Hammond Melodion PRO-44HP V2

I have owned a couple of melodicas in my time, and have played a few more. They have always been lower quality models, with predominantly plastic parts. This is the first that feels like a real instrument. The reeds have beautiful tone, the 3 octaves mean there's lots of room to open the sound up (and the bass notes sound wonderful), the pickup is a nice feature and the reactivity is just perfect. The parts feel solid and well built, and like there is pride in the manufacture of the instrument. The only downside for anyone who likes to play one-handed while holding it is that the good parts inevitably mean it's heavier than most melodicas, so worth bearing in mind if you plan to use it for full sets.