Hurdy Gurdy
Sergio González Prats is comitted to bring quality content about the hurdy gurdy, so if you are interested in this beautiful instrument, you are in the right place
Articles about hurdy gurdy
What is a hurdy-gurdy?
A hurdy-gurdy is a stringed musical instrument that produces sound by a crank-turned, rosined wheel rubbing against the strings. The wheel functions much like the bow of a violin, in catalan language, we use the term Viola de Roda, wheel viola.
We play by turning a crank with one hand, while the other hand presses the keys to produce different notes, the distinctive sound of its drones makes that many describe it as a combination of bagpipes and a viola, one of its main caracteristics beside the drone is the buzzing bridge that we use to create cool rhythms when turning the crank faster, it’s basically like a medieval synthetizer!
This string instrument has been used in a variety of musical genres, including traditional, folk music, baroque music, and even some modern pop and metal!
Used Hurdy Gurdy for Sale
If you are looking for a hurdy gurdy for sale used, the best place to go is Hurdy Gurdy Marketplace, there you will find sellers trusted by the community, go there and you will find a beautiful hurdy gurdy sale.
if it’s your first instrument don’t hesitate to contact me for consultation or mentoring, it’s a lot of an investment so make sure you buy the right hurdy gurdy instrument for your needs, let’s find a used hurdy gurdy today.
This is a list of quality hurdy gurdy makers that you can trust without hessitation when buying a second hand instrument, it doesn’t matter if you are looking something for early music or french style, have a look!
- Alexandra Betz (Gotschy)
- Audren Kerboeuf
- Barnaby Walters
- Cesar Loureiro Sobral
- Chris Allen
- Claire Dugué
- Jaime Rebollo
- Marco Gamarra
- MM Instruments
- Nerdy Gurdy
- Philippe Mousnier
- Sebastian Hilsman
- Sedo Garcia
- Sergio Verna
- Wolfgang Weichselbaumer
Where to buy a gurdy?
Where to buy a hurdy gurdy is a very Interesting question, if you are not familiar with the world of hand crafted string instruments you may be a little bit confused, but no worries, let’s talk about it.
Hurdy gurdies are not bought in music shops or specialized websites, what you have to do is find a reliable hurdy – gurdy maker and place an order.
In the articles above you will find a list of my go to hurdy gurdies to start, check it and make sure you don’t buy a HGSO (hurdy gurdy shaped object) go for a trusted maker because there are very UNPLAYABLE options out there.
How do we contact hurdy gurdy makers?
Some of the luthiers have websites where you can find their contact, but some others are not great with the internet world, so you may have to try to contact them via Facebook or sometimes phone, specially if they are old masters.
Most makers will ask for a deposit of a certain amount of money to cover the cost of woods, strings and material in general while they make your instrument, this deposit to sign up in their waiting list is between 500-1000€ or sometimes around 10 or 20% of the total cost of the instrument
Depending of the popularity of the maker of your choice, now it’s time to wait, waiting lists for getting a hurdy gurdy can be long, sometimes between 12 and 36 months or even more in some cases
It’s a great idea to get yourself a used instrument in the meantime on hurdy gurdy marketplace or maybe a nerdy gurdy to start, this instruments are really easy to sell one you get the instrument from your luthier and they don’t loose value, so you will most of the times sell it for exactly what you paid.
The luthier of your choice will contact you and arrange shipping or pick up in his workshop, this second option is WAY better, because you will get to know the father / mother of your instrument and most of the times they are friendly and give you great tips.
Now the next step is learning how to play it! and for this you just have to contact me or other teacher, it’s important to start with guidance to avoid developing bad habits, enjoy your instrument!!
if you want to buy one follow the next steps!
Steps to buy one
- Find a reliable luthier trusted by the community
- Send an email and place your order
- Pay a deposit, usually 10-20% upfront
- Wait for 12-36 months, sometimes more sometimes less
- Pay the rest
- Get a teacher
- Enjoy your gurdy !
How much does a hurdy gurdy cost?
Everybody is asking themselves, how much does a hurdy gurdy cost?, ok long story short, here we give clear concise answers!
