Briefly, a hurdy-gurdy has a crank attached to a wheel (4'-7") which spins against several strings, like a violin bow rubs against strings. Some strings are drones, while other strings go through a box with buttons in a standard keyboard pattern. The buttons push against the melody, or chanter, string(s), which shorten them and raises the pitch.
These instruments sound like a small bagpipe with violin-like tone, with some small rattling mechanical noises also. Very medieval tone!

Dave :^)

• Hurdy-gurdy info

The wheel seldom gets bigger then 7 inches.

The wedsite I gave in the previous post is only the starting point if you are interested in these instruments. A few months back I did a yahoo search for hurdy-gurdy and got several pages of links. There must be hundreds of sites on these instruments.

BTW, because of health problems, I am no longer taking orders for instruments. I stopped building them over a year ago. Hopefully, someday I can start again, as they are fun to build.

Dave

Those are incredible instruments. Very cool and stylish. I hope you find yourself back into the creation again.

Best,

Bill

I don't know that I've ever heard this instrument. Do you, by any chance, know of a song or movie or something that I might have heard one on?

The is a sample music file here. Just click on Mummers Dance.

http://www.canehdian.com/artistlinks/loreenamckennitt/audio.html

That's the most popular one I can think of. Mostly, this instrument is best known in traditional french, celtic, spanish and brittish music, both folk, classical and medieval.

Dave

• Loreena McKennitt

Dave

• Mummer's Davce

Thanks for posting the link! I really like that sound, and of course, recognized that song. It was very popular.

I'm so glad that I now know what made that enchanting sound. I had assumed it was a synthesizer; Never really thought about it actually. But to know it is an older traditional instrument is very interesting.

I have always liked the sound of the sitar, because it also has a mesmerizing sound. Now I know another instrument that I feel the same way about - Sort of ancient and enchanting. Thanks so much for filling me in.

Wayne

... my Bob Brines' TQWT's loaded with R/S 40-1354's. They don't have lots of bass, but they're nice and smooth and relaxed and I listen to them quite a bit with my Paramours.

The beautiful (IMO) birch plywood cabinets were built by Mike Berg in Hudson, MA to Bob's design. There's no BSC network, Zobel filter, nor any driver treatments. The pipe is stuffed with polyester (pillow stuffing).

BTW, I am "borrowing" the image from AudioKarma.org. Hope that's OK to all parties involved...

• Audiokarma.org