Hello Bill You are quite clearly going about this the right way, not as some do, buying the first thing they see on ebay then regreting it. All the makers you mention have good stuff; however, Claire Dugue's gurdies are also worth investigating, especially her student model. There is also Wacselbaumler gurdies as used by Arcade Fire who are currently #2 in the UK album chart. You cannot go wrong with a good student model [eg Gotschey / Dugue] as you can get learing on one of these and then when you get the hang of it, or as sometimes happens find the gurdy is not the instrument for you, sell it. Good student models by reputable makers generally hold their price well. My particular bias is towards French instruments although I must warn you the best French makers are not neccessarily the best English language communicators. Philip
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hello all: As I mentioned in my last (I mean previous; don't get your hopes up!) message, I've started considering the acquisition of a proper, pro-built HG. Alden is, of course, the prime source for such instruments here in the US; but, considering the great demands being put on the shop these days (yes, I refer to the waiting list), I thought I would try looking overseas. There seem to be a fair number of builders in Europe and the UK, offering HGs at what seem to be reasonable prices; as a matter of prudence, I'd like to run some of them by the List members, to see what you think. You may have your particular preferences...... * Chris Allen offers a rather nice Colson copy for a little under US$4000: I've corresponded a bit with him... Chris has also recommended Mike Gilpin, who also does a good-looking Baroque style for around that price, not to mention an interesting Bosch style... *Neil Brook also has a good variety, including the 'St. Thomas' model for less than $3000..... *Moving over to the Continent, my first reaction was to check out Helmut Gotschy's site. I was rather taken by his 'Renaissance' model; and his Phoenix 'Da Vinci' seemed rather nice. (I have yet to get a reply on the price range for the former). *Kurt Reichmann's HGs were also interesting and attractively priced; but perhaps the most striking designs were from Helmut Seibert..... To tell the truth, I haven't looked much yet at French makers; but I will probably remedy that soon. Now, is there anyone who could give an experienced opinion on some of these builders and their work: their usual backlogs, waiting lists and such; maintenance histories and so on? That, plus the advantages/disadvantages of buying instruments from overseas, would go a long way towards helping to resolve my mind (I think)..... As for the type of music I'm interested in playing, I'd say it is rather eclectic: a mixture of Medieval/Renaissance/Baroque/FolkTrad, plus plain old noodling around on the instrument to see what I can get away with..... I hope to attend Jocelyn's NE gathering in July; and perhaps there I can get some more hands-on experience and personal advice. Till then, I'll continue searching, comparing, contrasting and, most inportantly, obsessing...... -Bill Steinmayer ************************************** AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at http://www.aol.com. Philip G Martin aka Drohne www.drohne.co.uk
