that achieved through tongue blocking? Also, do you offer any tutorials on how to perform that particular technique? Thanks a lot!
Why yes it was! How astute of you. Here's a slow breakdown of that exact riff. Be patient with this!
ua-cam.com/video/uydniqDfAf4/v-deo.html
You Rock Luke! Great review, I'll take one please 👍
Thanks Jay!
Thanks, Luke. Question: How does it fare versus the Hohner Blues Harp?
Great review Luke!!! Any chance for a review of the Marine Band Deluxe? I'd like to know what your thoughts are, as I'm considering buying one. Cheers!!
Thanks for your feedback. I'm adding it to my (very long) to-do list!
I figured whoever manufacture's East Top also manufactured Fender, cause I can't see any difference at all. Though my East tops came in an awesomely usable zipper case. Even the artwork scroll engraving on one of my Fenders is identical to the East Top. Im pretty excited about East Tops because the case is so usable, and they look great and play great, and can be easily maintained and customized. Especially since they are inexpensive. These make sense to invest in to learn properly and enjoy. Great job.
Yeah Dan - they seem VERY similar to the Blues DeVille's.
Both great harps
Open coverplates make difference in tone of 008k comparing to Special 20. Also Easttop has a little bigger holes. The comb built in in Special 20 vs tin sandwich in Easttop -- just the matter of likes.
For me it feels that Special 20 can give much more interesting sound and feels a little more comfortable. I think as the first harp to try what instrument can do 008k is the greatest option (if wanting something cheap but good) for sure, but not the Hohner killer for me.
I'm with you 100%. Not the Hohner killer for me either, but a GREAT value for sure!
Listening to your video, Easttop sounds better than Fender, but Special 20 sounds better than Easttop. Complimenrs for your licks, very nice to hear them!
Hey Luke , thanks for the review . But where is other test like bendability , responsiveness?
Hey Ananda - I just did a quick vid because I didn't realize how much I was gonna love it! LOL. But I've done a full written review over here: www.harmonica.com/store/east-top-t008k-blues/
I have a 008K in C and love it, , its easy to bend on draw an blows, I find it very crisp and responsive, I also have a Lee Oskar in Em , and a special 20 in A , and I hate to say it , but the EastTop is an easier harp to play , bit nowhere near the quality and volume of tone the other 2 put out. Just my opinion though.
OK, that's great to hear. Thank you so much for sharing this. 👌🏼
I have them both. The fender is much quieter and a little more loose. The fender is good too though so don’t get me wrong. it’s just a little more muffled, at least the one I got. The fender is noticeably less playable than my more expensive models however the east top is one of my favorites to play. It’s loud and responsive, easy to bend and it sounds great. I’d consider getting a whole set of them.
Agreed. 💯
Excelent review, just one question, it does exist any difference with t008s version?
T008S has welded reeds. Great harps, but stay away from the BLACK OR WHITE PAINTED COVERS. Painted covers drag, they hinder lip glide.
Blue and silver covers are fine
Any difference would you know between the blue & black? Somebody on Amazon says the black sounds better. but why? lol
*See you next time..💜🖖*
See you next time Ghost Writer!
Just found them at AliExpress for £15.59 ($19.68) delivered. Only hassle is you gotta wait a couple of days.
But after what you said about it, I have one on the way in C tricked out in sleek black.
Neil Young, watch your six man! 😆
😎
I just noticed, Luke do you hold the harps in your right hand?
This is how I started naturally but have fought the instinct and hold it in my left hand. That said my hand dynamics like tremolo and hand vibrato is nowhere near as good as when I hold the harp in my right hand.
You can hold either hand and get great tone.
Hey, since you're the harp pro I trust the most on the web, I'm sure you'll be able to give me some solid advice! I concur with you: the Easttop are surprisingly better than one would expect. Nonetheless, where I live (EU) the Easttop T008k (or its Fender-branded equivalent Midnight Blues) costs about as much as a Special 20 or an MS Blues Harp (25€ circa vs 30€ for the Hohners).
I've been looking for a set of decent, mid-range harps to cover all of the common keys, after trying out several low and mid-range harmonicas: I'm not a beginner but definitely not a pro, either. I've ruled out the Marine Band because of all of the bad things I've read about them swelling and what a nightmare disassembling them might prove to be (at the same time, I don't want to invest on a 50€-per-piece set of Deluxe, at least for now): I own a pre-MS Blues Harp and it definitely swelled quite a bit, although it still sounds fine.
