The Hurdy-Gurdy by Ugears: Wooden 3D puzzle and Musical Instrument
Inspired by the art of Celtic and Scandinavian medieval craftsmen, as translated through intelligent 21st century engineering, Ugears is proud to introduce the Hurdy-Gurdy—the world’s first (as far as we know!) mechanical model for self-assembly that is also a musical instrument. This extraordinary mechanical model kit is truly one of the gems of our catalogue. This isn't just a toy, it's a full-fledged musical instrument that you build yourself. The Hurdy-Gurdy has a sound that's perfect for folk melodies or dancing, bringing medieval times into the present day. When you purchase the Hurdy-Gurdy you will experience a unique combination: the fun and challenge of building, the appreciation of outstanding engineering and design, and the joy of music. Feel like a modern-day Stradivari as you show your friends an instrument you created with your own hands, then start practicing so you can play popular tunes on your Hurdy-Gurdy!
Engineering and Design
The design of the Ugears Hurdy-Gurdy is based on medieval prototypes, including body, front and back decks, gears, crank (handle), wheel, neck, tuning pegs or hitch-pins, strings and tangent box, which together form a single beautiful instrument. The Ugears Hurdy-Gurdy’s tuning pegs have a gear reduction mechanism for finer sound tuning of the melody and bourdon strings. This self-assembled mechanical musical model is super easy to play, creating sound as the hand-turned wheel rubs against the melody and bourdon strings.
For a more clear sound you can switch off the bourdon string, using a little lever in the keybox. We also added a gear reduction mechanism into the crank (handle) to increase the wheel's number of rotations. This allowed us to get a smoother and richer sound, while preserving the model's compact size.
The instrument's six keys are spring-loaded with rubber bands and little cranks in the keybox to ensure softer and more convenient play. The Ugears Hurdy-Gurdy also features a special mechanism to adjust the height of both strings (melody and bourdon strings) on the bridge, and a beautiful planetary gear mechanism inside the body.
The length of the melody string and bourdon string is 250 mm from bridge to nut. The length of the strings between the middle of the wheel to the bridge is 30 mm.
Hurdy-Gurdy Model
-
Model Size: 15.7*6.5*8.7 in (40*16.5*22 cm)
-
Package size: 14.9*6.7*2 in (37.8*17*5 cm)
-
Number of components: 292
-
Estimated time of assembly: 4-5 hours
-
Level: Medium
- PDF instruction
