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Surprised to be so far ahead of you. Bought an EastTop over 3 years ago as my first "real" harmonica. It's good.

Eastops have been my go-to harp for 6+ years. Few people give them the recognition they deserve. Responsive. Bendable. Rich tone.

I think Easttop is a great compaany. I have several high end Hohner chromatics and diatonics. I bought an Easttop 12 hole chromatic brand new for 27 dollars as I wanted an inexpensive chromatic to carry with me in a coat pocket etc. Well, I couldn't believe the gorgeous tone and construction quality of this instrument. It is, in my opinion a pro level instrument. The tone is very nice and it lends itself to ballads, standards and jazz. I still cannot believe that 27 dollars got me this great sounding chromatic. It looks super nice too. Kudos to Easttop for building good harmonicas offered at affordable prices!

About a year ago I bought a set of Easttop 008K harps -- 12 keys from G to F# in a nice zippered case for $127 online. That's less than $10 per harp if you factor in the cost of the case. This purchase was to replace/augment the motley crew of old, worn, mismatched harps I kept by my desk for quick practice purposes. The Easttop harps have GREATLY exceeded my admittedly low expectations. They are way better than some harps that cost four times as much. Granted, you won't find any of them in my gig case (Crossovers and MB Deluxes there) but still a lot of bang for the buck.

My wife actually just recently bought me an East Top Chromatic, and I love it.

Thanks, Tomlin, great gift idea for the kids who have shown an interest.

Great video, Tomlin! Thanks for the great advice. IMA buy one in B flat ... Love youre sense of humor, to boot 😂

Nice quality work with this video Tomlin. Regards

Thinking of getting one of these to keep in the car for playing at the beach etc. for under $30 you can’t go wrong and don’t have to worry about ruining your expensive harps

Nice production ...learned what you learned thank you for your time sending you best wishes on your journey........,

Agreed. Great harp for the money. Downside: sharp edges. Here’s a great tweak: open up the top cover plate and tighten the reed plate screws. The factory doesn’t tighten them enough. You now have a fantastic sounding instrument.

Yeah I'm really glad you added the bit about the 2 hole draw. I had similar experience with harps like this, that's the only reason why I warn beginners not to buy as their main harp, for serious practice etc. I couldn't get on with the metallic taste & the paint job. Which looks amazing but just not for me, as little things like that distract me. I'd like to hear you make an update video on it after 3 month use and how you think it's lasted. 👍

Best review for answering all questions about t008k.

Great video, and just what I needed to convince me to try one of these harps. I literally LOLd when you stuck that harp in your mouth! :-)

Congrats, i've got 4 of them, good instruments, greetings from Mallorca👍🏼😎

I picked up a couple because they are less expensive and I wanted a couple of keys I don’t use often. Now I use those keys more often. I like this harp.

Great video Tomlin, apart from when you look 'off camera' which is quite disconcerting...BTW thanks for starting me on my harmonica journey!

My favorite harmonica. I would readily endorse them.

Like others here, I have a couple that I bought to fill in rarely used keys. They are what I would consider decent. I also picked up an East Top Forerunner 2.0, 12 hole valveless chromatic, and it blows me away! It is not as airtight as one equipped with windsavers, but it also doesn't need to be warmed up and is bendable. This is a perfect practice tool for me as I can pick it p when I only have 2-3 minutes of free time to play. Added bonus, as it takes a bit more air to move the reeds, i feel faster when I play my CX12. East Top is punching above their weight, as they say. Also, speedy on an orange nato is one of the coolest combos available.

Wonderful instrument. Congratulations on your videos, which promote the harmonica.

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It's amazing how many people who have never played one of these automatically assume they are gonna be rubbish, I prefer mine to the special 20.

I’ve bought quite a few Easttop harps. I have had more than one problem with the 2 draw. Wish they would fix that. Otherwise very good quality.

Can you please show us how to tweak 2 hole ? Coz same problem happened with me . Take care .

I bought a set of these in different keys about 4 years ago. They were $81 for 7 of them. Haven’t been disappointed yet..

