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Comparison Chart -Frequently Asked Questions
 
"Donovan"
Renaissance model Hurdy Gurdy
Symphonie
Hurdy Gurdy
Range
 Full 2 octave 
 1 octave & 6 notes
(2 notes short of 2 octaves)
Included
Lesson Book
 yes
yes
Free help videos
yes
yes
Cotton & Rosin
 yes
yes
Tangent Adjustment Tool
 yes
 yes
Bolted Tangents
 yes
yes
Fully Chromatic
 yes
 yes
All Hardwood Construction
 yes
yes
Buzzing Bridge
a.k.a. 'the dog' / 'chien' / trumpette
 yes
*
Padded Gig Bag
 yes
 soft dust cover
Frequently Asked Questions
 
Do you offer a warrantee / guarantee?  Our instruments are warranted for two years. We also guarantee that our instruments are fully playable (we thoroughly playtest each instrument before we ship it out). Our warrantee doesn't extend to unusual abuse of the instrument.
 
Why are your prices so low?  The answer is rather detailed, so we created a page devoted specifically to this topic.  (click here to view)
 
Are your instruments professional quality? Yes! Our instruments are used by professional & amateur musicians alike.  Our Hurdy Gurdies can be heard in numerous movie soundtracks, renaissance fairs, bars, pubs, street musicians, and have been featured in high budget films.  Our instruments have played on many stages, and we have personally played hundreds of gigs with our hurdy gurdies. 
 
Do I need to know how to read music?  No. Our lesson book uses a unique 'play by number' system so you will be playing songs in no time at all.
 
Does your HG's have a place where you can attach a strap on it?  Yes. We install standard guitar style 'strap buttons' on our hurdy gurdies, so any guitar strap will work nicely.
 
Where do you get your plans for your instruments?  See our historical hurdy gurdies page.
 
Can your instruments play in different keys?  Of course! They are fully chromatic.  Our lesson book teaches you how.
 
I have read that hurdy gurdies are fragile and go out of tune easily, is this true? I have noticed this on some hurdy gurdies; mainly because of the violin pegs which are usually used as tuners.  We use guitar style tuners which eliminates the note slipping inherent in violin pegs, so our hg's stay in tune very well.  Hurdy Gurdies are no more fragile than a guitar or other instrument.
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