This jew's harp is different! This new type of jew's harp is named after its shape: The sledge jew's harp.
The idea for this innovative jew's harp frame came to Leo Tadagawa, the most important representative of the Japanese jew's harp world, back in the mid-1990s. As a jew's harp collector, researcher, author and board member of the Japanese Jew's Harp Association (Nihon Koukin Kyoukai), Leo has been involved with the jew's harp like hardly anyone else on the planet.
In his search for further innovations and the solution to some of the design-related problems of frame and bow jew's harps (also lip and toothed jew's harps), Leo finally came up with this design, the first production-ready model of which is "Leo's Sledge", which he realised in collaboration with what is probably Japan's best jew's harp smith of the moment.
The Leo's Sledge offers many advantages over classic jew's harps: its construction makes it easy and fatigue-free to hold and play. The frame protects the tongue during transport in a trouser pocket. During fast playing, the frame parts at the front help to guide the plucking fingers. And the frame parts on the long sides help to maintain control when picking up the reed. Another huge advantage is that the Leo's Sledge can be played both on the teeth and on the lips.
In short, Leo has landed a stroke of genius with this jew's harp. Our congratulations!