The Tremolo: Reviews
The Hohner Echo Celeste

Overall: Some have seen this as one of the most excellent tremolos on the market today. This is a relatively new model; Hohner just recently began to make these, as of the middle of 2004. So far, there are a large number of very good reports, and a very few reports that are not so good. It is tentatively suggested here that there are good and bad production runs of this instrument. Two reviewers bought one or more, found them to be less than excellent, called Hohner, was told to mail them directly to Hohner for replacement...and within two weeks he had two excellent replacements in their possession with which they most happy.

Price and availability: US$14.95 plus shipping from Coast To Coast Music, and approximately the same from Hohner retailers worldwide. An excellent price for a quality instrument.

Keys: All twelve major keys. We have hopes that the minors will eventually be produced.

Size: 24-tone. The Hohner Echo Celeste is the only 24-tone tremolo available in all twelve major keys, so far is currently known.

Box: A very interesting and visibly durable case, with a wrist strap. Looks to be made of strong nylon fabric reinforced, and closes with a good zipper. It is reminiscent of certain cell-phone cases.

Physicality: Good strong plastic comb, behaves as if it will last a long while. Good sheet metal covers. Two good screws secure into nuts, holding it all together, with more dimly visible inside. Brass reedplates, edges visible. The usual sheet metal covers are polished to a high sheen, with just a few light markings to indicate make and tones. Overall feel is good and strong, like Suzuki Humming, though not as heavy.

Tone & Tuning: On the one owned by the writer, the tone is so good it's almost scary. It is excellent in all of lows, mids, and highs. Solo-tuned. The tuning is extremely precise, possibly even better than Tombo 1521. The off-tuning is normal tremolo, and very well done. On this instrument there is interesting mystery as to how the excellent timbre is produced, because although the comb is plastic, the sound is wonderfully rounded, yielding better results throughout the range than any other tremolo this writer have played. And one can control this instrument better, too: one can produce very pleasing notes at very low volume as well as high volume. The loudest volumes from this instrument are not as loud as Suzuki Humming or the Tombos, but that is a small price to pay, unless you have to play unpowered or in very loud modes. Chords are as easy as single notes, just like 1521. This harmonica is full-scale (solo) tuned, unlike most other Hohner tremolos, so multiple-octave runs are ready for the playing.

Downsides: On this writer's Echo Celeste, the max volume is not quite as loud as the more expensive instruments out there (Tombo, Suzuki), but not badly so, and this is a tradeoff for the greater expression. In addition, over time it has become clear that the instrument is not as durable as Suzuki Humming.