AT FIRST GLANCE, the image of the Tombo Lee Oskar range of 10-hole harmonicas might suggest that they could well be out of the pocket money league. But at a mere £10.50 each they're well within the range of all but the poorest of aspiring rock stars. If you thought all harmonicas were the same, you may be curious as to why one company produces so many. Well, basically, the range contains three modes — Natural Minor, Harmonic Minor and (of course) Major Diatonic. Each of these contains all of the keys you can extract from a harmonica, so that you can choose the sound you want in relation to the type of music you will be playing. A fluorescent sticker on the outside of the "Yuppie" looking compact case tells you exactly what you're buying, but it's always wise to try a few to see which suits you best.

The reed plates are made of top quality brass, and are inlayed and recessed inside, rather than on top of, the comb. This prevents any slippage of reed or the stainless steel cover plates, which are held in place by cross-head screws. Cleaning and adjusting of the reed plate is possible, but so fiddly and time consuming that it hardly seems worth exploring, unless you're particularly enthusiastic. In fact if you open the case or tamper with the inside of the instrument you invalidate the 12-month warranty. Maybe they're trying to tell you something.

Another unusual feature of the range is that each piece is engraved with the key, the date produced and the name of the person who inspected it, to guarantee quality control at each phase of production. It's the sort of information you can bore your mates with down the pub, and proves a remarkably unsuccessful chat-up line, on a par with Sid the Sexist's seminal "You don't sweat much for such a fat lass".

Also provided is a chart showing basic harmonica principles. This is really a first step guide for the novice, and at first viewing looks difficult to work out. Once you go through it, however, it's extremely easy to follow. For instance "blow in hole 1 and the sound is a C, draw and it is a D", etc... It really is as simple as that.

On to the instruments themselves. The Natural Minor series is a superb example of a range of blues harmonicas. They really have to be played through a PA system for best effect, and when you do that the sound is as blues as the Missouri is long. The notes can be bent without much effort, and they are a joy to play. The accompanying leaflet claims Lee Oskar is the first to introduce this mode, and never until now has there been a blues Harmonica to compete with the Hohner Special 20. The Lee Oskar range presents the Hohner with some serious opposition, both in terms of price and quality, and you would be well advised to check out both before leaving the shop with the more familiar brand.

In stark contrast to the sad minor mode the Major Diatonic is a much more readily playable harp. The clearly marked "A" has a rich sound quality that is wonderful to play. Out of interest I played the whole major diatonic scale and some incredibly earthy blues tunes came out of keys D, E and A. Major Diatonic G was very convincing as the harmonica to buy for the novice. It's extremely light and can be held with a microphone with a minimum of practice.

Onto the Harmonic Minors... In the '60s singers didn't have the choice of harmonica keys that we have today. Indeed even the instruments themselves were too long to play single notes, as a browse through any early Bob Dylan album will testify. However single notes are very important in the bluesman's style, and that's why the harmonic minor scale is so useful for soloing. "Dm" sounds very deep, and again notes can be bent easily. I personally found it best to stand slightly away from the microphone, but each to their own. Keeping the best till last, Harmonic Cm will be the next harmonica in my already extensive collection. The sound from Cm has always intrigued me but until now I could only use a marine band version. This one sounds exactly like an old blues harp I used to own but sadly out blew.

It seems to me that Tombo have been listening to musicians discussing what they think makes a good harmonica, and this seems to be the key to their success. A lot of harmonica firms are producing novelty harps complete with vamping button, furry dice and go faster stripes. In contrast, I feel Tombo have produced a no-nonsense range, which although made in Japan, should convince even the most cynical after a hands on demonstration.

Thus in short and stubby terms, these harmonicas are more than adequate for melodies as well as individual notes. Although the major diatonic mode did occasionally sound a touch tinny playing chords, the range again more than made up for it. A harmonica is a valuable addition to any band or solo artist and with a little rehearsal and practise can be played quite competently. You can mix the various keys in a recording studio to get a very melodic centre line in any song. Put simply these harmonicas would allow you to do that with ease, whilst still being very good value for money — and you can't say fairer than that.

TOMBO LEE OSKAR HARMONICAS: £10.50 each.

INFO: ROSE MORRIS, (Contact Details).