Special Trade-In Offer!
For a limited time: $500 trade-in for a Cricket Travel Violin or $300 for a Wiplstix.
Contact Info.
Don Rickert on Linktree: https://linktr.ee/donrickert. This link gets you to ALL of my detailed contact information, my websites and social media.
Email: [email protected]
Phone (in US): 706-896-0909 or 706-400-1481 (mobile)
What is a travel violin or travel viola?
A modern travel violin has a full 13” (like a 4/4 violin) playable string length, but has a narrower body in the 1.75” to 4” range. Modern travel violins look much like their ancestors, 18th Century pochettes. The smaller body affords the use of an easily-portable tubular case. Also, modern travel violins are built to be far more durable than regular violins.
Why do I say that it is travel violin season?
Because Springtime is close. In the Spring and Summer months, we sell a lot of travel violins and travel violas, standard offerings as well as completely custom instruments.
The main reason for this is simple: people do a lot more outdoor adventure activities during the warmer months. Travel fiddles are in their element in the outdoors.
The reason I mention the timing issue is that almost every year, I have to turn down potential travel violin orders because there is insufficient available lead time. So, if you are planning on taking one of my instruments with you on a trip, leave enough time for me to make it. It usually takes about 5 weeks.
Why would you want a travel violin or viola?
This is an interesting question. If you wonder “why?”, you probably do not need one. If you need one, you already know the answer. Of course, the answer is different for every individual. Some of the most common scenarios are:
Frequent air travel
With today’s carry-on baggage restrictions, even a carrying a compact violin case, such as a BAM case, AND a separate bow case, onto a plane is a major headache. And then there is the reasonable possibility that you may not be able to take it onto the plane, such a crowed flight, or a connecting flight on a small plane. The basic rule is that, if you cannot fit your stuff into the overhead bins, your stuff is going to the cargo hold. This is not a battle that one wants to try to fight at the gate.
Small aircraft travel to remote wilderness locations.
If your adventure lust requires travel on a really small aircraft, such as a pontoon plane, there are serious baggage restrictions.
Camping and trekking
This is where travel violins really come in handy. Anyone who has ever taken a fiddle (or mandolin, or guitar) on a serious camping trip, never mind long hike, know that it is more trouble than it may be worth. Not to mention the potential damage to the instrument. Imagine being about to tote your instrument in a slim tubular case that attaches to your backpack.
How much do my travel violins and violas cost?
You will note that our Travel Violins and violas are NOT cheap! They are master luthier-built instruments that sound really good for their size. All of our travel violins are appointed with the highest quality fittings, including Wittner FineTune™ internally-geared tuners and either D’Addario Helicore or Infeld-Thomastik Vision strings. The top is high-grade spruce (usually Sitka). The back and sides are highly-flamed soft maple. The necks are hard maple (aka sugar maple). An exception is the Mountaineer Travel Violin, which has a Western Red cedar top and ribs.
A durable padded tubular case is included with all of our travel violins and violas. The case diameter is either 4” or 5”, depending on the instrument model
The current standard offerings are:
Ranger IV Travel Violin ($2600)
This is the most popular instrument my workshop has ever produced. When I say “most popular instrument” I do not mean just travel violins. The Ranger IV fits into a well-padded lightweight 5” tubular case. The length can be anywhere in the 25” to 32”, depending on the bow. When the bow will be carried separately, or it is one of our take-apart bows, the 25” case length is perfect.
Ranger IV Slimline Travel Violin ($2,600)
This is a slimmed-down version of the Ranger IV that fits into a 4” diameter case. Its sound is not a robust as the Ranger IV. There is no separate product listing for this instrument. It is a customization of the regular Ranger IV Travel Violin.
Ranger IV Travel Viola ($2,650)
This is a viola version of the Ranger IV Travel Violin, available in 15” to 16.5” body lengths. They fit into a well-padded 5” tubular case.
International Travel Violin Slimline ($2,600)
This is a version of the Ranger IV that fits into a 4” diameter case that is only 21” long. The case will fit into a 22” carry-on bag!
Custom Travel Violins
We can do almost any variation of a travel violin, including 5-string versions.
Are there less expensive travel violins on the market?
Yes. There are two other makers of travel violins and travel violas that I know about. They cost considerably less than the ones I make.
If it is of any consolation, for an indefinite period of time, I will take a Cricket or Wiplstix travel violin in trade. $500 for a Cricket and $300 for a Wiplstix.
Cricket by Magic Fluke
Base price is about $600.
It has a pretty decent sound.
Internally-geared tuners cost extra.
Does NOT come with a hard case, nor does one seem to be offered.
The instrument is NOT small, about 23” long (standard violin), 4” wide and 3.5” high. Those measurements require a 6” diameter case if there were to be any kind of internal padding. With that size, there is no apparent benefit over a full-size violin case.
Wiplstix
The Wiplstix is a full-length but tiny girth travel/practice violin that fits into a 2” diameter case. Wiplstix was established in the late 1990s and once again in business after a 3-year hiatus. You can play music on a Wiplstix; however, the sound is exactly as one would expect for such as small sliver of an instrument. The instruments are quite popular, as they can literally go anywhere.
The tuners are modified zither pins, which must be adjusted with a screwdriver or even a penny.
Base price is about $400.
The price does NOT include decent strings. A set of entry-level decent strings costs about $50 extra.
Chinese pochette replicas available on eBay
Several hundred dollars can buy you a playable Chinese-made pochette replica on eBay. Not all of these replica instruments have a standard full-size string length and are intended to be tuned to a higher pitch. Modern travel violins they are not.
Do we make replicas of 18th Century pochettes?
While there is no official product listing on the Don Rickert Musician Shop online store, we do make a late 18th Century Scottish type pochette on a custom basis. It is similar to the pochette thought to have been played by Neil Gow, the Father of Scottish Fiddling. People who order these are typically historical reenactors. They generally are a bit less expensive than our modern travel violins.
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