Bushman Music Works

I love this harmonica!  It’s so special – the way it feels, the way it plays, the way it sounds – that it deserved the very best name.  I named it after 3 important men in my life – John Lee Curtis aka Sonny Boy Williamson I (March 30, 1914 – June 1, 1948) the founding father of blues harmonica, John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1917 – June 21, 2001) my favorite bluesman, and John Lee Hall, (February 25, 1944 – January 23, 2022) my father who instilled in me a never-ending love for music.

The John Lee is the first harmonica ever to feature Smoothie Cover Plates.  The brushed stainless steel covers are not painted or powder coated – they’re just completely slick, making for a comfortable, fast harmonica.  The hole numbers are positioned out of the lip zone to improve comfort and slickness even more.  There’s a deep finger valley in each cover plate for your index finger and thumb to lay in while holding it.  The finger valleys are not only comfortable, but they keep the instrument right where you want it.  The ends of the Original’s plastic comb are concave so the harmonica lays perfectly in the crotch between your index finger and thumb.  No other harmonica offers so many comfort features, and then you have the playability!  The easy, loud, fast, sound it produces seems magical – like it’s impossible.  I’ve never experienced a harmonica that bends so easy – draw bends, blow bends, over blows – they’re all possible on the John Lee!  The harmonica technicians who make the John Lee use an easy-bender reed gap recipe that makes those bends possible right out of the box, with no customization or adjustments necessary.  All I can say to them is, Namaste!  The John Lee Original features a plastic comb whereas the John Lee Steelie features a polished aluminum comb.  Click here to see a leather pocket case that’s custom made for the John Lee.