Six-year GAL member Wilfried Ulrich has been a high-school art and shop teacher for twenty-eight years. He began making instruments in 1977 after seeing a televised course in making a fretted dulcimer by John Pearse. He has made Medieval fiddles, viols, harps, and dulcimers, but hurdy-gurdies are his favorite.
▪ bio current as of 2004
2004
AL#77 p.30 BRB7 p.162
Wilfried Ulrich
▪ Whether the hurdy-gurdy is a fascination or an abomination is up to each listener, but it has to be built right to be given a fair shot. Ulrich uses historical examples as a basis for his instruments, then modifies them to suit contemporary players. This article contains some hurdy-history, photos of a museum hurdy, and a magazine-size version of GAL Plan #49. Also included are photos and drawings of Ulrich’s hurdy-gurdy, a chart of dimensions for laying out the key box, and a series of drawings to help explain the inner workings of the beast. You, too, can enjoy a bit of history in all its hurdy-glory.
2004
AL#77 p.36 BRB7 p.168
Wilfried Ulrich
▪ A full-scale instrument plan. See the GAL website for a low-rez preview.
2001
AL#68 p.6 read this article
Wilfried Ulrich
▪ Wilfried has made a lot of real hurdy-gurdies. He says Americans tend to have a cartoonish view of the venerable drehleir. They ought to educate themselves and have more respect for a highly developed classical instrument. He eventually authored Plan#49 for us.