Robert and Mary,
My HurdyGurdyCrafters.com Monarch kit - came with strings for unison G/C tuning only because I requested G/C tuning.
The Monarch instrument can be tuned down to D/G just fine, or even up to A/D (which I am considering so that I have three different intruments: G/C (Wren), D/G (Weiss) and A/D (the Monarch) for playing in my Celtic band - hurdy-gurdy, Galician gaita bagpipes, crumhorn, French bombard, penny whistle, fiddle, guitar, one-row button accordion, bodhran).
My G/C Wren is octave tuned, i.e. chanters g and g'. I MUCH prefer octave G/C and octave D/G tuning. I find unison G/C tuning rather harsh ragardless of the instrument used, and D/G octave tuning is pretty standard.
Would love to have a 3-chanter D/G instrument with chanterelles tuned d, d' and d" like the Baroni model that Neil Nrook is playing here on YouTube - but first must save up $5,000.00 USD in
a morbid economy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUKY41JBb7wJon
--- In
HurdyGurdyForum@..., robert loechler <robertloechler@...> wrote:
>
> Dear Mary,
> My hurdygurdycrafters HG is a modified Monarch kit model.the standard $999 do-it-yourself kit with a slightly larger body and a chanter bridge with wheels for adjustment which I consider VERY important.Also,the 2 chanter melody strings are unison 040 gauge.I started with an octave 025 chanter with the standard 040 initially.BUT,it was nearly impossible to get them tuned right.Plus,the chanter melody volume was far too weak to balance against the two drones.It works MUCH better -is far louder,balanced,and easy to tune
with two 040 unison chanters.Incidentally,my 4 drones are:low D,G(fourth above the low D) as wound strings on the far side of the wheel.In French:Gros and Petit Bourdon.And,a gut g mouche(one octave higher than the Petit Bourdon G) plus a gut d Trompette drone(which is the buzzing bridge).However,I have been experimenting with the Trompette placing it at an A(a fourth lower) when playing in D tuning with the low D bass drone.Also,I have
> taken it down to a G(a fifth lower) and thus in unison with the low G Petit Bourdon when playing in G tuning.Finally,obviously,I chose a D/G tuning scheme rather than the higher G/C scheme.Plus,I chose to have a high c# upper row chromatic note in the second octave included which is usually left out to help preserve space in the bottom row.I am glad to have this note,but some of the bottom row keys are rather narrow in the second octave and,thus,require very precise control.A tradeoff.To further complicate
matters,my HG is far more resonant and clear tuned up a half step to D#/G#.Go figure.But since I perform solo,it is no big deal to me.It just sounds,sings better up a half step higher.Finally,I have metal tangents with medium clear plastic sleeves.They are a bit of a pain to tune,but the tone is fantastic...Melvin Dorries is great with questions too!...good luck...Robert
>
> --- On Wed, 10/28/09, victoryfarm <ms-victoryfarm@...> wrote:
>
>
> From: victoryfarm <ms-victoryfarm@...>
> Subject: [HurdyGurdyForum] Re: New England region of the U.S.
> To:
HurdyGurdyForum@...> Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 10:34 PM
>
>
> Robert -
>
> I forgot to ask- what model did you get? What do you particularly
like/dislike about it?
>
> I'd actually like to hear that about any of the HG Crafters or Olympic Instruments - if anyone else would like to share about their American-made instruments.
>
> Mary
>
> --- In
HurdyGurdyForum@..., robert loechler <robertloechler@> wrote:
> >
> > Dear Mary,
> > I am a HG player of the past 6 months in southern NH.I have a HG by Melvin Dorries of Hurdygurdycrafters.com.
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
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