Don Rickert Musical Instruments

One Last Opportunity to Own a Violoncello da Spalla Standard Model.

This article announces what amounts to discontinuation of the Standard Model Violoncello da Spalla and the introduction of the Standard Model Plus. That being said, as of today 9-9-2022, there are still two Standard Models, which cost just under $10,000, available. one of these is about 2/3 complete, so there would not be too long of a wait. If you have been shopping, you know that that is a really great price. I look forward to talking to you. -Don Rickert If you have decided to acquire a professional level violoncello da spalla, you should pay attention to this! Email: [email protected] Phone: 706-896-0909 At the end of May 2022 we announced our Violoncello da Spalla Standard Plus Model, AND that we would be discontinuing the Standard Model. In other words, this model has been superseded by the new Violoncello da Spalla Standard Plus Model, which costs considerably more. This could be your lucky day! If you are still interested in this great but more affordable model, we have determined that we still have enough materials and parts to build two more. Then, that's it for the foreseeable future. Please contact us if you wish to discuss purchasing one of these instruments. Our email is [email protected] and phone number is (706) 896-0909 or (706) 400-1481 (mobile). You can also use the "Contact" link on this page. Effective May 30, 2022, we are offering the NEW Violoncello da Spalla Standard Plus Model. This new model supersedes its predecessor, which was called the... Read more →

Sessioneer Spartan Bouzouki by Rickert and Hale, Luthiers (Full Product announcement)

This article is also published at www.rickertandhale.com. Ordering Information While semi-standardized, each Sessioneer Bouzouki is built for the individual buyer, at least for now. If you wish to discuss buying one of these instruments, give us a call or send an email. Looking forward to talking! Phone: 1-706-896-0909 Email: [email protected] Note: If you are a highly-skilled player with a history of high-quality videos on YouTube, we are open to discussing a discounted price in exchange for demonstration videos of our instruments. Let’s agree up front that there will be no hurt feelings. I mean, I am a player, but at nowhere near the skill level necessary for a compelling demonstration. My partner, Dr. Hale, and others have pointed this out to me, and my feelings were not hurt 😊. Introduction We are Rickert & Hale, Luthiers, a collaboration between me (Donald Rickert) and fellow luthier, Dr. Jesse Randy Hale of J. Hale Custom Guitars. We set out to design and build the BEST bouzoukis and octave mandolins possible, employing materials and design elements that have been plausibly related (by us and others) over the years to superior sound and playability. I will get back to that point in a bit. We are absolutely committed to fair pricing for our instruments, which are hand-made by master luthiers 100% in the U.S. This in no way equates to low cost, but quite the opposite. There are already many lost cost options provided by a market that is quite saturated with cheap factory-made... Read more →

What Makes the Difference Between Pretty Good and Great Acoustic Stringed Instruments?

This article has been updated. See: What Makes the Difference Between Pretty Good and Great Acoustic Stringed Instruments? (Revised 6-2023) Introduction Before I start, what are the criteria for judging the sound quality of musical instruments? I hope that the reader can agree that this is largely subjective, and often, culturally relative. Take the Great Highland Bagpipe. That there are two kinds of people in the world; those who love the bagpipes and those who hate them has been attributed to many, including, as I recall, Winston Churchill. Many of us love (at least in limited doses) the uillean pipes; however, I have known many Irish, meaning those who actually live in Ireland, who refer to them as “rat-chasers”. Finally, some might describe an octave mandolin as a bouzouki that is too bassy and boomy, or a bouzouki as a thin and weak-sounding octave mandolin. While the criteria for judging the sound quality of a musical instruments are, to some extent, subjective, culturally relative and even arbitrary, there are some sonic attributes of plucked acoustic stringed instruments, which I believe are widely accepted as desirable, such as: Sonority (i.e., “power” or loudness) Balance (i.e., low notes on the low strings are just as loud to the ear as notes on the high strings) Focus (i.e., not “muddy”) Richness in harmonic overtones Sustain (largely a function of overtone richness) It can be demonstrated that high-end instruments and cheap instruments differ greatly with respect to the aforementioned attributes. See Can you hear... Read more →