I have the same model and so I can tell you that it is mustache safe. I have had it (and an A and a Lucky 13 Super Bass). I have some of all of the major brands and I use them for different things. But the East Top is a great value for the money. All beginners should get these for starts. I have had occasional reed issues out of the box on most of the expensive harmonicas.

They also come with a nice zipper case to keep clean. Better value and easier to play than Lee Oscar. I have both 😊

Love mine.. great price 😅 sometimes I prefer it before my special 20. Depending on what I'm playing.

I see East Top are now selling a 'Free Blues' model which one reviewer calls an update of the 008K. Have you come across one and if so is it an improvement? PS, love your vids, great tips 👍

Ah I can see in the video the paints rubbing off. How long you had it? Definitely like to hear an update. Eg how often you had to open it & tweak, I'd like to know if it's a false economy thing

I got a F chromatic about a year ago a I did break a couple of reads bending notes I’ve tried fixing them but I still have a couple that are a little iffy a lot of the time. Now I’ve had lots of harmonica throughout the last 50 years I still have a bunch of Horner’s and a bunch of others that I don’t play very often because the wooden combs break a lot and even worse like the marine ban tere up my mouth a few minutes playing and it takes almost a week to heal up so I can play again the special 20 isn’t to bad but the tuning is often off and most are hard to blow. Since getting the East Top’s harmonica’s I’ve fell in love with them the front is smooth and comfortable and I can play for hours with no problems since I broke my favorite F I haven’t bought a replacement yet I keep trying to repair it but I also have one in A & G and a 12 hole in C which covers 4 hole octaves from B2 to B6 and since it a chromatic it has all of the sharps and Flats so I’m trying not to bend to many notes I use to have one of the gold Horner model but it was so temperamental if the temperature changed a couple of degrees or the humidity changed just a little bit it would literally quit working I had to send it back a couple of times for repair but like I said it wouldn’t work around 80% of the time and it cost over $700 to buy where the East Top I’ve gotten still work way better than anything I’ve gotten from Horner and are mor comfortable to play. Now I’ve had trouble with my blood sugar and tried to explain it to my doctor who won’t listen when my blood sugar is below 180 I can’t play anything so I did some live videos on Facebook to show him I did a 1.5 hour of playing and messed up saving it so I did another 1.5 hours of playing different stuff till my sugar dropped and I’ve done several of these and like I said playing continuously for 3 to sometimes 8 hours in a day and my mouth doesn’t hurt that’s comfort. I just found these smaller harmonicas an Amazon and am going to get some of them on payday which I’m looking forward to. Check out what they sound like I posted a review on Amazon and on Facebook under Glen Parker I did several live videos with the F Chromatic from East Top check it out because they’re worth every penny and there under $70 and the small one for $25 I’ve paid $50 to $90 for similar other brands that were hard to play and usually don’t work more than a couple of weeks if you bend notes or play them very much. Some of the best harps I’ve gotten worked really good seem to go broke after a couple of years because they keep working I guess so you just keep using them for years and then you can’t get new ones anymore I hope East Top doesn’t do that but I’m going to get a bunch more of them just in case 👍👍👍👍

I recently got the 10 hole diatonic in C and have had no problems. A good harp.

I started with Easttop harmonicas when I started on your school Tomlin. I have the 6 keys you always recommended. I was happy with them. I still have them as a back up. Good video.

I got 2 a paddy A and G happy with both

Hi Tomlin! Great advices! Where did you bought yours (do they sell to Portugal?). Thanks.

Hi Do Easttop have a Low D blues harp. I find other low d harmonicas have a slow response for fast tunes reels and jigs. Thanks

I do like Easttop harmonicas. Another $25.00 harmonica I wish you would review is the Kongsheng Amazing 20. I have owned both and I think both are very good for $25.00.

I just started learning to play having a bit of a time playing single notes but I’m being consistent with it cause I want to learn to play

Can you shoot a "tweaking" video, if not already done? Many thanks for all you do!! T

I tried to play my old A key harmonica and the 7 blow was destroyed. Tried to salvage it and it got deeper and deeper. I couldn't justify mustering $50+ for a new one right now. The east top cost me $27.89. Thanks for the recommendation! I'll surely buy more expensive harps in the future, but this fits the bill at the moment!

