THREE NEW CHROMATIC HARMONICAS FROM CHINA: Easttop Forerunner 2, Kongsheng KB-12, and JDR Evolution

it causes wuhan virus...wonder how many underage kids are employed in commie factories to make these mdels cheap😢

Is the forerunner 2.0 the highest quality Valveless chromatic on the market?

Would the internal of a cx12 tenor fit into the housing of the kongsheng kb12? Anyone know?

I have a forerunner 2. Pretty happy with it.

Hello, Brendan! I'm thinking of getting the KB-12 to my brother, but I was wondering how comfortably can you play one handed? He's lost most of his left arm on an accident earlier this year. He loves music and picks up new instruments really fast. He's currently taking piano lessons, but I think he'd like to learn other instruments too, since before the accident he played guitar, flute and percussion. I don't think he would like to play a diatonic (which is smaller and thus more comfortable to hold), as he likes mainly popular brazilian music, bossa nova, samba, etc. What do you think? If this is not an option I'm sure I'll find something else, any tips and thoughts will be greatly appreciated 🙏

Really appreciate your evaluations and demos. Thanks, Brendan!

Another great evaluation Brendan! Do you or anyone know if any of these are available in a 12 hole C tenor tuned model? (That is, so hole #1 blow would be an octive below middle C.) ... thanks!

Is the forerunner loud enough to be heard just jamming in a living room with an acoustic guitar player?

Dear Brendan, please tell me which of the Forerunner keys has the lowest tonal range? I asked a vendor and he says it is 'D'. Yet that confuses me, for I am expecting what I am used to from a chromatic, which is a 'C' reaching one octave below 'Middle C'. Please would you explain how they key they Forerunners? Thanks in advance for any advice. ❔🙋‍♂️

I'm 71 years old. Back in 1968 I was a fan of Stevie Wonder and longed for a Hohner 64 Chromonica. My mother gifted me one at Christmas, total price $20. I still have it, although all the reeds are shot. I also have a brochure from Hohner with the price list. In 1974 I picked up a Marine Band (which I also still have), retail price $3. The Blues Harps were far more expensive, a whopping $5.

Thanks for this, I had been looking for a valveless chromatic, something I can just pick up and play when I've got 10 or 15 minutes to spare. So thanks to this I bought the Forerunner. That KB 12 looks good though, I've got more harmonicas than ability😁

Which model would you suggest someone buy for first chromatic? Is the forerunner 2.0 worth twice the price of the original?

Aaaaaaah fuck my ears 😢

Please turn on automatic subtitles.
I love your videos but, I can't understand many things.
A cordial greeting.

Brendan didn,t you use to make those inserts ? I have something like that in my suzuki C key chromatic I bought from you years ago

Always informative Brendan! The one question I would love answered is how bendable are the Kongsheng and Evolution?

I JUST unboxed my new KB12 Boogie Man. Plays a lot like my CX12.
Right now I've got tingling lips and tip of tongue from the plastic??? WTF?
I'm gonna wash it and hope it solves the problem.
Never has any new harp done that to me.
UPDATE: the cleaning of the mouthpiece did the job. That was a C. I've since gotten an A. I washed it first and love it. Just paid for a G and expect it soon.

Love this break down! I'm stuck between getting the easttop forerunner 2.0 and king dreaM.... Any advice with between the two which I should get... I'm super new and want to try to play some pop cover styles

Je suis déçu du Easttop Forerunner 2 Les marquages sur le capot ne tienne pas ils s' efface au bout de la deuxième utilisation de l'harmonica

I will not buy anything from China if I can avoid it, including harmonicas, and I own over 100 of them.

👍🙏💐

Brendan! Configura para aparecerem as legendas👍abraços do Rio de Janeiro

Excellent video. What is the difference between the Kongsheng Boogie Man and the Viking Age harmonicas? First I thought that it was the same as between the Hohner CX-12 and the Jazz but I'm now not sure. The Viking Age is more expensive.

Nice one Brendan I will NEVER waste my hard earned busking money on another German harmonica love the forerunner & the kon sheng can't find a J D R but when I can I'll get one BLESS m8

I bought an Easttop Forerunner 2.0 in the F# Scale in mid January. But the numbering & the on the cover plate got completely erased showing how poor quality conscious the Chinese are. By end of February, the 8th hole draw was not responding. When sent to Mr.Chayan Chatterjee, he reported the 8th hole draw Reed was broken. Overall poor quality from Easttop. Looking forward to better quality in future.

this is probably the best video I've ever watched on the subject. Congratulations, sir!

Sir, I fail to understand why don't u mention the price? I, earlier also commented the same. How one can decide to buy which Model comparable to other Make. Pl. do mention every Model price.

Q U E S T I O N , P L E A S E - P R O B L E M THAT'S UNIQUE TO THE CX-DESIGN CHROMATICS: Unlike the traditional-style chromatics, which merely need the cover plates removed in order to re-adjust any reed, the CX design is somewhat of a problem in that the slide is difficult to hold in place to adjust & play the reeds with the housing/cover removed. Has anyone discovered a solution to facilitating such type of maintenance to the CX-DESIGN chromatics? Thanks a million for any help.

