A search on the net for Chris Eaton, Hurdy Gurdy Maker, gives some
great photographs and descriptions.  The gurdy is no different to
a poorly tuned street organ -- when properly set up and tuned and
played expertly it is a fine sound.  I will not attempt to describe
one here; enough to say they are well documented on the 'Net.

I built one before I became interested in building organs and when
I found that my street organ was mostly being called a hurdy-gurdy
I took to taking the HG with me as a good conversation piece and to
show the only similarity is that of turning a crank.

Greetings from snowy UK
Arthur Nichols
West Midlands, UK