The Hohner CX12 Chromatic Harmonica is a special line from Hohner first introduced at the Frankfurt Music Trade Fair in 1992, which later went on to win the German Industry Design Awards.
I have been playing the diatonic harmonica non-professionally since the late 80s, and remember having bought the Hohner Meisterklasse MS 580 Diatonic Harmonica in the early 90s. It is a beautifully-crafted music instrument from the esteemed German company known for manufacturing top quality harmonicas which I still own and play today after over 20 years. The Meisterklasse sealed my fondness for harmonicas made by this company since then.
In 2015, I developed a sudden liking for chromatic harmonicas, and looked no further than the offerings from Hohner. I did scout a little on the other known brands like Seydel, but deep in my heart, I knew it would be a Hohner that I will eventually be getting. I would have loved to own the Meisterklasse Chromonica to go with my diatonic, but that model was a bit beyond my budget.
My research led me to the CX12 line of chromatic harmonicas. I bought one from Amazon for about US$220.00.
Hohner CX12 Chromatic Harmonica
- Item Name: CX-12
- Variations: Black, Jazz, Gold, Tollak
- Type/Tuning: Chromatic
- Keys: C, D, E, F, G, A, Bb, B and Tenor C
- No. of Holes: 12
- Reeds: 48 nos., Brass
- Reed Plates: 1.05 mm, Brass
- Reed Plate Surface: Brass
- Cover Surface: ABS
- Mouthpiece Surface: ABS
- Slide Construction: Zigzag
- Comb: ABS
- Length: 168 mm
The Hohner CX12 Chromatic Harmonica is a special line from Hohner first introduced at the Frankfurt Music Trade Fair in 1992, which later went on to win the German Industry Design Awards.
Despite being lightweight, its solid construction remains unchanged even after over 20 years.
The comb and reed plate assembly is mounted within a one-piece mouthpiece casing, which is secured in place by a steel spring at the back – a testament to its revolutionary design which allows for ease of maintenance without the need for any dismantling tools.
It is interesting to note that the entire line of CX12 models, which includes the Black, Jazz and Gold (see models below this article) is handmade in Germany.
Construction
The comb on the Hohner CX12 is constructed of injection-moulded ABS material, sandwiched between 1.05mm-thick reed plates made of brass.
There are 48 reeds in total, hidden behind 12 holes on the ABS mouthpiece casing. The mouthpiece casing unit is constructed with round channel openings, which is a preference for me, although I would have been quite happy with the square ones on the Meisterklasse as well.
The overall construction is exceptionally airtight, and yet service-friendly, which I will touch on in the next section. The 48 reeds are activated by a combination of breath draws and blows separated by zigzag slide which is operated by a button on the far right of the instrument.
The ABS mouthpiece casing unit feels fragile, but as long as you don’t sit on it with your entire body weight or run over it with a truck, it is solidly rigid in its construction and has the added advantage of being light for carrying around.
Features and Tonal Response
The award-winning design Hohner CX12 Chromatic Harmonica is available in a series of keys – C, D, E, F, G, A, Bb, B and Tenor C. For a first chromatic harmonica and for what I play, I bought the one in the key of C.
I find the Hohner CX12 to be exceptionally warm in its tonal response, and with total unrestrictive resistance in its playability. These are two critical factors for me in the selection of a harmonica, whether diatonic or chromatic, and the Hohner CX12 fits the bill perfectly.
Variations
The Hohner CX12 comes in a number of model variations – Black, Gold and Jazz – each with slight modifications in the design to suit the player’s preference, as described below:
 is the standard baseline in the CX12 series. |
 with thicker reed plates for extra airtightness. |
 with a bevelled mouthpiece that is more comfortable to play and helps improve playing technique. |
I had placed an order for a regular Hohner CX12 Black, but had somehow received the Tollak Signature Edition – named after American harmonica player and recording artiste Tollak Ollestad.
The Tollak Signature Edition is in every way similar to the Black Edition, except that it is normally bundled with Tollak’s Audio CD album Press On, a play-along CD, a 28-page booklet including sheet music, and a free download code for harmonica tutorials and studio video footage. My order came with none of the bundled items, but I had no complaints about receiving the Tollak Signature Edition for the price of the Black Edition.
The Hohner CX12 Chromatic Harmonica has also been seen in custom colours such as white, as you will see in the one of the videos below.
The CX12 Performance Demos
Disassembly and Maintenance
The CX12 line of harmonicas prides itself in its superb ease of maintenance. The entire construction can be disassembled for cleaning and reed tuning without the use of screwdrivers or other tools. In comparison, my Meisterklasse diatonic requires a hex key for dismantling its cover plates. With the CX12, you only need your thumbs to disassemble the instrument. Hohner certainly did a good job in its design for ease of maintenance here.
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A video demonstrating the ease of disassembling and reassembling the Hohner CX12 during maintenance.
Conclusion
The Hohner CX12 Chromatic Harmonica makes a great beginner chromatic harmonica which is also suitable for professional performance. Its ease of playability and maintenance make it a personal favourite of many professional and amateur players alike.
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