That's why I was attracted to the MS Blues Harp series: non-swelling Doussié (I love wood), easier on the lips, good sound. I know I shouldn't trust everything I read on a forum, but people seem to constantly talk them down: they either say Blues Harps go out of tune easily or they absolutely need gapping. I'm comfortable disassembling cover plates and cleaning harps, but regapping is something I wouldn't be willing to do.
But could this even be possible? Like, all Special 20 harps are perfect OOB whilst all BH are terrible? Actually, I tried a D MS Blues Harp out for about an hour before returning it: I liked the sound but bends on the third hole squealed (whilst they do not on my Pentaharp or my much cheaper harps): was I unlucky or are they plagued by bend squeaking just like Lee Oskar harmonicas?
On the other hand, there are the Easttop/Fender and the good old Special 20 (I've got a Pentaharp, so I have a general idea of how they sound: extremely comfortable and bendable). I've tried out a couple Lee Oskar harps but they both squealed not just when overbending, but even when bending: I'm not touching a LO anytime soon.
Sorry for the long-winded rambling but, to sum it up, which harps should I buy for my blues gigs? Special 20s, MS Blues Harps or the Easttops? Are the Blues Harp so bad as some say? What was your experience with them? Thanks in advance Luke!
Hey Andy - thanks for the kind words. Man, people love to hate on harmonicas, but really the MS Blues Harp is a perfectly fine harp.
I've probably played 100 Lee Oskars and never had one squeal on blow bends and draw bends (they do squeal terribly on overblows though!)
Your question is very easy for me to answer. I 100% encourage you to go with Special 20's. Even if they're a few bucks more than the Blues Harp, IN MY OPINION it's worth it for responsiveness and vendibility. HOWEVER, there ARE lots of people out there who swear that they like the Blues Harps even better than the Special 20's.
Everybody's playing style is unique, and so there is no one right answer. But it sounds like you've played both, and you like the Special 20, correct? If so, can't go wrong there!
East Tops are great value if they're $20 or less, but they cannot compete with Blues Harp or SP20 for tone. Different ballpark.
Hope that helps! Follow your intuition. 👍🏼
@@Harmonicacom Thank you very, very much: having a pro answer your doubts is priceless! I was probably just exceptionally unlucky with my two Lee Oskar, but I feel much more at ease going with a Special 20: I'll follow your advice! Hohner sells a set of 5 Special 20s plus a case for just 130€, which sounds like a bargain. I wonder why they included an E harp instead of a B-flat or an F. Oh well, guess I'll try and play some first-position blues. Again, thanks Luke!
I'm not a novice, nor am I a pro either. If I had to rate my playing I would say I'm probably better than average. I played seriously when I was in my 20's, dropped it and now, quite a few decades later I'm at it again, for fun. I've always played Honer Blues Band harps, but just picked up a set of 12 East Top harps. Surprisingly, they have what I consider a crisp sound. They project stronger than the Blues Band and provide a grittier, albeit sharper sound. Not jumping up and down about the lip feel, but it's tolerable.
Roger that. WAY better than the Blues Bands.
your video so nice I like your video I am India❤
Thank you so much 😀
Hi
I like the response from the Easttop harmonicas
I want a low D harmonica.
I found the low d harmonica which I bought harder to play as I need more air to play fast jigs and reels.
Do Easttop have a low d blues harp.
Thanks
Not sure, but I bet you would like the Lee Oskar Low D. What brand did you buy?
@@Harmonicacom I bought the new Suzuki Manji.
I like the sound but I thought the response was slow for fast tunes.
I've now adjusted the reed gapping and this is much better.
Are any of the Easttop Harmonicas (besides the Blues Standard) available in Just Intonation, or, compromise tuning?
If you mean paddy tuning the aliexpress easttop have it. Sorry if that wasnt what you needed, im new to the whole harmonica thing and not sure what you mean by compromise tuning.
I'm a chromatic harmonica player and I've got myself a Forerunner, Easttop's cheapest chromatic, as my first proper chromatic many years having one and never quite learning much, and it sounds and plays great for an instrument that's sold for $30!
