My design is taken from one built by J.N.Lambert in Paris,1781. The instrument was completely restored in 1979 by the French maker J.N.Grandchamp who took accurate measurements at the time.
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The Guitar bodied Hurdy Gurdy
appears to have made its first appearance by 1511, as it
is drawn by Virdung in his " Musica Getuscht".
The design became more common in the 18th. century when
it appears to have been as popular as the Lute backed
instrument. My design is taken from one built by J.N.Lambert in Paris,1781. The instrument was completely restored in 1979 by the French maker J.N.Grandchamp who took accurate measurements at the time. |
The original is constructed mainly from Sycamore with a Mahogany soundboard and these are the woods I normally use. Decoration levels and content can be varied according to preference.
The Guitar bodied Hurdy Gurdy has a quieter sound than the Lute body which makes it a most suitable instrument for indoor and ensemble playing. Being physically smaller than the Lute back, it is also easier to transport and very comfortable to play.
Sympathetic strings are not normally fitted to this type but can be added to most of my Hurdy Gurdies on request. The instrument below is one I built fitted with sympathetic strings - and a monkey's head - presumably the customer got tired of people asking " Where's your monkey ".
Here are some pics of my latest guitar hurdy-gurdy. The wrest pin arrangement, while simple, gives an unobtrusive and very efficient solution. A trompette string capo is fitted as well as remote selectors for the bourdons.
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