Inspired by the art of medieval craftsmen and enriched by smart engineering of the XXI century, exclusively on Kickstarter, Ugears was introducing — Hurdy-Gurdy – the genuine gem of the collection: the most extraordinary mechanical model kit which is all-in-one: model for self-assembly, toy and fully fledged musical instrument. Just build it together with your own hands and feel like Stradivari or a popular Hurdy-Gurdy star!
Based on the 15th Century organistrum, Ugears has created an intricately detailed, fully functional version of this medieval instrument. The finished model looks remarkably akin to the original 16th century hurdy gurdy, giving it a wonderfully medieval aesthetic. This wooden attractive and educational model has a highly detailed exquisite décor of the body crafted in romantic style and turns the assembly and playing process into an exciting game and brings you hours of pleasure and fun.
It’s easy to play dancing melodies, from folk to modern. To start the music flowing, the player just need to crank the handle with one hand to kick off a drone sound from the bourdon and melody strings. Pushing the wooden buttons with the fingers of the other hand changes the pitch of the melody string, as "spring-loaded" wooden blocks essentially shorten the string. Ugears will include some tablature with the kit to get newbies off to a flying start.
The Ugears Hurdy-Gurdy comes with everything needed for assembly. All the pieces are precut into the plywood boards and are easily removed for assembly following the detailed instructions provided. The only non-wood parts, by necessity, are the two strings that rub against the crank powered wheel and the rosin used to wax it.