I play the Eastop brand but curious to try another brand to see the difference any thoughts 🤔

I find it easier to bend on other harmonicas I own. Other than that, I love the East Top set I own and play them often.

How does it compare to the Hohner special 20? I’m considering getting a set.

Can you play B flat by overblow in middle octave by this harmonica? Is it capable to do?

Funny you mention the ‘stache factor. ‘Stache factor was a big reason I lean more towards Lee Oskars vs Hohners

Tomlin, I’m trying to find out if the bottom plate is blank, or at least free of all the logo text. Trying to engrave a bit as a gift for a friend. Can you help me? I’ve watched 3 videos on this harmonica but I can’t ever quite catch the bottom plate to see if it’s got enough space for the engraving

Have you checked out Kongsheng yet! They’re my new favorite harmonica! 😎

When you see the price point you think it’s gonna be a toy or not play well or be very leaky. I’m shocked at how it sounded and how great your review is. I just dropped $50 on a golden melody today. I’ll be trying a eastop soon, even after the rattle.

I think the T008k is a great starter but also consider the Konsheng Amazing 20 which is SP20 style and very decent for the price.

Does the Hohner tool kit work on the EastTop...?

Hi Tomlin, do you know if they do a 'B Flat' version, all i can find is a straight 'B' it seems odd to not do a Bb? Good review, fair play to ya!

I have a D and and F. The D is unplayable. The F is very nice. Go figure. I say you are correct in that their quality control is not up there yet.

Whats the best key for blues?

I tried a complete set from A to G. They are nice and sound good, BUT , they were all leaky. Compared with Hohner MS 20 or Lee Oscar. I do not recommend them. But Easttop accepted that I returned them (at my own expense though). I don´t think any other harpmanufacturer does that. I bought the Easttop Chromatic Forerunner 12 holes and I am fully satisfied with that.

I have a special 20 and 2 T008k Easttops. The S20 has noticable gaps at the corners which are rough in the mouth and are noticable lighter. They actually feel cheap against the S20. Neither of the Easttops had any problems out of the box. They bend easily for me... and I'm still a beginner of 4 months. I really see no reason why they "won't last" as some people are suggesting. Nor can I see why the reeds will blow out. In a (very experienced) forum discussion recently 90% of people said this was a user problem (not related to Eastops, just harp's in general). In Australia they cost $29 vs $80 for an S20. An S20 is $50 more largely because its made in Germany, not because its got better materials or workmanship, neccessarily. That's a big difference. My one and only issue is that the taste is a little hard to get used to. Sorry for the long post but people can be quite fixed and biased in their ideas. Who knew?!

I have a Brendon Power Lucky 13. It is a modified Eastop, having 13 holes instead of 10 and I really like it. I don't know if it has been worked it being from Brendon Power but if Mr. Power likes it... Oh, can you buy replacement reed plates?

I also love eastop

Tomlin, I have a mustache and full beard both much longer then you did in the video you showed and i can report that the East Tops are facial hair safe!!

The best harmonicas on the market for good money. The T008K has great potential for customization. Also other Chinese Kongsheng Soloist, Fat baby, Lucky 13. Everything you need to know. And you can forget about other harmonicas.

What would you be pointing to at 5.55?

I don't think the body is steel -- it will not stick to my magnetic harmonica rack. I'd like to know how to fix the rattling... I tend to feel that on the lower notes.

I found the Easttop 008 to be one of the worst OOTB harmonicas I've bought, and although I still have and use it, it required too much modification to be playable. The cover plates were (painted/powder coated?) and the severe angle of the covers made it feel too thick while trying to play. Even though it looks like a Marine Band, the 008 is actually the same size as a Hohner MS series. So I swapped a pair of Blue Midnight cover plates...much better. Unfortunately, the 008 was still unusually leaky, so I dismantled the harp to find (waterjet?) marks on the faux wood plastic comb. Flat sanded the comb, gapped the harp and it's now a dececnt, playable harp. So in my case at least, it wasn't a good value. And in the end, even after the modifications, I'd MUCH rather play a Special 20 or Suzuki Bluesmaster.

