My first melodica!

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  • #6874
    Jessica
    Participant

    Hello!
    I’m in the market for getting my first Melodica, I find them so beautiful!
    I want it to be my own, so I would prefer a pink one, I’ve noticed a few on Amazon but since the lack of reviews I’m concerned to spend money on it.
    Do you guys have any to suggest? I’d prefer to spend less than $100 since I’m currently a student with a part time job, and it is my first one after all.
    Or if a pink one is unavailable, which is fine. What brands or models do you suggest?
    Thank you!

    #6876
    Alan Brinton
    Participant

    There’s an obvious recommendation here, namely the pink Yamaha P-32 Pianica that you see on Amazon. The P-32 is an excellent first melodica. I have a large collection of current and vintage melodicas, and the P-32D has consistently been the one I play the most. You’ll see reviews if you look at the blue model on Amazon, including a review by me. The pink model is identical except for color.

    This one has free shipping from Japan, which usually takes about two weeks if it is in stock. I have had no problems with shipping from Japan, either in terms of reliability or in terms of quality of packaging.

    #6877
    Jessica
    Participant

    I haven’t seen that one yet! I was originally looking at the Stagg Melodica, which is a bit cheaper. Do you know if this is a good brand? Or if you would suggest it?

    #6878
    Alan Brinton
    Participant

    Most currently available melodica brands have their melodicas made in China, Jessica. I do not own a Stagg and have never played one, but it has every appearance in photos of being what I will call “the cheap generic Chinese melodica.” Cheapness in this sense is not always reflected in the price. It is a matter of quality of design, construction, and reeds. You might find one of these instruments to be very enjoyable to play and you might really like the sound. But it will be markedly inferior to a Yamaha (now made in Indonesia to Yamaha specifications) or a high end Suzuki (one of the ones with a metal tray, such as the M-32C, made in Japan). Cheaper Suzukis are now made in China, as are most, if not all, Hohners.

    To some extent, the difference in build quality is reflected in the weight of the melodica, and it’s even more evident when you take melodicas apart and see what’s inside. If you look at the How to Tune a Melodica tutorial here, what you see is the insides of a Yamaha P-32D.

    There’s no harm in starting out with a cheaper melodica, though. It’s a small investment, and you can always upgrade later. But in my opinion the Yamaha is more than worth the difference in price.

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