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(Click here if you'd like to see the article "How to Build a Hurdy Gurdy for Under $20")
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Basic idea: This deals with the conversion of an existing "$20 hurdy gurdy" into one with two melody strings, one wheeled-drone & two sympathetic (non-wheeled) drones. This is accomplished by the simple addition of another fingerboard (for the 2nd string), adding the 2nd string, fashioning an "extension" (& associated stabilizing bracket) for each key and re-locating the existing wheeled-drone string. The conversion, which can be completed in an evening or two, markedly improves the sound/tone/volume of the instrument. ------------------------------------------------------------------- "AERIAL VIEW - SHOWING MODIFICATIONS TO INCLUDE A 2ND MELODY STRING, ADDED 2ND FINGERBOARD AND ADDED KEY-SHAFT EXTENSIONS T (The ! bit represent the keys) X X _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ | | | | | | | | | T T T T T T T T T T | | |~~~~| wheel | |=O |,----------!--!--!--!--!-!--!--!-!-!------, |!~~!|<-hole | | R-> |'----------X--X--X--X--X-X--X--X-X-X------' |! !| | | | H | | X X X X X X X X X X | | |! !| B |_| o-> |o H |OIIIXIIXIIXIIXIIXIXIIXIIXIXIXIIIIO| |! !| B .| |] |o H | | X X X X X X X X X X | | |! !| B .|~ |o H |O|IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII|O| |! !| B .| |o H | | (2nd fingerboard added) | | |!Wh!| B .| |o H | | | | |!__!| B .| H-> | H | | <-S f-hole here S-> | | |____| B .| |_ _ _ |_| _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ |_|_ _ _ _ _ _ _ | Left ^ Right side L side Wh = Wheel o = tuning pins (zither pins) H = Nut . = hitch pins (woodscrews) R = Key/keyblock mounting rails S = Rail & fingerboardboard T!XX = Key/key mounting blocks mounting "spans" OIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIO = Fingerboards L = Location of the B = Bridge brace (underneath) ------------------------------------------------------------------- Detail of new (added-on) key-shaft extension: (Make sure top surface of old Glue & tangent/keyshaft is even & small screw smooth where new extension will \/ be affixed) ,-,-----N-E-W----------, .-------------. _ | :--,----------.-.----'------| - - - '-------' | ! ! : :--.--------' - - - '-------, | K ! N ! : : | | ~ ! E ! : : T | |_ _ _ _ !__W_! :____: | | | R B | |- - - -' | |_ _ _ _ <-S | | | R `-------------`- - - -' old, existing key-block & key-shaft ------------------------------------------------------------------- Details of new key-shaft extension & how it orients with new fingerboard: ,-,-----N-E-W----------, .-------------. _ | :--,----------.-.----'------| - - - '-------' | ____ ! ! ____ : :--.--------' - - - '-------, | K | | ! N ! | | : : | | ~ | | ! E ! | | : : T | |_ _ _ _ | | !__W_! | | :____: | | | R | | | | B | |- - - -' | |_ _ _ _ <-S NEW OLD | | | R fingerboard fingerboard `-------------`- - - -'The new fingerboard consists of a shaft of the same material and cross-sectional size as the existing shaft and a "tangent" is made in the same manner as the existing one, except taller. The new fingerboard mounts the same as the original. See my article How to Build a Hurdy Gurdy for Under $20 for more details.
NOTE: Glue & screw the new key-shaft extensions carefully so that both tangent pads contact each fingerboard simultaneously. This is quite important. If one pad hits just slightly before the other, it's no big deal, but too large a difference here will adversely effect the instrument's sound and playability. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Details of the adjustable metal "stabilizer" brackets: To be mounted so that the shaft of the new key-shaft extension slides through it. This stabilizer helps keep the shaft assembly from flopping around too much & the elongated "slot" allows for pitch adjustment of the new added string. Make brackets like the one shown below for each of the ten keys. I used .020" thick strips of nickel-silver that I had laying around. |~~~~~~| |~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~~~| | | | | _______ | | | | ( slot ) | | | | ~~~~~~~ | | |______|____________| |_____________ side-view (shown about top-view twice real size) How "stabilizer" mounts to the OLD fingerboard (also showing how the new key-shaft passes through the "stabilizer") aerial view: ____ ! ! <- added key-shaft extension ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ************************! !************************************* |~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~~~| this is the topside this is the topside | | _______ | of the OLD fingerboard of the OLD fingerboard | | ( slot ) | | | ~~~~~~~ | <- metal "stabilizer" |______|____________| ************************! !************************************* ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ------ | | | | | | ====== <- pad ------------------------------------------------------------------- Miscellaneous notes etc: Exact dimensions are generally not given here because not much is that critical - also, many of the needed dimensions etc. have been already given in my $20 hurdy gurdy article construction article. It's real easy to "wing" this conversion & get it to sound & play right. The string configuration is as follows - The two melody strings are 1 3/32" apart and are made of the same.050" K-mart weed-whip nylon line that was used on the original instrument. I used a.031" Savarez wound nylon guitar string for the wheeled drone string. I placed this drone string as close to the soundboard as possible without buzzing & so it rides over the part of the wheel nearest the "sound-hole" side of the instrument (nearest the player). Some positioning care must be used here, as there is not all that much room to locate the drone once the two melody strings have been properly positioned. I used two sympathetic strings instead of the 3 on the original instrument. Bridge/nut placement is same as with original. The sympathetics used are.034 wound" &.031" plain Savarez nylon guitar strings. Tune the new melody string to the same pitch as with the original single string. The wheeled drone is tuned to the first C below the pitch of the melody strings. Dennis Havlena - W8MI Straits of Mackinac, northern Michigan Click here to access my homepage.