When Jacob HOHNER registered his new harmonica design at the US Patent Office on January 30th, 1896, he can scarcely have forseen the impact it was to have on popular music. Conceived as a simple instrument for folk songs, the Marine Band went on to play a vital role in the development not only of the blues, but also of modern folk, rock and pop music - a process which still continues today!

The Marine Band was what truly made the harmonica the people s instrument, played in every conceivable location from the back porch to the concert stages of the world, featured in countless hits and film soundtracks, immortalized in literature. This amazing little instrument has shaped the way most people perceive the harmonica today!