Don Rickert Musical Instruments

Do You Really Need a Violoncello da Spalla?

Note: There is an updated version of this article entitled, Octave Violin or Violoncello da Spalla? You might find it strange that I am asking this question. After all, I am a luthier who makes violoncellos da spalla. Should I not just be happy when someone wants me to make one for them? Donald Rickert, Ph.D., IDSA Email: [email protected] Phone: (706) 896-0909 (main); (706) 400-1481 (mobile) Caveats Before you read this, you need to know... Read more →

Almost Half of a Violin: What is That???

We have introduced a new violin design, which we are calling the “Quasi-Mezzo Violin”, at least until we decide to call it something else. Taken literally, “Quasi-Mezzo Violin” would indeed refer to “almost half of a violin” in Italian. That would be pretty funny. In reality, the colloquial meaning of “mezzo” (literally “middle”) in the realm of musical instruments is more like “between one thing and the other”. A “Mezzo Violin” is called such because... Read more →

New Quasi-Mezzo Violins by Don Rickert: 4-String, 5-String and Octave Violin Versions

Many players of violins, especially fiddlers, spend much effort seeking instruments that, while tuned the same (for a fiddler, this is often something different than the standard G3 D4 A4 E5) but with a less shrill, indeed darker, timbre, with excellent sonority. The Quasi-Mezzo Violin by Don Rickert is an acoustic violin designed to deliver an especially full-bodied and powerful acoustic sound output (See: Introducing the Quasi-Mezzo Violin by Luthier Donald Rickert: Details). It is... Read more →

The Mezzo Violin: One Way to Achieve Deeper Timbre with Outstanding Projection

Many players of violins, especially fiddlers, spend much effort dreaming about and seeking instruments that, while tuned the same (for a fiddler, this is often something different than the standard G3 D4 A4 E5) but with a less shrill, indeed darker, timbre, with excellent sonority. As Darol Anger colorfully put it, many fiddlers… "…tire of all those high screechy sounds up next to our face all the time! As in many marriages, an instrument's most... Read more →

Introducing the Quasi-Mezzo Violin by Luthier Donald Rickert: Details

Here are some details about the new Quasi-Mezzo Violins by Don Rickert. The instrument is available in 4-string, 5-string or Octave Violin configurations. Email: [email protected] Phone: 706-896-0909; 706-400-1481 (mobile) What Is It? I will get in to the specifics, including its name, forthwith. But first, I will tell you what it is. It is violin designed to deliver an especially full-bodied and powerful acoustic sound output. It is inspired by the Mezzo Violin invented by... Read more →