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Hohner

Hohner Musikinstrumente GmbH & Co. KG is a German manufacturer of musical instruments, founded in 1857 by Matthias Hohner (1833–1902). It is a subsidiary of Matth. Hohner AG. The roots of the Hohner firm are in Trossingen, Baden-Württemberg. Since its foundation, and though known for its harmonicas, Hohner has manufactured a wide range of instruments, such as kazoos, accordions, recorder flutes, melodicas, banjos, electric, acoustic, resonator and classical guitars, basses, mandolins and ukuleles (under the brand name Lanikai).

This article is about a maker of harmonicas and related instruments. For a contemporary musical group from Cologne, see Höhner.

Company type

Private

Musical instruments

1857 (1857)

Matthias Hohner

Trossingen, Baden-Württemberg
,
Germany

Worldwide

hohner.de

From the 1940s through 1990s, the company also manufactured various electric/electronic keyboards. Especially in the 1960s and 1990s, they manufactured a range of innovative and popular electromechanical keyboard instruments; the cembalet, pianet, basset, guitaret, and clavinet. In the 1980s, several Casio synthesizers (such as the Casio HT-3000/Hohner KS61midi and the VZ-1/HS-2) were sold under the Hohner brand.


Nowadays, Hohner produces harmonicas, melodicas, accordions and recorder flutes.

Gold limited to 150 pieces.

Chrome limited to 1,857 pieces.

Standard Edition

– The blues harmonica player is noted for playing a Golden Melody like his mentor Howard Levy.

Carlos del Junco

– The multigenre harmonica player is noted for playing several different brands but says the Golden Melody is his favorite.

Howard Levy

– The blues harmonica player is primarily a Hohner Marine Band Crossover player since it came out and has given it much praise. He has played with artists such as Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters, as well as others.

Jerry Portnoy

– The lead singer of the jam band Blues Traveler is noted for playing a Special 20.

John Popper

- The blues, roots-rock harmonica player and vocalist is endorsed by Hohner and plays Hohner Special 20 and Hohner Rocket harmonicas.

Brandon Santini

– The late classical harmonica virtuoso was noted for playing a 64 Chromonica. He also worked on improvements to its lower register as a consultant for Hohner.[50]

John Sebastian, Sr.

– The folk, rock and blues harmonica player has primarily played both Hohner Meisterklasse and Marine Band harmonicas, sometimes with customizations.[51]

John Sebastian

– The rock, country and folk harmonica player is known to play a Hohner Marine Band in the key of G.

Neil Young

– The multi-faceted artist released the Blues album "Commitment" in 1969. Several of the album's songs (including "Me and Mr. Hohner") rely heavily on his use of harmonicas.

Bobby Darin

A number of early blues harmonica players throughout the 20th century have been known for using Hohner Marine Band harmonicas because they were the most available at the time. However, as other harmonica companies began to expand and Hohner produced different types of harmonicas, harmonica players started to develop preferences.

Official website

(2004)

NAMM Oral History Interview with Past President, Horst Mucha

in the 20th Century Press Archives of the ZBW

Documents and clippings about Hohner