KVR Audio

original flipper · Post by **original flipper** » Tue Oct 05, 2004 7:43 pm

HI

I recently had an friend come over with one of these things and was blown away by it

!

He told me they are called 'Jews harp' - I apologise for the term (if it offends anyone) but I would love to get hold of one - he is from abroad so he can't help me.

Anyone know of anywhere that sells them in the UK?

Flipper.

liqih · Post by **liqih** » Tue Oct 05, 2004 7:57 pm

I'm not in UK but every music store with recorders and harmonicas should sell mouth harps as well,

I've got two of them, it's fun to play but after sometime it hurts my teeth, <sigh>

garret · Post by **garret** » Tue Oct 05, 2004 7:59 pm

original flipper wrote:HI

I recently had an friend come over with one of these things and was blown away by it !

He told me they are called 'Jews harp' - I apologise for the term (if it offends anyone) but I would love to get hold of one - he is from abroad so he can't help me.

Anyone know of anywhere that sells them in the UK?

Flipper.

They're also called Jaw Harps. Lark In the Morning sells them (along with just about every other crazy instrument you can think of).

http://www.larkinthemorning.com/search. ... w%27s+harp

It's a US store though, so you'd have to pay international shipping... but their online catalog is fun to look through anyway.

-Garret

Meffy · Post by **Meffy** » Tue Oct 05, 2004 8:31 pm

Around these parts, a mouth harp is a harmonica. A jaw harp, the twangy thing, should cost from a dollar to a few dollars (or local equivalent).

Do be VERY careful not to hit your teeth with the springy part! That can do more than a dollar to a few dollars of damage. Hold the frame firmly against your teeth, don't mess about.

Meffy

shamann · Post by **shamann** » Tue Oct 05, 2004 8:52 pm

garret wrote:but their online catalog is fun to look through anyway.

They do have a great catalog. My favourite so far is the Zydeco Tie.

original flipper · Post by **original flipper** » Tue Oct 05, 2004 9:03 pm

HI

WOW; nice link, thanks.

I need dental treatment; not sure that is the way to go about it though

.

Flipper.

Meffy · Post by **Meffy** » Tue Oct 05, 2004 9:09 pm

original flipper wrote:I need dental treatment; not sure that is the way to go about it though

:-D Well, I work in dentistry (not a DDS though). So these things kind of occur to me. Long as you take care and don't whack away at top volume -- use a mic and amp instead -- you'll be okay. Not every *CLICKbuzzzzzz* takes a chip out of the enamel. :-)

BTW, breathing hard and heavy while playing jaw harp gives it a weird, rough, hard-driven tone that's not like the traditional sound. Kind of like what Ian Anderson does with the flute.

Meffy

xoxos · Post by **xoxos** » Tue Oct 05, 2004 9:42 pm

ADVICE:

i have a f**king EXCELLENT *jah* harp.. never found them on the net but ask your instrument supplier or check w/ italian patent office? unless you live in castelfidardo..

the frame is stamped out of a plate, whih massively dampens the amount of vibration conducted to your teeth.. i won't even play the other 'snoopy' style guys.. :p it's that good.

bought in 90's, says

scacciapensieri made in italy
andreabugar & f
castelfidardo

pat no 48852/A
pat no 35535/B

take my word, this is the one, the only choice.

ouroboros · Post by **ouroboros** » Tue Oct 05, 2004 10:34 pm

How hard would it be to make one? When I googled "jaw harp", there seemed to be couple of different styles, and all looked do-able.

Meffy · Post by **Meffy** » Tue Oct 05, 2004 10:41 pm

ouroboros wrote:How hard would it be to make one? When I googled "jaw harp", there seemed to be couple of different styles, and all looked do-able.

If you're a skilled machinist, I'd think fairly easy. If not, don't bother. They're very cheap to buy.

scacciapensieri

To be sure, I looked that one up a month or two ago, when I found it in SonicSynth (I think). It's Italian for a "chaser-away of cares." A lighten-up. :-)

Meffy

liqih · Post by **liqih** » Wed Oct 06, 2004 12:50 am

xoxos wrote: scacciapensieri made in italy
andreabugar & f
castelfidardo

pat no 48852/A
pat no 35535/B

take my word, this is the one, the only choice.

you're lucky to have one, they don't make it no more AFAIK

liqih · Post by **liqih** » Wed Oct 06, 2004 12:55 am

BTW, breathing hard and heavy while playing jaw harp gives it a weird, rough, hard-driven tone that's not like the traditional sound. Kind of like what Ian Anderson does with the flute.

yes you can even sing in it,
blowing in and out rhythmically like you do for a blues harp is great to make really dancing groove,

think it like a trancegate on arpeggio, <grin>

the tine pluked produce the booing, the mouth is the filter with resonance, you open or close it,
the breath in and out gives the gate effect

ChimeraMan · Post by **ChimeraMan** » Wed Oct 06, 2004 1:00 am

Hey Flipper,

You should check some of your local music shops, the smaller businesses normally stock Jews Harps..they're cheap as chips. I used to work in a small music shop and we had em there.

Google produces:

http://www.gremlinmusic.co.uk/schwarz.htm

yer welcome!

Meffy · Post by **Meffy** » Wed Oct 06, 2004 1:03 am

liqih wrote:blowing in and out rhythmically like you do for a blues harp

Exactly! :-) I got such a kick out of discovering that. Grand fun.

Meffy

The Chase · Post by **The Chase** » Wed Oct 06, 2004 1:40 am

Its been called a "Jew's Harp" for about a 60 years now, but all the ones i can find today are called "jaw Harps". apparently, thats more Politically correct. I have a 50 year old one that my grandfather gave to me

Where can I get a mouth Harp?