Other Instruments
Hammered dulcimers, epinettes, hommels, autoharps, guitars, banjos…yes, even hurdy gurdies. I’ve sold all these stringed instruments in the last few years, as well as a metal contrabass clarinet… but that’s another story. Most have been my own instruments or for my family. I’ve enjoyed the music they make, but also the skill, craft and beauty – and in some cases the impossible mechanics needed to produce music from wood and metal!
Instruments available now or sold recently are listed below.
2010 Kerboeuf Electro-Acoustic Alto/Soprano #632 Guide Price £4000 inc. Luxbag hard case
La Châtre-era oblong label inside keybox cover: »VIELLES rondes et plates/type Jenzat/Bernard KERBOEUF/ Luthier/12 Rue de Lucet/36400 LA CHATRE/ No. 632 [h/w] Date Nov. 2010 [h/w] »
Lute back design made from 7 curly maple ribs, the bottom two flattened. Top is spruce, painted black. Keybox, head frame and all keys are also black (latter ebony, even the ‘white’ keys). Wheel cover is black, but inlaid in brown wood ‘Bussy’. The original Breton owner of the gurdy asked for this customisation. Bussy is a commune in the Cher region, close to the gurdy centre of Anost, and was the original owner’s spiritual home! The keybox cover and head have a beautiful overlay of burl yew or elm, bordered by abalone. The black top also has an abalone surround. Metal crank and polished ebony handle. The tuning pegs are black guitar-type Gotohs.
There are 4 x chanters, tuned D4 G3 D3 G4, 2 x bourdons D & C, 7 x sympathetics. The trompette/chien is in D but has a sliding capo. The mouche is in G. Kerboeuf’s neat string lifter system (buttons and sliding knobs) is on the near side of the keybox. The tangents, of Kerboeuf’s own design, are fully adjustable and made from metal and plastic.
The gurdy is electro-acoustic with 7 (?) pickups and an XLR output. The original custom XLR and 5 jack 3m output lead is included. The original build spec from the maker is available, as is a list of current string makes/sources. Original cost in 2010 was 4922 Euros with rigid Luxbag case (also included – current value c£400).
This is an exceptionally pretty gurdy with an exceptional sound, able to play in a wide variety of keys and pitches. The exact instrument is pictured on the Kerbeouf website here. This classic design is still being made by the Kerboeufs, now back in Normandy, crafted largely by Bernard’s son, Audren.
Click on images below to enlarge.
1993 Kerboeuf Jenzat-style D/G #? Guide Price £2750
Oblong label from Bernard’s first atelier: »Bernard Kerboeuf/ Luthier/ 16 Rue des Besaces/ 22 680 Étables Sur Mer/ Oct. 1993 [h/w]. »
Jenzat-style lute body with alternating walnut and maple ribs (9 in total). Top is spruce, varnished, with traditional red edge decoration and black/white bone (?) and ebony marquetry. Keybox and head (with carved figure and lattice top) appear also to be maple. Keybox lid, wheel cover and tailpiece are black (painted or veneered?) with elaborate, traditional mother of pearl flower motifs inlaid. Nearside of keybox has traditional stamped flower designs and maker’s mark (“Bernard KERBOEUF/ Artisan/ Etables sur Mer 22”). Far side has similar design with white and black (bone and ebony) keys. Traditional wooden tangents and movable nuts. Metal crank and polished walnut/bone handle. Tuning pegs are Schaller planetary geared banjo pegs.
2 x chanters tuned to D; 2 x bourdons D2 & ?G; trompette & mouche in G; 4 x sympathetics. The gurdy was originally strung for G/C but re-strung by Chris Allen in 2012 as a D/G. It is in excellent condition, with very few indications of use. The phosphor bronze (cello string?) bourdon has broken while the instrument was stored and needs replacing.
Click on images below to enlarge.
1880s or 1890s (?) Nigout Hurdy-Gurdy Guide Price £Sold
The keybox cover and its internal label were lost, hence no certain date. On near side of keybox, the black handwritten inscription reads:
« A la grande renommée
de <Nigout á Jenzat (allier) > [three separate stamped marks]
Fabricant d’instruments Musique,
éleve de pajot fils décédé.
exposition universelle. »
Also stamped with maker’s name and location on back of head. Original handwritten label inside bowl back was obscured by generations of grease from the axle and largely unreadable. Internal pencil marks from the instrument’s original construction are still present, not all decipherable. One reads: “Nigout á Jenzat (Allier) 1064 [or] No 64 [?]“; another appears to read:“15 aout/ […?] St Julien”.
The pictures give a clear indication of the instrument’s original condition. The new wheel cover and pegbox lid have been crafted from traditional materials, based on the original tailpiece design and other Nigouts. Significant repairs were made to the head, tail, ribs, marquetry surround, keys and bridges. The tangents have been replaced, but take a traditional form. The wheel is new, as is the roller bearing axle, but the crank and white knob are original. The replacement pegs are black geared Wittner flamenco pegs. The restoration was painstaking, with no expense spared. The emphasis was on sound and playability – but also originality, using traditional techniques.
Chris Allen’s verdict on completion in 2017:
“You are going to love the sound. I am happy to be vindicated in my suspicion that the worn out keys and earlier fairly extensive restoration were indicators of its wonderful voice. It isn’t a clone of Bouffard’s but nonetheless delicious to my ear. I’d be proud if this were my only playing instrument. Hah – and it wasn’t until yesterday that we could be sure that it was worth doing! Well it very definitely was!”
Click on images below to enlarge.
Dusty Strings D45 Hammered Dulcimer #17803 £800 Sold including case and (homemade) stand
Dove Sylkie Hammered Dulcimer £600 Sold
Oscar Schmidt Autoharp Model OS73C £Sold
21 Chord autoharp (black 1930’s re-issue). This is the model “strongly recommended” by the UK Autoharp Association (UKA) for first time players. For further information click here.
The instrument is in first class condition (hardly been out of its box). It is fitted with strap buttons. Included is an immaculate Ashbury de-luxe, plush lined hard case (cost over £70); tuning wrench and assorted picks. Three strings need replacing but a new set of Fladmark strings is also included in the sale. I’ll throw in a tuition DVD by Bryan Bowers and a copy of Bonnie Phipps’ book.
Nigout 19th C Jenzat Vielle a Roue (Hurdy Gurdy) £Sold
In the process of complete restoration by one of the foremost French maker/repairers, Bernard Kerboeuf.
