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The Waterphone was invented and is patented by Richard Waters (pat.#3896696). Each instrument is unique and made to order. Richard personally makes, tunes, signs and dates each Waterphone. The sound of the Waterphone has been compared to the haunting melodies of the Humpback Whale and voices from inner/outer space. Waterphones have been described as acoustic synthesizers, Waterharps, a musical “Aladdin's Lamp”, and “Whalephones”. MegaBass Audio demo

The Waterphone

“A cascading crystal waterfall of light amidst the songs of a whale”

—Musician/Actor, Tom Waits, describing the sounds of a Waterphone

Waterphones are in fact stainless steel and bronze monolithic, one-of-a-kind, acoustic, tonal-friction instruments that utilize water in the interior of their resonators to bend tones and create water echos.In the world family of musical instruments the Waterphone is between a Tibetian Water Drum, an African Kalimba (thumb piano) and a 16th century Peg or Nail Violin. Each Waterphone is custom made using a hot metal process developed over the past 40 years. The tonal rods are tuned to a combination of micro-tonal and diatonic relationships presented in two distinct but intergrated scales having both even and uneven increments.

Movies  Of Waterphones

QuickTime Slide show of Instruments and Sound Devices

The Waterphone Story


Richard Waters - Multi Media Artist
Gulfport, Mississippi
richard@richardawaters.com

All images © 2001-2008 Richard A Waters