Just be prepared to spend a lot more than the cost of a luthier-made gurdy if you want to build your own.
You will have to go through many fumbled attempts when building each of the pieces, you will have to make your own specialized tools, you will need to get a hold of some expensive equipment to make those tools and many of the specialized parts (you can save by buying some more difficult parts from HGCrafters, etc, for example) Building a gurdy from scratch makes no sense if you think about cost only. You will probably spend way more than if you just bought one from a maker. On Mon, Oct 17, 2011 at 10:21 PM, timw <[email protected]> wrote: > Hello Mike, > I am new to the world of hurdy gurdy's and this is my first post on > this forum. We seem to be in similar circumstances, want a hurdy gurdy > but find it hard to spend the money, for whatever reasons. I decided > to build my own. I build furniture as a hobby, but have never made a > musical instrument. I started making tools for and reading about > violin-making. During one of my internet searches for violin-making I > stumbled upon information on hurdy gurdys...then I found out the cost, > Gulp. > > I found a beautiful set of plans that Graeme McCormack graciously > offers for free download. He has a website at > http://sites.google.com/site/mccormackgraeme/antiquatedstrings > > His website is called Antiquated Strings. I think he has three > different models that he's made and they are truly beautiful. I chose > 'Jiri", his lute-backed gurdy. I too thought I couldn't make > something so complicated, but what do I have to lose? I never carved > anything before but have finished the carved peghead and it turned out > great. Now I KNOW I can do it. I think you can build one from scratch > too. Don't imagine the finished gurdy, but break it down into baby > steps. Enlarge your plans to full-size, pick one piece and build it, > build the next piece, and so on. > > This is going to be a journy, but costs will be minimal and I will > learn alot in the process. I think you could build one! Tim > > On Oct 17, 5:40 pm, maesoph <[email protected]> wrote: > > Dear All: > > > > Per your advice, I have contacted Hurdy Gurdy Crafters and am quite > > pleased with the responses from Mel and Ann there. However, I don't > > think I can tackle a Hurdy Gurdy from scratch and can't really afford > > the kit. Is there any middle ground out there somewhere? I need to > > make an HG that ultimately can be sold, so quality has to be there, > > but I can't shell out $900 for a complete kit and only sell the HG for > > $1200 or so (just guessing, but it's unlikely I would get more unless > > I was a Pro at this). Any chance of getting material cost down to > > $500 or less?????? Any ideas would be appreciated - maybe I should > > take this straight to Mel and Ann though??? > > > > Mike > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "hurdygurdy" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected] > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/hurdygurdy > > The rules of posting, courtesy, and other list information may be found at > http://hurdygurdy.com/mailinglist/index.htm. To reduce spam, posts from > new subscribers are held pending approval by the webmaster. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "hurdygurdy" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/hurdygurdy The rules of posting, courtesy, and other list information may be found at http://hurdygurdy.com/mailinglist/index.htm. To reduce spam, posts from new subscribers are held pending approval by the webmaster.
