I have a hurdy-gurdy from Musicmakers, and it doesn sound very good. What can I do?
This information also applies to the Hughes Dulcimer instruments, which are similar to the Musicmaker’s, but are usually worse. There are several steps you can take to improve the quality of the sound from this instrument, but there’s a limit to how much can be done for it. The first place to start is to get the Destrem and Heidemann’s book, or our DVD on hurdy-gurdy maintenance. D&H is an invaluable resource. Musicmaker’s supplies the instrument with nylon strings. Our observation is that the gut gives a better sound, and it’s easier to apply the cotton. We sell a set of strings to tune the instrument in C (G chanters, G and C drones) but we can also provide other string sets if you have a different tuning that you prefer. Frequently the strings will need to be shimmed out from the wheel. Shimming is discussed at length in the Destrem and Heidemann book. Another frequent problem with this instrument is the chanter bridge. Sometimes it’s glued on the wrong place: the distance from the
