The world’s first mechanical musical model

What makes the first mechanical Hurdy-Gurdy musical set exceptional?

Ugears is proud to present the very first musical 3D puzzle set made out of natural wood. It is not just another decorative element for your living room but a real musical instrument in miniature, that is capable of creating wonderful melodies once you master it!

A brief history of hurdy-gurdy and the ins and out of the mechanism

The Hurdy-Gurdy musical instrument appeared in Europe in the 15th century, and by the 17th – 18th century it spread beyond. The instrument has undergone many changes throughout its existence. Today it is a frame with strings attached on the sides. The keys are located on the same side, where the neck is. On the other side there is a handle and a wheel that comes in contact with the strings. To make the sound, start turning the knob and press on the right strings. It is incredible that a hurdy-gurdy only needs two strings to play hundreds of melodies!

Key features of the Hurdy-Gurdy set

Here are some features of this beautiful set:

• It consists of 292 parts, and the assembly process can take up to 8 hours;
• The assembly doesn’t require any glue, due to the mechanical principle behind all the joint parts and the device’s operation;
• This model features 2 strings and 6 keys for chords;
• The design allows you to conveniently hold Hurdy-Gurdy, while steadily supporting it  with your leg

Take a look at this the Hurdy-Gurdy model layout. Although it may seem complicated at first glance, in fact, the instrument is very easy to handle both in terms of assembly and in terms of use.

Tuning of the instrument

An assembled Hurdy-Gurdy needs to be tuned, use a tuning fork to do so. There are pegs for two strings on the instrument’s neck. Rotate them in order to adjust the string tension to create differently pitched sounds. Each of the 6 keys represents one of the notes, and if you have an ear for music, you can easily get the instrument ready for its first show.

All 6 keys are spring-loaded with the help of rubber bands and little cranks in the keybox for a quieter and more convenient play. Also Ugears Hurdy-Gurdy has a special mechanism to adjust the height of both strings (melody and bourdon string) on the bridge and beautiful planetary gears mechanism inside the body.

The length of the melody and the bourdon string is 250 mm (from bridge to the head’s threshold). The length of the strings between the middle of the wheel to the bridge is 30 mm.

How to play a Hurdy-Gurdy?

This mechanical musical instrument is extremely easy to use – just lay it on your leg, leaning it on the stand, and start turning the handle to rotate the wheel. The only thing left to do now is to adjust the speed of rotation and press on the right strings to produce a variety of melodies. To create rich melodies with rhythm and solo sections, use two or more Hurdy-Gurdy sets simultaneously.