Wolfgang Weichselbaumer's new drop wheel hurdy gurdy

[Ferlondaferlie]

I heard Tobie Miller play one of these instruments at the Over the Water Hurdy Gurdy festival in September and it was GORGEOUS. Of course, her playing was amazing, too...

[WaterpigMaster]

Wolfgang's gurdies have a very mellow tone.  I like it. Not sure about the dropping wheel thing, but any experimentation that doesn't sound awful in the gurdy world is probably good.

[pachuco5]

how much would one of these cost and where the hell can i get one from?

[Hurdygurdytroll]

Wonderful! I´ve ordered one of those, can´t wait til I get it! :D

[jralyea]

Technical problem overcome: The pitches of the strings must remain true, -- the same whether bowed by the wheel, or plucked of strummed by the fingers. The result: a whole new range of musical possibilities for the hurdy-gurdy. This is a most remarkable achievement. (Congratulations, Wolfgang!)

[jralyea]

This innovation is the result, without a doubt, of M. Weichselbaumers experiments to improve the string-stop mechanism of the lira organizzata (vielle organisée). This mechanism is a system of levers designed to lift the strings away from the wheel in order to silence them, by pulling a stop-knob (the organ pipes then sound by themselves). Instead of levers lifting strings, he uses a system of gears to displace the wheel.

[dulcie22]

I want one!

[MrJohnElder]

Wow

fantastic