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 further improve comfort and slickness. 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 Steelie's polished aluminum 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!