Don Rickert Musical Instruments

Need to Sell Violoncello da Spalla Fast!

An Opportunity that is Too Good to Ignore Here is a great opportunity for you if you have been dragging your feet on commissioning a violoncello da spalla from a top luthier based in the US. That would be Southeastern US if you want to be specific; Northeast Georgia to be even more specific. I have established a great reputation as a maker of "unusual" instruments such as octave violins and modern travel violins and... Read more →

New Episode of Cool Instruments for Hep Cats with William Hurd on Violoncello da Spalla

Cool Instruments for Hep Cats Our new podcast, ‘Cool Instruments for Hep Cats’ launched in March, 2023. It is available as an audio podcast, currently only on Spotify. It is also available in video format on YouTube. In “Cool Instruments for Hep Cats”, we delve into the fascinating realm of unusual and intriguing musical instruments, the people who make them, the people who play them and the music they create. See my earlier article, ‘Our... Read more →

What Makes the Difference Between Pretty Good and Great Acoustic Stringed Instruments? (Revised 6-2023)

This article is an update to a similar article published about a year earlier. If you really care to see the original article, see: What Makes the Difference Between Pretty Good and Great Acoustic Stringed Instruments? If you wish to discuss anything covered in this article, see Don Rickert on Linktree: https://linktr.ee/donrickert. This link gets you to ALL of my detailed contact information, my websites and social media. Introduction Before I start, what are the... Read more →

What is Tap Tuning and Why Does it Matter?

Tap-tuning is an art (grounded in science) that is shrouded in mystery. While some luthiers tap-tune only by ear, computer-assisted tap tuning allows the luthier to actually see a computer-generated frequency spectrum graph when muting a specific spot on the plate (e.g., top or back). Computer-assisted tap tuning has only been possible for a few decades. Until very recently, it was too expensive for most luthiers, as the software required used to cost hundreds to... Read more →

Is It Finally Time For a Master-Built Violoncello da Spalla?

This is an update to a article that originally appeared several months ago (Spring 2023). See New Violoncello da Spalla Builds Underway: Now Might Be the Time If you wish to discuss anything covered in this article, see Don Rickert on Linktree: https://linktr.ee/donrickert. This link gets you to ALL of my detailed contact information, my websites and social media. New Content Since I started making Violoncellos da Spalla in 2017, I have made 20 or... Read more →