"Build a Hurdy Gurdy" by Bart Brush from Mugwumps Magazine, March 1974 A note from Shane: In researching various obscure musical instruments, I have discovered the treasure trove of information from Mugwumps, a now defunct magazine originally published by Michael Holmes of Silver Spring, MD. The bi-monthly journal celebrated old time music, unusual folk instruments and served as a classifieds for the emerging bluegrass community of the 1970's. These handwritten plans were found in the March 1974 issue. CHALLENGE TO IMPROVE THESE PLANS: If you have improvements to these plans, please post them in the comments below. Also use the comments section to post any photos and descriptions of hurdy gurdy's ("gurdies?") that you've built. Wikipedia describes the Hurdy Gurdy as "a stringed instrument that produces sound by a hand crank-turned, rosined wheel rubbing against the strings. The wheel functions much like a violin bow, and single notes played on the instrument sound similar to…
