Austrian Maultrommels

By the end of the middle ages, Austria has been one of the main points of European Jew's harp manufacturing. Dozens of large manufactories used to operate, producing millions of Jew's harps every year and exporting them worldwide. One only could guess as to the quality of those instruments. After the great Jew's harp crises from the 18th to the 19th century, the manufacturing of these instruments was almost completely called off and currently there are only three manufactories – Schwarz, Wimmer, and Jofen. Since the first manufactory is famous worldwide with its stamped different-colored “Jew's harps” in painted packaging, which can be found in most musical stores and is the best way to scare away any person who is interested in the instrument, Jofen makes them by hand and puts a lot of care into them, although many other regions have long since moved way ahead in all parameters.