As a working harmonica player I have been on the lookout for new and better instruments for some time. Lee Oskar harmonicas by Tombo came to my notice at the Rose Morris stand at the last British Fair where they had a few on show. I played their major diatonic and was impressed from the off by their responsiveness. In due course I obtained a full set of their major 10 hole diatonic and some of their 10 hole minor (natural) and 10 hole harmonic minor tunings and set about seeing how fast I could play them into the ground.

Though I play in all styles, including classical, my main love is the blues, which style gives more punishment to the reeds with the constant bending that this style entails. I was impressed at how long the reeds held out, so I determined to meet the man responsible for these instruments. At the Frankfurt Music Trade Fair I met and talked with Mr. Mano, the president of Tombo. Whilst there we discussed, amongst other things, the kind of tests which went into building the right plastic for the comb or body of the harmonica with regard to acoustic projection.

At one time my then infant daughter Beth used to feed biscuits to my harmonicas which would involve me in a long process of stripping them down, carefully reassembling them and then testing for a tight air seal. Though my daughter no longer does this, should anything get stuck in a reed only five Phillips screws need undoing to strip down these Lee Oskar harmonicas. The reed beds are recessed into the comb thus ensuring that they not only slot into the right place but that they are also in a position which allows no air leakage whatsoever. Another plus, which shows their manufacturing philosophy, is that every reedbed is engraved with the key, the date produced and the name of the inspector, so that should a faulty instrument be sold, the fault can be traced and corrected fast.

These harps need no playing-in period, which effectively lengthens the playing life of the instrument. This fact was demonstrated this year at the Glastonbury CND Festival where I was booked to play every day — once daily with a band and several solo spots as needed each day. Just before going down there I had received a complete set of each of the tunings, 36 harmonicas in all. Such was my confidence in these harps that the first time that they got played was on stage. A bit of a risk, you might think, as in a solo set before a large audience a duff note, or a reed with a reluctance to sound, sticks out like a sore thumb in the middle of the carpet. All 36 instruments performed just right, the tuning also being as it should be on each of them. This allowed me to play with the total freedom to display just what I am capable of. Nor does Lee Oskar's smart thinking stop with the instrument. They are packaged in durable anti-crush plastic cases which slot into each other, so that you can easily fit them together in the right order for the set you intend to play.

There are several events coming up on the harmonica player's calendar. Out of all of these the First Harmonica World Championships and International Harmonica Festival provisionally scheduled for early next year, is a must. It will be a week in which all the harp talent from all over the world will be competing and in the evenings there will be performances, workshops and masterclasses. I shall be giving blues masterclasses and blowing my heart out in the blues and C & W sections and loving every minute of it. It will be at this glittering event that I will be opening a musical debate on Lee Oskar's harmonic minor tuning, for though the scale is very old indeed, it is only now that we have it in a 10 hole harmonica. It will be interesting to see what makes of instrument the winners of the blues and C & W sections will be playing. I know that I will be playing the Tombo instruments sure that many players will come away playing Lee Oskars both for the exploration of the new tunings and the regular usage of the traditional tunings.

The new tunings are going to engender new music. Did I hear a cry of "about time too!"? The harmonic minor tuning is fabulous, it is not possible to make an ugly sound on it. This I found out for sure when I gave one to my little daughter to play in a photo session. It is a tremendously evocative scale and yet one which is not restricted to any one style. I have used it for rock, Jazz, blues, afro' and rockabilly rhythms. Anyone can participate in creating the new music for these new tunings and these 'state of the art' instruments are available from Rose Morris from around £7.50p. So, whether you have never played a harmonica before or you are an expert like me, here it is — no amps or hire purchase needed, just take it up and breathe and you produce evocative new music.

From £7.50