I think Easttop has been a savior on the budget department, especially for people who live in South America like me, where import taxes make "budget" instruments sell for "premium" prices, that doesn't quite match the quality overall.
I do have a question, do you guys think that the brand will eventually rise in popularity enough to compete with the big brands? And do you think that their prices will inevitably go up?
Cool. Thanks for sharing this. I met a couple reps from East Top at the NAMM show and they were really nice down to earth people. I think they will rise and popularity, but I think they are focused on providing a budget alternative to other harps. Rock on! 😎
Would you say this was a beginner friendly harmonica also is it a hard rule that beginner players should start off in the key of C because I noticed from watching videos G sounds cool
Yeah, great beginner harmonica, and Yeah, start with C!!
forum.harmonica.com/t/why-c-harp-and-what-key-harp-to-get-next/5678?u=luke
I've played professionally Hohner Marine Bands--various models for 40 years. And, mostly have loved them. Is the East Top that much better? I guess I just gotta try one!
No ways. Marine Bands kick their ass, in my opinion. East Top's are half the price. They're good cheapies.
@@Harmonicacom Appreciate your answer. What about the East Top pro 20? Compared to the Marine Bands?
Brendan Powers recommended that one. Or, the Marine Band Deluxe compared to the Marine Band Diatonic? I do mostly solo harp work these days.
Thanks
If possible, could you do a review of a harmonica from DaBell? Preferably the Noble?
Just tried one. Initial impression: didn't live up to the hype for me. Specifically, felt it lacked responsiveness.
@@Harmonicacom thanks for the quick reply!
As a person who wants to learn harmonica would you recommend this to start off 🤔
Sure, Angel! That'll definitely get the job done for learning all the fundamentals!
I’m still learning how to bend it’s my first week and man it’s tough
Hey John - right on man. This is your first week playing harmonica or your first week learning how to bend? You've probably seen my bending vid, but in case you haven't:
ua-cam.com/video/moVpn-mBFr8/v-deo.html
I got the Easttop 008k as a gift for my very first harmonica. At the time it did just the trick to make me fall in love with the harmonica 😎.
Now that I have a couple of other higher end harps in my arsenal, I can hear the difference, but that being said, I agree with you wholeheartedly @Luke, this is a great entry level harp. The styling, feel, and look make it a great gift to introduce others to our world. 🌍
For $25 it makes perhaps the greatest gift anyone can give or receive... 🎶
Hi , bought this harmonica after seeing your review and i don't know why but the hole 8 and 9 are making weird sound , please help , what should I do now ?
Hmmmmm. Do you own other harmonicas?
@@Harmonicacom no , this is my first harmonica , i am a beginner
@@Harmonicacom my technique was wrong, now it sounds good
In Australia, the easttop 008k is cheaper the the fender blues deluxe.
And I like it better than the Fender Blues Deluxe, so I guess it's a no-brainer down under!
I'm a beginner and you've helped me decide that the easttop 008k is the best bang for ya buck harmonica, cheers mate 👍
Can overbend be possible in this easttop harmonica?
No, not out of the box. Perhaps with customization?
In malaysia . I check in shopee online store and the price is 14usd. What do you think?
Go for it!
Before buying something, I always ask myself where it was made. A lower price can have a greater impact than on our wallet. IMHO
Very Good Alexandre. Every time we buy something we are voting for what we want. These are made in China, as you probably know already.
A thoughtful comment. Still, we are a global economy. Even having breakfast, I might have products from five or six countries. One may be hard pressed to keep one's purchases domestic, assuming here you are in the US.
Almost everything is made from China.
The Germans have always made the best harps with the best tone.
@@stephenkatko3236japanese as well.
Lee Oskar are better than honner
The only thing I didn't like when I bought one was the smell of plastic, not pleasant. But it had gone eventually
Right on. Thanks for sharing.
Have you tried the Kongsheng MARS harps? They are very comfortable to play once you get used to the round holes.
Nope haven't tried!
