Suzuki SCX-64C Chromatix Series C Key Harmonica - 64 Reeds, 16 Holes - Perfect for Blues, Folk & Rock Music Performances

The Suzuki SCX-64C is just about everything the company’s blurb claims. It looks magnificent and is nice to play with its ergonomic mouthpiece and the silent, velvet-smooth slide action. Swapping from a 12 holed instrument to this 16 is fairly easy because the holes of the lowest of its four octaves are numbered 1 through 4, then the numbering starts again with another 1 at the fifth hole and continues to hole 12 (the actual sixteenth hole). This makes it two instruments in one and a new player used to a 12 hole harp can ignore the lowest octave and play the SCX-64 as a 12 hole harp. The real delight is how easily the first four holes play with their extra lower notes for tunes requiring mellow sounds below the Middle C.In the first six months of playing the SCX-64C only needed to be checked and cleaned on two occasions. Both times the slide buffers required minor attention, as well as a routine dusting inside the covers and on the reed plates. When brand new, most of the dust came from the plastic case with its faux velvet lining which shed minute fibrous particles that adhered to the lubrication of the mouthpiece slide and inside the covers. For this reason avoid using the case. Preferably, keep the harmonica in a lint-free cloth bag to protect it and for prewarming in an inside jacket pocket.The wind-saver valves often stick, especially in cold weather and the SCX-64C, like most harmonicas, needs pre-warming before playing. Gently puffing out the reeds and valves with cool dry air using a lens cleaning puffer after playing will dry out most of the condensation which causes the valves to stick. From beneath the covers, puffing dry cool air to gently lift the valves from the reed plate usually frees them while revealing any that may still be stuck. The time spent on this drying and cleaning before storing will pay dividends in the long run. Ignore the supplied cleaning cloth – it is just too small to be really useful. It is best to buy a couple of LensPen MicroKlear ™ lens cloths from any good camera store, or AMAZON. Cheap microfiber cloths tend to shed fibrous lint.On the negative side I found what looked like ominous cracks in the plastic comb. However, close scrutiny revealed these to be artifacts from the molding process where the injected resin had flowed around the molded screw hole inserts and cavities to leave hair-line trails: not surprising as the plastic comb is a complex piece of injection molding.Refitting the mouthpiece screws and bumpers is a delicate process, and because the Philips screw heads for the covers are shallower than desirable, care must be taken when matching screw-drivers to the heads. The mouthpiece screws also need to be carefully tensioned equally to allow free movement of the slide while eliminating any air leakage. The Suzuki SCX-64C is a beautiful instrument requiring painstaking care to maintain and handle.The tuning marks on the reeds are neat and the instrument is tuned to within reasonable tolerances. Any notes that fail to sound correctly are the fault of the player and not the harmonica. Learning to successfully play all the usual suspect notes requires daily, patient practice.I am in the process of searching for a second SCX-64C to have a back-up should the first require intensive servicing. In Australia these instruments are rare and seemingly impossible to acquire locally, with major re-sellers seldom able to keep stocks on hand. Even AMAZON only advertises limited quantities, and these are not always available to buyers outside the US. For the money, the SCX-64C is a Chromatic Harmonica to treasure and an instrument to satisfy most players.This chromatic from Suzuki is a great harmonica! Great sound, feels good in your hands, light and a sturdy slide for hitting those sharps and flats! Great hard case. If you're on the fence about placing an order, just do it! You will thank yourself once it's in your hands!This is an excellent chromatic for the money - hard to do better. I received the genuine article and it's a high quality instrument: Fairly well tuned (tuning is an issue on every chromatic) , good airtight seal, quiet slide, very nice looking, feels good in the hand, plays well. Careful thought was put into the design of this instrument.As with all chromatics, the highest registers need to be broken in slowly. Pay no attention to reviews saying this instrument does not play well in the higher registers, etc- the problem is with the player's technique, not the instrument.Can't give it 5 stars for two reasons: 1: Can't give any chromatic 5 stars after playing it for a few days - need to see how it holds up over time. 2: The SCX sound is on the subdued side - I won't call it muffled but it's not as bright and doesn't project as well as my Hohner Super 64 (which cost quite a bit more). The difference is marked. The sound of SCX is very nice for certain types of music - jazz/blues - 'mellow' might be a good term for it. But for classical, folk, country styles, etc, you probably want a brighter sound.If you are looking for a quality chromatic on a budget, or just want to get your feet wet with the chromatic or the 64-16, do not hesitate to go for the SCX-64.(Price on this model fluctuates considerably - over the last few weeks it's been anywhere from $180 to the current price of $250.)I did not need to adjust anything. All reeds were perfect out of the box. For the money, it's hard to beat.A definite buy.Couldn't ask for more at $200, other than maybe a compact case.Been waiting for a bargain on this baby and finally got one.I especially like the chrome finish on the mouth piece. It glides easier than my Seydel Deluxe, (Seydel probably uses silver, it's sticky on the lips) though I prefer the sound of the Seydel just a bit more. That doesn't necessarily mean that you would. It's all relative. It does take a bit more wind than a Seydel Deluxe Steel, but hey, it's about twice the size. I guess that's to be expected.The quality of this instrument is fabulous. Every note plays like it should from to to bottom. No tweaking required.I would highly recommend it to anyone.The case is adequate, but really?If you were to drop it, it would probably break.Hey Suzuki, Seydel and Hohner, give us a durable silk low profile spring hinged case that we can fit in a jacket pocket so we don't look like we have a giant tumor growing on our chest! LolA case like the Chinese give you with their tremelos would be nice.Don't let the case discourage you. It is a beautiful instrument.Definitely buy it for $200.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.Received my Harmonica today.. Well its a little early to give a review maybe, But i have had a play for an hour and my first impressions are really good. The stand out things for me are the slide action is very nice and the curved mouthpiece is a joy to use. It is a fine looking instrument and sounds pretty awesome too. There are a couple of sticky windsavers but they seem to have settled down already maybe after it warms up fully this helps stop them sticking. There is a bit of rattle on a couple of low note but as is well documented in other reviews this tends to go away after a while also.. I have previously played Larry Adler Pro 16's and use a swan 1664 mostly for practicing.. Considering the price i paid for it i would have no problems recommending this to any serious player. In fact i would say anybody that is new to playing a chromatic, Buy one of these.. You will advance more quickly as a player if you play a decent instrument of any kind and in my opinion this is definitely as good as you will find without paying over 4 times the price.. Thanks Suzuki and Amazon... I have owned two of this particular instrument (one purchased from Amazon) and both proved unplayable with sticking valves and "bum" notes. I also own the Hohner 64 version and have had no problem with this. Currently my Suzuki Chromatix 64 is with its makers being investigated under warranty (one year). It has multiple problems. I own multiple Suzuki, Seydel and Hohner harps and the two I've owned of this harp are the worst of all harps.As has been said so many times before in revues, the scx 64 is the best of the best wordwide. esthetically it just looks good, tone has a wonderful timbre. Please bear with the E&F in the second octave (hole No2) so often a problem as many a player will attest on many harmonicas. All the reeds become more flexible with playing a combination of both you and the instrument. I shall not go on as all the eulogies have been voiced before in regards to the scx 48/56/64. Suzuki range.Received my Suzuki SCX64-C Harmonica the other day, delivered earlier than expected (swift service). I've been knocking out tunes in no time, even though the 16-hole Chromatic is more challenging than a Diatonic. With this model, you get A LOT for your money. Probably worth three times the £152 paid price. Thoroughly recommended - you certainly won't get anything better for this good price.