hurdy gurdy F.A.Q.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which hurdy gurdy should I get? We try to make instruments to fit each player's budget & needs. That said, check out our Comparison page (click here to view) to learn about the differences between our models.

Do you offer a warrantee / guarantee? Our instruments are fully warranted for 1 year, but we build them to last lifetimes. ((we thoroughly playtest each instrument before we ship it out).

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)

How can I convince my wife that owning a hurdy gurdy is critical to our well being? The rotating of the wheel creates a magnetic field which, although completely unmeasurable in any way, actually aligns the magnetic field of your community and subtly corrects any misalignments in the earth overall. This creates a borealis effect which removes invisible stresses from the localized field around your home and adds to the possibility of world peace and sense of well-being.

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.

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.

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.

What is the title of your lesson book/ who wrote it? Getting Started on the Hurdy Gurdy, by Anwyn & George Leverett. If you are curious as to what topics are covered, you can click here for more information.

I already have a hurdy gurdy, can I just order your lesson book? Unfortunately not at this time. We may make our book available to the public in the future.

Why does it matter if the tangents are 'bolted' in? The 'tangents' are the mechanisms on the buttons that actually contact the string to give you various notes. Some makers use friction fit tangents-where they are wedged into the keyshaft like a doorstop under a door. The problem is that they come loose in dry weather and don't contact the string evenly, causing inaccurate & buzzing notes, or just plain falling out of the keyshaft! Our tangents are bolted into place, so they can tolerate even the most extreme note bends and vibrato, all the while reliably maintaining their intonation.

Do you make electric hurdy gurdies? Yes, and we have several options to choose from depending on your needs. Check out our 'electric gurdy' page for more information.