cboody wrote:
These folks:
http://www.hurdygurdycrafters.com/Seem to get better and better. And, they have some models in your range. I've a gurdy playing friend who has instruments from all over the world and she thinks their instruments compare well with the best out there. There are also two makers in the northwest part of the US, Olympic and another whose name escapes me.
Thanks! I came across this site a long time ago, when I was wavering between taking up uilleann pipes or hurdy gurdy. I went for the pipes and forgot about the site. Glad to hear it has some positive review! I'm bookmarking it and will research into it!
I wondered about these.
http://www.altarwind.com/ Some things about the site and how it's presented make me wonder about the quality, though.
Seeing as there are not "hurdyandgurdipple" message boards, or anything of that sort, it's very difficult to find information on what is worth buying, and what is garbage, so it's very hard to tell. If buying within europe it would be easier, but I think buying from a US luthier might be better for me. I am definitely going to give it some months of research before I jump into anything, though, as I want to make sure to get the right one