We just launched our new podcast, Offbeat Songs for Cool Cats, just in time for Christmas 2022. Below are links to play Episode 1, Parts 1 and 2 via Spotify. We aim to post an episode every 2 weeks. The next is scheduled for on or about January 5, 2023. I'll be telling you more about this podcast in the coming days.
We will also be launching yet another Podcast show in the near future. For now its name is Badass Instruments for Cool Cats. There will be a corresponding video version on YouTube.
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 it is between a violin and a viola, at least size-wise. A Mezzo Violin has the body similar to a small viola but is tuned exactly the same as a conventional violin; that is generally G3 D4 A4 E5. Similarly, a “mezzo soprano” refers to a woman whose vocal range is between (and overlaps) both the alto and soprano ranges. In other words, a soprano who can also sing lower notes in the alto range. How much of a range overlap depends on the individual singer.
Our Quasi-Mezzo Violin is a lot like a Mezzo Violin. Indeed, it is designed to accomplish similar goals; specifically, a deeper tone and really impressive projection. Both instruments are somewhat larger than a conventional violin; but the Mezzo Violin has a longer body and the Quasi-Mezzo Violin has deeper ribs. So, we use the prefix “quasi”, which is Italian (and Latin) for “nearly” or “almost”. There you have it—Quasi-Mezzo Violin!
Should you want to learn more about this exciting new violin, see:
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.
When configured as a 5-string violin, it solves the well-known problem of an acoustically week C-string. It also makes possible an octave violin that can hold its own when played alongside other instruments. In its basic 4-string configuration, it is the dark and sonorous instrument sought by many fiddlers.
Availability
I am able to discuss commissions right now. The base price is 1/2 to 1/3 the price of one of my Violoncellos da Spalla. I will soon be posting updates on a current build of a Quasi-Mezzo Violin configured as a purpose-built Octave Violin.
A 30-day trial is available to qualified potential buyers. This means that I will have satisfied myself that you are serious about acquiring the instrument and you simply need to confirm its excellence and that it meets your needs.
I am open to barter. This could take the form of a partial trade for an instrument that I am interested in or an exchange of videos of you playing the instrument, a really good discount. You don't see that kind of offer everyday!
If you are interested in learning more about our new Quasi-Mezzo Violin, available in 4-string, 5-string and Octave Violin configurations, please feel free to contact me:
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.
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 Carleen Hutchins and the groundbreaking experiments by Joseph Curtin. When configured as a 5-string violin, it solves the well-known problem of an acoustically week C-string. It also makes possible an octave violin that can hold its own when played alongside other instruments. In its basic 4-string configuration, it is the dark and sonorous instrument sought by many fiddlers.
A draft rendering of my new Quasi-Mezzo Violin appears to the right. An image of one of my earlier Quasi-Mezzo Violins appears below.
The Need
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,
Maggini Violin
indeed darker, timbre, with excellent sonority. This is one of the reasons that well-made true Maggini copies are quite popular with Old-Time and some Bluegrass players.
Note: Many players in the Bluegrass genre favor a bright-sounding, even strident, timbre that “cuts through” when soloing.
Maggini pattern violins, being somewhat larger than the “Strad standard” and often high arching, are often louder with a deeper timbre, especially with the right strings. Indeed, Maggini pattern violins often do not fit into a standard violin case due to their larger dimensions. I can tell you this from extensive personal experience, as a player as well as a luthier.
Well made Maggini copies can be great. In fact, I am finishing restoration on a customer’s 125-year-old German Maggini copy that shows great promise. One problem is that really good ones are hard to find. These days, what are sold as Maggini copies are typically just cheap quasi-Strad pattern instruments with double purfling (two rows of purfling rather than just one), which is a distinctive feature of many Maggini instruments.
If you want deep timbre and powerful sonority, I believe that there are better options than even the finest Maggini pattern instruments. First, a small digression on use of electric violins to go deeper, darker and louder.
Why not Just Go Electric?
Many readers will know that one can alter the output tone and loudness of a violin, and most other instruments, by installing a pickup and plugging into an amplification/sound reinforcement system; in other words, an “amp”. Or, in the case of the violin, you can simply use an electric violin, which is designed to be played through an amp.
When going through an amplifier, the use of a plethora of effects processors, collectively known as audio filters, affords altering the “natural” sound of the instrument in a number of ways. With such devices, one can even convert, in real time, the input to an output that is one or more octaves lower or higher. You can alter the sound so much so that the output does not even sound like a violin, or even a single instrument.
I know that I do not even have to say what I am about to say. An electric violin, regardless of how much or how little its output sound is altered, is fundamentally different from an acoustic violin. To describe the differences, from playing it to listening to it is far beyond the scope of this article. Beautiful music can be produced by either an acoustic or electric instrument; however, they are just different. People who are seeking an acoustic instrument with a deep and powerful sonority want just that—an acoustic instrument with a deep and powerful sonority. Many players, including myself, are (or used to be in my case) adept at playing electric as well as acoustic instruments. They just use them to achieve different musical objectives.
The Mezzo Violin
New Violin Family
The Mezzo Violin has been around since the 1960s. It is the closest thing to a standard violin in the “New Violin Family” (previously called the “Violin Octet”), the brainchild of the luthier and researcher Carleen Hutchins and her collaborators. See the image to the right. The Mezzo Violin is the largest of the three smaller instruments in the foreground.
