Timur Vakhitov is a jaw harp maker from Tatarstan. The history of the Vakhitovs’ jaw harps began in Naberezhnye Chelny in 2007 with a family attempt to revive the traditional Tatar kubyz. The resulting demand led to regular handmade production. The first models drew on the traditional form, but the design was later modified to speed up production, and subsequent models developed as modern jaw harps in their own right.

Initially, the jaw harps were made by Kamil Vakhitov; in 2011, production passed to Timur. Retaining the basic design, he improved the precision of assembly and narrowed the gaps. The range subsequently expanded from ultra-bass to very high-pitched models, while on the Aktay the gaps were reduced to just 10–20 μm. Some of Timur’s series-produced jaw harps offer a combination rare among inexpensive instruments: clean sound, high responsiveness and a broad spectrum with clearly distinguishable harmonic overtones.

The Vakhitovs’ jaw harps have been used in professional recordings. In February 2011, Vladimir Markov called their new instruments “the discovery of the year.” On The Dream, an album recorded that same year by the Olkhon Gate Duo, large, medium-sized and high-pitched Vakhitov models can be heard on every track, and in several pieces they appear in both parts.

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