David Weiss, Musical Saw Virtuoso, with his instrument of choice—a Stanley Handyman saw.

The history of this instrument is shrouded in mystery as no one knows who first thought of the novel idea to strike or bow a saw blade. There is evidence that in the 1700s saw music came into existence on several continents simultaneously. While some connect its origin with the Ozark and Appalachian Mountains and think that African slaves brought it to America, others associate its origin with workers in the Scandinavian and South American lumber industries. The most cited legend tells the story of John Schmidt, a Pennsylvania Dutch lumberjack who had a dream in which his favorite saw came to him with a request: “John, my back itches something awful. If you just scratch it, I’ll hum some of the most beautiful music you’ve heard this side of heaven.”  It is very likely that saw music originated in multiple regions of the world. Moreover, it is likely that the first musical tones produced with a metal saw blade were associated with the accidental dropping of a saw, the striking of it by a falling object such as a nail or other tool, or simply the playful waving of the blade rapidly back and forth in the air like a sword. Although metal saws have been in use for over 4000 years, it was not until the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries (particularly in Sweden) that plate steel of the quality necessary for producing clear musical tones was developed.

Regardless of its origin, there is no doubt that the popularity of the musical saw in the U.S. soared in the early twentieth century. The first major U.S. marketer of musical saws, Mussehl & Westphal of Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, sold over 30,000 units a year during the 1920s and early 1930s. The rise of interest in the U.S. is associated with musicians from the vaudeville circuit. A traveling Missouri showman named Leon Weaver was among the first to have great success with saw music as he traveled across the South, performing the act “Weaver Brothers n’ Elviry.”  In Europe, Swedish performer Martin Larrson pioneered the saw in Paris, grabbing the attention of the media. Once, Larrson was forced to play a saw under the bridges of Paris with a bun stuck in his mouth in order to dismiss accusations that the performer was whistling his melody rather than coaxing it from the saw. After the success of early enthusiasts, the saw quickly found its way into country, blues, swing, Japanese folk, and even into orchestral music.

The popularity of the musical saw declined significantly due to the Great Depression of the 1930s, metal shortages during World War II, and changing musical tastes. However, interest in the musical saw did not die completely. During World War II, the noted actress Marlene Dietrich entertained the troops with her saw playing. Also, soundtracks of numerous motion pictures such as "Swing Your Lady" with Ronald Reagan and Humphrey Bogart (1938), "My Brother Talks to Horses" (1947), "Curtain Call at Cactus Creek" (1950), "A Fine Madness" (1966), "Cabaret" with Liza Minelli (1972), and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975) helped to preserve interest in saw music. Starting in the 1970s, the musical saw again began to grow steadily in popularity. Today, musical saws are produced in the U.S., England, France, Germany, and Sweden. It has been featured in bluegrass festivals, classical music concerts, radio and television shows, and sound recordings. The International Musical Saw Association holds an annual festival of saw music near Santa Cruz, California, with participants coming from U.S., Europe, Japan, and New Zealand.

While the musical saw has enjoyed some usage in orchestral music, several modern and avant-garde composers included actual saw solos in their music. For example, Aram Khachaturian wrote a saw part in his “Concerto for Piano and Orchestra.”  Henri Sauguet did the same in his “Plainte” as did George Crumb in his “Ancient Voices of Children.”

The Museum thanks Arnold Tubis, Professor Emeritus of Physics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Visiting Fellow, University of California, San Diego and Docent of the Museum of Making Music, for his expertise and for making this exhibition possible. All instruments on display are from his personal collection.