HOW TO ADD A 2ND MELODY STRING TO THE "$20 HURDY GURDY"

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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.


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"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)  

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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.

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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
                          
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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

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