C.A. Seydel Söhne Symphony Grand Chromatic Alu C

Weighing in at 448gm or 15 ? oz. this has got to be about the heaviest 16 hole chromatic on the market. So what do you get in return for all this weight? It feels very comfortable and solid in the hand. The tone is superb, whether played at low or high volume, and this is the loudest chromatic I have ever played. The top 8 holes allow you to bend the notes fairly easily to produce a good blues sound. All the reeds have windsavers, except the top 2 on each reedplate, they work well and silently, so there is very little air loss, and you do not end up gasping. The quality of workmanship and material is excellent. The slider return spring arrangement is very innovative and allows the removal of the slider for cleaning without the usual complete dismantling of the mouthpiece. Also when replacing the slider the spring self-aligns into the slot on the slider, instead of the usual fiddle this would involve. Well done to Seydel, for making this impressive improvement. The cover plates are enamelled cast aluminium, they feel very solid, and allow them to be wide open at the back, without feeling flimsy, which probably accounts in part for the very impressive volume.

The heated case is another innovation and certainly allows the instrument to be at playing temperature for someone performing, and it is a very safe environment to store this instrument, not with the heat on all the time, as recommended by Seydel. The only down side of this is that the thing a harmonica has over almost all other instruments is that it will fit in your pocket or hang on a belt. There is no practicable way that could be done using the heated case.

Overall this is an excellent instrument and definitely well worth the money.