In the last few days i have recieved two of these harmonicas that both came earlier than expected and they were both ordered through Ali express The Forerunner 2 which is a wonderfully made solid valveless ( Uk price paid :Total: ￡64.59 inc tax ) Being a valveless harp there is a bit less volume especially from the lower notes which requires some adjustment in your playing ( perhaps amplification )..The other one came today which was KONGSHENG BoogieMan KB-12 ( Uk price paid :Total: ￡76.97 inc tax ) Sounds really nice, the slide is very quiet when pushed in but a little noisy when let out as it hits the harmonica body.I purchased the crystal see through body which came in handy because there is no sticker or writing to indicate the harmonicas key, so i wrote it on the inside of the body/case with magic marker; Both great for money: Thanks Brendan for all you do! Harmonicas are getting better all the time and often the price does'nt always equate to the quality.

Hi, BRENDAN POWER ( Q U E S T I O N ), the 12-hole East Top FORERUNNER I ordered arrived in the KEY of C. I just did another thorough search for any 12-hole Forerunner in the key of Tenor, D, E, F, G, A . . . however every seller carries ONLY in C key. PLEASE let me know where I can find the (valveless-design) Forerunner in any other key than C. Thanks for everything.

Sir, pl. mention the price of 3 new models of China Mouthorgans, also.

I've got the original Forerunner... and now I'm thinking that maybe a v2 model might be in order - or maybe the Kongsheng as I love their diatonics!

Thanks so much for that Brendan. I have always been a Hohner man & looked at other competitors with a skeptical eye until I stumbled across your review. Given your musical pedigree I trust your judgement. I have ordered both the East top Forerunner 2 / KB 12 & now subscribe to your channel. Cheers!

Thanks for the informative video.
Brendan, do you know if the parts of the KB-12 and CX12 are interchangeable?

HI brendan, I need a chromatic harmonica on which you can bend the notes like on a diatonic. Is there such a thing?

Thanks, Brendan! Glad to know u r still powering on 😉
You've piqued my interest with the Forerunner. I have some Easttop Harps, both blues & chrom', but this valveless model is interesting. The fact that notes r more bendable on it reminds me of your Asiabend (which I actually bought from our mate Roland, when I lived in Shanghai - shoutout to Roland!).
Some folks in the comments r questioning your choice of country in touting these. Having lived in China for 10 years, I can safely attest to the Kongsheng model as "copied", not "inspired". That is the culture. Regardless, kudos to the designers for actually eliminating all the niggly, annoying things of the CX-12 (mine is gathering dust, having blown reeds and simply being made superfluous by my other, more lovely, Toots & Gregoire signature chromatics).
I'm always up for good quality affordable harps though, so when I'm flush with cash again, the Forerunner and the JDR evolution could be on the shopping list. ✌🏽🐨🎶

Thank's for the insighsful review. Are there brass, steel or phosphor bronze reed's on these models?

Why 12 holes instead of 10?

Please, are the Viking Age covers interchangeable with Hohner CX12?

Brenden has Easttop developed wear plate for Forerunner so that the Slider won't stick on Plastic Comb ?

I play reverse slider does it come with 2 holes in slider ..

Great video. Totally agree with you about the Easttop Forerunner. I own the Seydel Saxony and Seydel Symphony. I never play them due to persistent valve issues. Love the Forerunner.

I bought the Eastop Forerunner, and I love it.

I truly admire you or I wouldn't be subscribed. I also admire the courage it takes to stick something that came from CHINA in your mouth in this day and age but I think I'll stick with Germany.

I’m in on the forerunner. Is the lowest a Db? Have you tried half-valving to get “vaved” bends for the blow notes. Over the years, I’ve come to appreciate the nuances and character of “valved” bends But being able to do sympathetic bends on the draw notes without excessive air loss is quite appealing. Retaining the ability to do “valved” blow bends would be a bonus.

Hi Brendan, I got an Eastop forerunner to learn on about 6 months ago, and then bought the Hohner 270 Deluxe for a better tone, but found the 1&2 draw very sluggish. I opened it up and found that the windsavers were responding no problem, and if like most people in the harmonica world say that it is my emboucher, then how the hell am I going to get an octave split with it! I checked on Pat Missin's site, and an american chap explained that he has fixed many a 270 by shifting combs/plates east to west because of the physics of a 12 holer is incompatible with the long 1&2 reeds. So I bought a Planetone 16 holer, and found it was not as sluggish. When I go to my open mic sesh at the prince Arthur in Euston on 26/1/23, I'll be playing my Eastop forerunner as I know it won't let me down. I would like to thank you for teaching me how to hit a single note on a diatonic (puckering), simply by shifting the harp minutley (Play irish music on the blues harp), no other harmonica instructor seems to know this simplicity! Happy new year sir.

At this writing, Amazon (US) is showing a 40% off coupon for the KB-12 (grey). Curiously, it’s currently mislabeled as a “CX12” in the title. Also lots of incorrect info in the product description.

Are there any chromatics that don’t have the tonic note repeat in holes 4 and 5 ? I think it’s also on holes 8 and 9. Is there a harmonica where this does not occur? If so, that’s the one I want to try.