History of the Musical Saw

The Origin of the Musical Saw

No one is really certain how the musical saw came to fruition. It is believed to have been born in the 19th century in the Appalachian Mountains of America. Some clever mountain man probably put his carpenter’s saw between his knees and used his fiddle bow to play it.

There are, however, some sources who claim the musical saw was invented in Russia or Argentina. Maybe it was being played all over the world. We will never really know for certain. Carpenters everywhere began discovering their tools could make pleasant sounds. We can wonder if perhaps playing the saw began as early as the 17th century when carpentry saws began to be mass produced with pliable blades.

As early as the 19th century, men of the cloth played musical saws during their church services. In the days of vaudeville in the United States, the musical saw made its way to the theatrical stage and has been a musical star ever since.


The Musical Saw of Today

When did the musical saw replace the carpenter’s saw? For some musicians, carpenter’s saws are still a staple. In 1919, the ingenious Clarence Mussehl began perfecting the craft of manufacturing the musical saw. Let’s face it, the saw needed some improvements. It needed to be more pliable with more distinctive tones. So, clever Clarence did some experimenting with thinner steel for the blade and making the blade less wide. Consequently, the