- Kit instruments = 0 to 350€
- Student Gurdies = 600 to 2.000€
- Professional gurdies = 2.000 to 20.000€
This is for you to make your calculations and start saving, but you have many many options in the market, do your research in the hurdy gurdy community on facebook and read the articles of your teacher here to know more about models and the makers of your region 😉
Hurdy Gurdy price
with REAL EXAMPLE
Let’s go more in depth about the costs of a hurdy gurdy
This is hurdy gurdy instrument has captured the interest of many musicians and enthusiasts alike. With its complex design and rich history, it is no surprise that many people are curious about its cost, However, the price of a gurdy can vary widely depending on a number of factors.
Let’s say you go to Sedo García and order his VR-60 model, like my big luteback instrument, this is the base price for 2 trompette / 2 melody / 2 drone config
Sedo Garcia Luteback – in Maple and Walnut – 2.850€
do you want more fancy woods? ok let’s say we want it with Rosewood
Sedo Garcia Luteback – in Rosewood back – 3.050€
Let’s see if want more extras and how much they add to the cost of the hurdy gurdy
Fancy an extra melody string? ok, that adds 250€
I will add an extra drone and an extra trompette as well, that adds 260€
let’s go posh, I want 12 sympathetic strings, 220€ more
dream gurdy has electronics, 3 pickups add 550€
6 capos, why not? extra 480€
hardcase by manzano, no problem, extra 300€
We started with a basic price of 2.850€, but as you can see when we add many extras our instrument can get pricy very fast, that beeing said, most of the extras as worth the money!
TOTAL HURDY GURDY COST: 5.110€
How much is a hurdy gurdy 101 – Wood quality
The quality and types of wood used play a big role in how much your instrument is going to cost, Higher-end hurdy gurdies are often made from high-quality woods, just so you get an idea, a single piece of high quality Master bearclaw alpine spruce can cost like 150€ just in one piece of wood. –
Price of decorative elements on hurdy gurdies
Additionally, some hurdy gurdies may feature intricate inlay work, carved heads or other decorative elements, which will for sure add to the cost, how time consuming do you think is making this beautiful binding, piece by piece, all by hand? Kudos to Chris Allen for this work.
Craftsmanship of the Luthier has a price
Another factor that affects the price of a hurdy gurdy is the level of craftsmanship involved in its construction. Skilled luthiers who are experienced in building hurdy gurdies may charge a premium for their work, as these instruments require a great deal of expertise to construct. Additionally, the time and effort required to build a high-quality is huge
The price of extras when you buy a hurdy gurdy
The type of hurdy gurdy can also have an impact on its price. There are a variety of different types of hurdy gurdies, each with its own unique design and characteristics. For example, some hurdy gurdies may feature more strings, additional melody strings, drones, or trompettes, which can make them more complex and expensive to build.
Ultimately, the cost of a hurdy gurdy will depend on a number of different factors, including the materials used, the level of craftsmanship involved in its construction, and the type of instrument being purchased. While it is possible to find more affordable gurdies, it is important to keep in mind that this is a complex instrument that requires a great deal of skill and expertise to construct. For those who are serious about playing the hurdy, investing in a high-quality instrument can be a worthwhile and rewarding experience.
keep on cranking
Sergio González Prats
Types of Hurdy Gurdies
In this list you will find different types of hurdy gurdies ordered cronologically, click in their name or picture to get more information
Medieval Hurdy Gurdy (XI-XV century)
Renaissance Hurdy Gurdy (XVI – XVII)
Baroque Hurdy Gurdy (XVIII century)
Traditional French Hurdy Gurdy (XIX-XX century)
Modern Hurdy Gurdy
Electric Hurdy Gurdy
Midi Hurdy Gurdy
What is a hurdy gurdy man?
A lot of people ask me what is a hurdy gurdy man, and it’s fun because…
I’m a hurdygurdy man!
Ok jokes aside, obviously, a hurdy gurdy man, is a man that plays our instrument. But you may be familiar with this term because of the infamous song! who sings hurdy gurdy man? the Scottish singer Donovan, he recorded this song in 1968 and made it to the Billboard charts ranking top 5 in the US and top 4 in the UK
But do you know the best about this story? the super famous song only include our beautiful instrument in the tittle 😛
So this is a song without hurdy. hehe
When was the hurdy-gurdy invented?
It was invented probably in the last half of the XI century, so we are looking at the period between 1050 and 1100 where we have the first mention on a manuscript, in this moment we can find early representation of our instrument in the form of the Organistrum, this instrument was huge and needed two people to play it, if you are interested in this topic I’ll write an in depth article about the organistrum and its origin.
