Hurdy-Gurdy & Hurdy Gurdy Kit

[more about the Hurdy-Gurdy]


	Sforza Book of Hours, c. 1490

Es: Viola de rueda, Zanfoña, Cinfonía, Zanfona, Zanfonía, Gaita zamorana, Gaita de pobre, Gaita de Rabil, Rabil de manubrio, Fr: Vielle à roue, Vielle organisée, De: Drehleier, Radleier, Weiberleier, It: Ghironda, Rotata, Stampella, Gironda, Lyra tedesca, Eu: Brenka, Ca: Viola de roda, Cs: Niněra, Da: Drejelire, Eo: Vjelo, Gl: Zanfona, Zanfoña, Zampoña, Eu: Zarrabete, Fi: Kampiliira, Hu: Tekerőlant, Tekerő, Nyenyere, Nyekerő, Szentlélekmuzsika, Kolduslant, Forgólant, Nl: Draailier, No: Dreielire, Pl: Lira korbowa, Pt: Sanfona, Viola de roda, Sv: Vevlira

The hurdy gurdy is played by turning a rosined wheel which touches the strings causing them to vibrate whilst the different notes are produced by depressing keys which stop the strings at different positions.

Most hurdy gurdies have multiple "drone strings" which provide a constant pitch accompaniment to the melody, resulting in a sound similar to that of bagpipes. For this reason, the hurdy gurdy is often used interchangeably with or along with bagpipes, particularly in French and contemporary Hungarian folk music.


	RWC Finished Hurdy Gurdy

RWC Hurdy-Gurdy

The Renaissance Workshop Company hurdy gurdy is an excellent copy based on an original 'Henry III' instrument in the Gemeentemuseum, den Haag, Netherlands.

This rustic style of instrument has a trapezoid shaped body with the minimum of decoration and was one of the most common forms of hurdy gurdy in the 16th Century.

The ribs are straight in the body and curved with turned stays from the shoulder to the pegbox.

The Renaissance Workshop Company 'Henry III' hurdy gurdy is made from figured English sycamore and Swiss pine (for the soundboard). It has a laminated wheel (for stability) fitted on a steel shaft running in two brass bushes. The handle is made of cast brass and the pegs of rosewood.

The RWC hurdy gurdy has 6 strings comprising two melodic chanterelles in g', a gross bourdon in G, a petit bourdon in c, a mouche in g and a trompette in d', and is fully chromatic over a range of one and a half octaves.

Included as standard are two spare melody strings and a tuning peg 'dolly'.

Each instrument is entirely hand built to special order in our own workshops in Toledo (Spain) by experienced craftsmen and comes with 12 months warranty.

A simple hard case is available as an optional extra if required.


	RWC Finished & Kit Hurdy Gurdy

Hurdy-Gurdy Kit
The same instrument is offered in kit form for home assembly.

The price includes the license to build one instrument for private use.

To ensure success, even for the first time builder, the tangent box sides are supplied pre-slotted to ensure perfect scaling of the instrument. Traditional materials are used throughout, English sycamore for the back, selected Swiss pine for the soundboard and beech for the action parts. We supply a laminated birch wheel for stability, brass bearings, a steel shaft, strings, rosewood pegs, cast brass handle, glue and clamps etc. In fact nothing is left out of this comprehensive and extremely popular kit that can become in a superb instrument in about 50 hours.

A fully dimensioned plan and detailed instruction manual take the builder through the construction of the instrument in a clear and concise manner, with 'step by step' photographs further illustrating each stage.

All the kits Include free access to our customer 'Helpline' should you need any advice on construction, setting-up or playing.


	RWC Finished & Kit Hurdy Gurdy

Hurdy-Gurdy Plan
You can make the same instrument from scratch, following detailed step-by-step instructions through the construction process in a clear and concise manner.

A fully dimensioned plan and a set of photographs illustrates each stage.

The price includes the license to build one instrument for private use.


	RWC Finished & Kit Hurdy Gurdy

Hurdy-Gurdy Accessories and Spare Parts

Availability and delivery time

Not all of the items listed on our site are available immediately. Products without a reference nor a price are rarely available for quick dispatch. If you are interested in them, please contact us.

We publish standard availability, which means that this product usually ships in that time since it has been ordered. But at the specific time of your order, that interval can be longer or smaller depending on many production factors. In addition, you still will have to wait for your product to arrive (delivery time). [More info about availability & delivery dates]

	Finished Instrument		Three months
	Kit		Three weeks
	Drawing		Three days