Saw Notes
A Resource for Musical Saw Enthusiasts
Audio
One of the earliest recordings of the musical saw is a Victor recording of Ford Hanford playing “My Old Kentucky Home,” recorded May 2, 1921. This recording includes the musical saw with an orchestra. Mr. Hanford plays first with a hammer and then switches to a violin bow. Listen and […]
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You can’t be a fan of the musical saw and not be familiar with marvelous Natalia Paruz, the “Saw Lady.” She lives in New York and plays saw in subways, orchestras, and on radio, television, and movies. Chances are, if you hear the saw in a commercial, it’s Natalia Paruz! In […]
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The musical saw is often compared to the human voice, and that’s part of its charm. It isn’t often, however, that singers’ voices are compared to a musical saw. The Dezurik Sisters are an exception. The Dezurik Sisters, Mary Jane and Carolyn, were stars on WLS The National Barn Dance radio […]
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The saw can be a beautiful instrument in the hands of an expert, and Jean-Claude Welche is a real expert. You can listen to him play in this video. Mr. Welche plays a variety of instruments including some he makes himself. In the second video here, he makes a pan flute […]
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Mussehl and Westphal is a popular musical saw company that has been around since the 1920’s. According to their website, Clarence Mussehl, after hearing the Weaver brothers perform in 1919, decided he wanted to develop a musical saw. Mussehl and Westphal advertised in many magazines in the 1920’s, and at the […]
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In order to get a sound out of the saw, you must be able to bend it a little and create a slight S-curve in the blade. This is one of the benefits of using a saw that is specifically made for music. Musical saws are thinner steel than regular […]
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