@@Harmonicacom Don't waste your money on the Mars. It has round holes cut out of an arced comb. That slight arc makes the hole dividers poke out, like swollen wooden combs do. The tines catch on the bottom lip which hinders glide. I found the Mars' super slippery covers to be difficult to hold [though they glide on the lips easily], and the shape of the covers made them even more difficult to hold. And, the height of the Mars seems to be shorter than many other harps. That dimension contributed to the difficulty in handling the Mars. The Mars is also rather soft sounding, at least with the original synthetic comb, compared to many other harps' sound. You may find the covers' laser-cut rings around "Mars" amusing. Last I checked, Mars has no rings around it. To me, the Mars is a failed design concept. Don't waste your money on any Mars harps. Easttops, however, are very good, yes.
can you review a fender midnight blues hermonica
My understanding is that the midnight blues is just the Fender Blues DeVille with blue cover plates. I'm not a huge fan of the Fender Blues DeVille. A bit tinny for the price in my opinion. In that price range I'd rather go for a Lee Oskar, or Hohner Special 20 or Golden Melody.
So is it not a good hermonica to start with
I think it’s 1st cousins with the Fender Blues De Ville.
Agreed! Very similar in tone, weight, and how they play. With the one difference in price of course!
Hi
This is not a Hohner killer. More a toy. However as toys go it's supurb. Doesn't have the punch of a mid-range Hohner. So not a performance harp. It is fine however for learning to play and around the house. Very pocketeable and has a nice sound.
100% Agreed Wes. Except "nice sound" would qualify "Nice sound for the money"!!! 🤣
I've got to say in all honesty the East top harmonica may very well be the special 20 killer. I own both special 20s add East tops and I find myself playing the East tops more. They sound absolutely great and they are very player friendly. Bendability, responsiveness add projection are very strong and I have it ordered one yet that was Out Of Tune
...and you're not the first to say that!
No sir. Just reiterating what has been said, and I can testify that it is true
Dear Luke, there is another Chinese harmonica that is having a lot of success, it is from the Konghseng brand and it is called amazing 20, it would be great to hear your expert opinion on this model, greetings!
Thanks for the info!
@@Harmonicacom Thank you for sharing, greetings!
can you replace reedplates
Not to my knowledge. I don't believe they sell the reed plates like Lee Oskar does.
@@Harmonicacom So does Hohner, Seydel , Suzuki. do a followup once a reed fails longevity will determine value... thanks for the review
How many?
Hey Diego - how many what?
@@Harmonicacom the east 008k
@@supernana1972 it’s 25 USD on Amazon
I think these are like Chi Fi in ear monitors, you get $100 sound for $25
Yeah MANY FOLKS agree with you!!!
I've one. Catches my beard.
Ouch!
Oh good to know. I've heard some people complain that Lee Oskars are mustache rippers as well.
Hi im Bangladeshi ami ata kinta cai
Aloha from Hawaii.
Doesn’t East Top suck? I feel like this was just a paid promotion. You never really said anything bad which sounds like a paid promotion. In my opinion u might as well save a bit more money and buy a Hohner which is 100 times more known and reliable. Not saying you can’t begin with this, but I always think it’s better to save and buy the best than save less money and buy sooner.
I don't do paid promotions or even any affiliate stuff, but yeah East Top is a cheap Chinese company. This harmonica plays surprisingly well. I agree with you, if you can afford a Lee Oskar or a Special 20 that what to go for, and if you're on a REALLY tight budget the Fender Blues Deluxe will get the job done to learn on, which I talk about here: www.harmonica.com/which-harmonica-to-buy/
I'm a Lee Oskar guy personally.
It won’t work on a gecko holder
Really? Why not? Doesn't the gecko holder have a magnet? I just ordered a Gecko holder for the first time and it hasn't arrived yet, so I haven't used one yet...
I'd rather buy an authentic Hohner instrument than something made by "Jiangsu East Musical Instrument Co Ltd."
Hi..harp rules,hate keyboards and horns in blues, rather hear harp..
YESSAH!!! 🙌🏼
Lol easttop boughting adv from known harmonica youtubers. This thing is garbage - and you can pay your money to learn that. They send him prepared one with straight and good quality reeds but on the one you will buy reeds will differs off course: bad cutted ends, twisted non-fixable reeds, random gapes waiting you. Funny moment holes of steel plates and plastic comb....may not fit for fkn 1mm(!) can you imagine THAT production quality???
Hmmmm. I don't do any paid promotions, but for $20 I think this is the best harp on the market rivaled only by the Fender Blues Deluxe. It's not a pro harp for sure!