I will stay with the crossover nothing else will beat it

Ooh, you seem to be implying at 1:30 that the East Top 008k is better than a Lee Oskar. Is that right?

I mean, they're pretty cool. But for the same price you can buy a Kongsheng TinG. And those are damn good harps. Damn good. You should really try it. Really. They're really good.

I've got the Forerunner and Forerunner 2. They're okay. A little bit too much reverb for my taste, especially in the lower octave when pressing the slider. I ask myself why these harmonicas are so cheap. To kill the competition? My Special 20 did not cost much more than the East Top Blues Harmonica.

i have 8 of these . i bought mine when they sold for aboughht 10.00 us dollars each .

I've had a ridiculous time finding these in different keys ... Most retailers only list one key... Usually 'C'

I don't remember that haircut from back in 2006! 🤣

When looking around I noticed that they also do really cheap chromatics and they are reedless.

Had one of these 008K for a little while. Sounded great initially but quality is below par. In particular, Specifically, I didn't like the silkscreen printing on the top cover which robbed against the upper lip.

I purchased a number of Easttop models, 008K, 008S, 008T(?)...They worked well for a while, a short while, but then it seems like I burned the reeds out in a matter of weeks. I have set them all aside (nothing a little look under the hood won't fix, but I'm not good at that, and lack the patience. I've tried.) They are probably good for a beginner. I saw a young fellow demonstrate his new unboxing of Easttop, and he rocked on it, but due to my experience, I wonder how long the good tone would last. I don't recommend them, but if the company took time, they can be excellent harps, they have the materials to be.

2006-2023 same haircut and same shirt!

I got one recently, and itI was not good. I'll stick with my Seydels, and Hohners.

It is good for simplest things. But you have to fix gaps right after buying. That wouldn't help with bends and overblows anyway. I can't advice easttop for beginners. It sounds well but it is still like 2 weeks toy and then you need real music tool like any other well known more expensive ones.

I bought 3 of these for 12.99 apiece while back free shipping.....one went bad

The shocking reality of them is that they're pretty good? I guess you gotta get them clicks. Worked on me.

I was not impressed, so I wrote HOHNER in mine with fancy letters and now it plays actually quite well. Seriously, they are ok, I have 2, will I buy more? no, my curiosity is already satisfied. Are they the best quality-price? Sure, unbeatable, but at the end of the day I prefer to pay quite a lot more for something a little bit better. I wish I had bought them in rarer keys, for that aim they would be ideal. I don't know why the Chinesse don't make harmonicas in low keys, with me they would make a fortune as the options available are breaking the bank.

Downside for me is that as far I can find out they are made in China. Only 25 dollars... but is that slave labour products with blood-money? No matter how airtight or whatever....I would never buy one of those. What is your opinion Tomlin?

FYI. It's not mustache proof! Ouch!!

I do disagree with you, I bought a whole set of PowerBender harmonicas made by East Top a year ago. Completely unusable, air tightness is zero. Cover plate edges are as sharp as a razor, so don't dare give them to children. I bought a matching set of Kongsheng harps instead, which I'm really happy with.

Cheap rubbish I tried a few eastflops awhile ago just to see Just rubbish in every way If you don’t want to spend much money get a honher special 20 For a good quality instrument, have some self pride and treat yourself to a good one that has been tried and tested for decades No doubt the oriental company didn’t pay its 400 plus staff well

Don't waste you money ppl. This thing is garbage - as everything other chinese harps this money range. Mr. Leckie just makes money you know. Reeds produced terrible, gaps looks random, some reeds may be even twisted - you will NEVER fix this.

I used to do a lot of photography.... A lot of my friends used to talk all the time about gear, bought endlessly new cameras, lenses. I stick to one camera one lenses (i shoot film). I read all the books i could on painting, arts, photography, poetry .... We used to go out. I shoot 10 photos max a day (film cost money). They shoot thousands..... Guess whose photos were better?.... its the indian, not the arrow.