Welsh Crwth
The Fiddle of the Welsh Bards
Welsh Folk Museum Crwth copy
This instrument is based on the Instrument by Richard Evans of 1742 in the Welsh Folk Museum.This example, pictured below is not carved out of a block of timber like the original but built up in baroque violin fashion, with a separate body and arm/head. My version has binding/purfling to the soundboard edge.
The fingerboards are flat
and
the strings are parallel with the body as in the
original, Stringing can be either all plain gut in the medieval fashion
or baroque stringing which uses wound wire on the thicker strings.
These are my standard model Crwths
£600* *minus case or bow
*for Handmade case add £100
I can make them with a natural blonde varnish (bottom)or antiqued as shown on the left.
Normally there is at least a 6 months waiting list for these instruments. more for the carved out versions.
Other Crwths can also be made to order, including Baltic Bowed Lyres, starting at £300
**The same model carved from one piece of Sycamore with figured maple fittings with case will start at £1050
See and hear this Crwth on Youtube
Here:
BBC page about the crwth with Cass Meurig talking about the crwth and why she plays it and a tune example
More pictures from my old 2003 website here