DaShtick Hurdy-Guitar / Crank Guitar

The missing link between a guitar and a cello.

An award-winning design built on an ancient idea, reimagined for a new musical universe.

The Hurdy-Guitar, also known as the Crank Guitar, is a unique string instrument that bridges the worlds of the guitar and the cello, drawing inspiration from the centuries-old concept of the fretted hurdy-gurdy.

Imagine a guitar with a constant bow. A cello that never needs a bowing hand. A drone machine that transforms the simple act of turning a crank into an endless stream of evolving sound.

At its heart lies a fascinating mechanical principle: a continuously rotating wheel sets the strings in motion, creating a sustained, bow-like excitation. Combined with a fretted fingerboard and guitar-inspired playing technique, this creates an entirely new relationship between melody, harmony, rhythm and drone.

Think of it as a musical particle collider: a place where strings, vibrations, harmonics, overtones, rhythms and unexpected sonic particles crash into each other, producing musical matter you didn't know existed.

From haunting medieval-inspired melodies and deep, hypnotic drones to cinematic soundscapes, experimental textures and pulsating rhythmic patterns, the Hurdy-Guitar opens up a world of possibilities that sits somewhere between tradition, invention and sonic exploration.

It's not quite a guitar. Not quite a hurdy-gurdy. Not quite a cello.

It's a drone machine, a melody generator, a sonic laboratory and a completely different way of thinking about string instruments.

An ancient idea with a new twist. A missing link between familiar instruments.

Designed by DaShtick Guitars. Award-winning design. Endless vibrations.