Wimmer-Bades Basic Jaw Harp
Price:
€5.45
Guimbarde Wimmer-Bades Basic
This jaw harp offers a direct entry into the instrument without significant financial commitment. The stainless steel frame, hand-forged in a family workshop in Upper Austria, produces sound through a simple mechanism: you hold it against your teeth, pluck the metal tongue, and shape your mouth cavity and breath to alter pitch and tone. The result is a buzzing, resonant sound capable of producing melody, harmony, and rhythmic texture—all within the constraints of a single vibrating reed.
Construction and Materials
The frame is made of stainless steel, with the handle area lacquered in colour for visual distinction and grip. This material choice provides durability while keeping the instrument lightweight and portable. The tongue mechanism is straightforward: pluck it with your finger or thumb to initiate vibration, then control pitch and timbre through mouth shape and breath pressure.
Sound and Playing Technique
A jaw harp produces sound by sympathetic vibration of the metal tongue against the frame. Pitch variation comes not from the instrument itself—which is fixed—but from how you shape the resonance chamber of your mouth and direct your breath. You can achieve different notes, harmonics, and percussive textures by adjusting tongue position, lip shape, and breath intensity. The sound is inherently buzzing and rhythmic, suited to both melodic phrasing and rhythmic accompaniment.
Many playing techniques are already accessible on this basic model, despite its modest price point. The limitations you encounter will be in tonal refinement and sustain rather than in fundamental playability.
History and Tradition
Jaw harps have appeared in musical traditions across Europe, Asia, and beyond for centuries. The workshop producing this instrument has been making them for twelve generations, maintaining hand-forging methods in Upper Austria. This continuity of craft reflects the instrument's enduring role in folk music, particularly in Alpine regions, where it has long served in both solo and ensemble contexts.
What's Included
- Jaw harp (Guimbarde Wimmer-Bades Basic)
- Transport blocks
- Quick-start guide
Getting Started
The quick-start guide included with the instrument covers the essentials of holding, plucking, and initial mouth shaping. Expect a learning curve of several hours before basic pitch control becomes intuitive. The transport blocks protect the frame during storage and travel, preventing damage to the delicate tongue mechanism.
The jaw harp remains a foundational instrument in Alpine folk music and continues to appear in world music traditions where breath control and mouth shaping are primary means of expression.
Price:
€5.45
Guimbarde Wimmer-Bades Basic — A hand-forged jaw harp from the Wimmer-Bades workshop in Upper Austria, built for players discovering the instrument's distinctive buzzing tones and rhythmic possibilities. The stainless steel frame with coloured grip sits comfortably between the teeth, allowing you to shape breath and mouth cavity into melodic patterns, harmonic overtones, and the percussive textures that have anchored Alpine folk traditions for centuries. Comes in three sizes (6.5, 7.5, 9.5 cm) and colours, with transport blocks and a quick-start guide. An affordable entry point into a craft passed down through twelve generations of Austrian makers.
♪ Audio Samples ♪
Wimmer-Bades Basic - 965
Wimmer-Bades Basic - 975
Wimmer-Bades Basic - 995
| Weight | 0,04 kg |
|---|---|
| Origin | Austria |
| Included | Transport blocks, quick guide |
| Materials | Steel |
| Jaw Harp Type | Teeth-activated jaw harp |
| Special Features | Recommended for beginners |
Caution: Not suitable for children under 3 years. Please supervise older children. Beware of swallowing small parts, strangulation, material allergies, sharp edges and points! Use only for sound generation. No liability for improper use.
Care: Extreme temperature fluctuations, humidity and direct sunlight can affect the lifespan. Please store in balanced humidity to prevent material changes, mold and corrosion. Remove dirt with a damp cloth. Dry after cleaning and each use.
Disposal: Please contact your local waste disposal authority for information on environmentally sound disposal!
Guimbarde Wimmer-Bades Basic
This jaw harp offers a direct entry into the instrument without significant financial commitment. The stainless steel frame, hand-forged in a family workshop in Upper Austria, produces sound through a simple mechanism: you hold it against your teeth, pluck the metal tongue, and shape your mouth cavity and breath to alter pitch and tone. The result is a buzzing, resonant sound capable of producing melody, harmony, and rhythmic texture—all within the constraints of a single vibrating reed.
Construction and Materials
The frame is made of stainless steel, with the handle area lacquered in colour for visual distinction and grip. This material choice provides durability while keeping the instrument lightweight and portable. The tongue mechanism is straightforward: pluck it with your finger or thumb to initiate vibration, then control pitch and timbre through mouth shape and breath pressure.
Sound and Playing Technique
A jaw harp produces sound by sympathetic vibration of the metal tongue against the frame. Pitch variation comes not from the instrument itself—which is fixed—but from how you shape the resonance chamber of your mouth and direct your breath. You can achieve different notes, harmonics, and percussive textures by adjusting tongue position, lip shape, and breath intensity. The sound is inherently buzzing and rhythmic, suited to both melodic phrasing and rhythmic accompaniment.
Many playing techniques are already accessible on this basic model, despite its modest price point. The limitations you encounter will be in tonal refinement and sustain rather than in fundamental playability.
History and Tradition
Jaw harps have appeared in musical traditions across Europe, Asia, and beyond for centuries. The workshop producing this instrument has been making them for twelve generations, maintaining hand-forging methods in Upper Austria. This continuity of craft reflects the instrument's enduring role in folk music, particularly in Alpine regions, where it has long served in both solo and ensemble contexts.
What's Included
- Jaw harp (Guimbarde Wimmer-Bades Basic)
- Transport blocks
- Quick-start guide
Getting Started
The quick-start guide included with the instrument covers the essentials of holding, plucking, and initial mouth shaping. Expect a learning curve of several hours before basic pitch control becomes intuitive. The transport blocks protect the frame during storage and travel, preventing damage to the delicate tongue mechanism.
The jaw harp remains a foundational instrument in Alpine folk music and continues to appear in world music traditions where breath control and mouth shaping are primary means of expression.
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