[Lowboy]

Hi Simchaleh,

I own several Hohner HM 32s (Piano 32s) and several Piano 36s. They are not the same. The design and the sound of these two melodicas are quite different. I plan to complete a review of the HM 32 soon, but to summarize for you edification, the HM 32 is an intermediate quality melodica. The key action is not exactly smooth. The keys are somewhat clanky, and the key throw is short. It does not sound as loud as the Piano 36. Most people would look at this melodica and not see anything remarkable.

Yet the Piano 32 is my favorite melodica at this point in time! There are three things going for this melodica in my opinion. First, the sound. I play the blues and this melodica has a darker, smoother sound than most melodicas. It fits the blues almost like a harmonica does. Second, the lower notes bend pretty easily and pretty deeply (essential for blues music). Third, the sound is projected from the back of the melodica. Hence, as I have noted in several posts, you can hold the melodica against your chest in various ways to block and unblock the sound holes. This brings with it dramatic modulation of the sound such as: wha wha effect, tremolo effect, and dark to bright variation in tone.

So if you are into the blues, this could be a good melodica to get, understanding that it also has limitations, particularly in the keyboard action as noted above. If you are into other genres, and want a traditional bright, accordion-like, rich sound, the Piano 36 or other brands of melodicas might serve you better. I will have a lot more to say in my review of the HM 32, which I hope to post in the next week or two. I will follow this post with another post about the supply of these HM 32 melodicas.

Lowboy