The Mezzo Violin has a body typically about the size of a 15 ½” viola, but with a disproportionately short neck, which affords a playable string length the same as a regular violin (i.e., that would be about 13”). It is tuned the same as a regular violin (G3 D4 A4 E5).
While being tuned the same as a conventional violin, a Mezzo Violin has a deeper timbre, and is noticeably louder than most conventional violins, including Stradivarius instruments. One would think that this instrument fits the bill for those seeking a loud and dark sounding instrument. It probably would if you could find them. The instruments of the Violin Octet never did take off in a big way. I remember learning about them in elementary school. They were to revolutionize the modern orchestra. That didn’t happen. While the orchestral community has shown some acceptance to innovation over the centuries, especially the bowed strings; however, more innovations have been killed than those that have been embraced. There is reportedly a supplier who has Mezzo Violins made to specs in China. They are not very expensive and I have heard good reviews. But they are factory-made in China—not seen as a good selling point for many.
I have been intrigued by the idea of the Mezzo Violin for a long time. In fact, I have built a few experimental violas with shortened necks, usually intended as octave violins. At one point, I even experimented with a capo of sorts to achieve a violin-length scale of 13” on an unmodified full-size (16”+) viola. I have been more successful, however, in selling, violas with standard length viola-length necks and fit with special octave strings. The playable scale length is 14.5” or more depending on the viola. Remember that the standard violin has a 13" scale. Most of these have been based on the Tertis pattern, which has a wider middle and lower bout. I usually call them “Tenor Violas”. If you want to hear one in the able hands of a really good fiddler, click here or the video window below.
Because our Tenor Violas I am selling are based on a very nice imported Tertis pattern viola, which is completed and set up in our Georgia, US workshop, we can keep the price down to the $2K to $2.5K range.
The Quasi-Mezzo Violin by Don Rickert
My new design has the same length body as a conventional violin, but the body is a little bit wider. This means that the playing geometry is identical to a regular violin, including the playable scale length of approximately 13”. The ribs, on the other hand, are significantly taller than the 30 mm ribs of a regular violin. The ribs of the basic Quasi-Mezzo Violin and a 5-string version are 37 mm, such as one would find on a larger viola. The Octave Violin configuration has 40 mm ribs. The Quasi-Mezzo has a different plan profile than a Strad-pattern instrument, as well as differently-shaped sound holes. Its shape has less pronounced corners, making a bit viol-like. This shape makes for a slightly less stiff instrument, which is one of the reasons for its deep timbre and powerful sonority.
While I did not set out to copy Joseph Curtin’s Ultra-Lite violin, there is a resemblance, I admit.
Curtin Ultra-Ight
The sound holes are a nod to François Chanot’s instruments (mid-19th Century).
I also used these simple “slit” sound holes on the “Cradle of Harmony” Octave Violins I designed more than a decade ago. Those instruments have been played by such notable musicians as Darol Anger, Natalie Haas and Alasdair Fraser.
Availability, Pricing and Such
I have started construction of a Quasi-Mezzo to be set up as an Octave Violin. I have also designed a 5-string version. I am ready to discuss commissions on the Quasi-Mezzo Violin and its 5-string and octave variants right now. The introductory price for any of these will be less than $5,000. I am able to keep the price lower than $10,000 by strategic use of CNC machining in parts of the fabrication process. I will be talking about this in a future article.
The Name
I have tried to avoid the naming confusion often associated with a new instrument. Carleen Hutchins’ Mezzo violin achieved its greater body volume while maintaining a conventional violin scale length by using a proportionately larger body (length, width and rib height) with a disproportionately shorter neck. I believe that the deeper and louder sound is achieved at the expense of ergonomic considerations. The shorter neck necessarily makes notes in higher positions less accessible to the player.
I find the naming of the original Mezzo Violin a bit curious, as “mezzo” means “half” or “middle” in Italian. The name, then seems to imply a half-size violin. Or course, to the contrary, the instrument is larger than a 4/4 violin. Maybe it refers to half a viola, not literally, of course. No matter, the name is well established and I kind of like the sound of it.
So, my instrument has the same goal as the Mezzo Violin, but instead of increasing the body volume with a longer and considerably wider body, the body is the same length as a conventional violin (14”). I have added the prefix "quasi", which translates roughly to "nearly", and we have "Quasi-Mezzo" Violin.
First, thank you for your valuable attention. This will make sense if I can hold on to your attention for a few more minutes.
In the words of Aerosmith:
I'm back I'm back in the saddle again I'm back I'm back in the saddle again
Man, nobody can screech our lyrics like the great Steven Tyler!
Gene Autry expressed the same sentiment in his song of the same title, written in 1939 and recorded numerous times by him and widely covered.
If you have to ask, it means doing something that you stopped doing for a period of time.
I stopped building instruments for a while. Here is why.
After the passing of my Partner and Soulmate Alycen in August of 2021, I took a long hiatus from seeking new instrument build commissions. During a period of several months after her death I caught up on a distressing backlog of instrument builds, all of them violoncellos da spalla and a custom leather case for a violoncello da spalla. I also pretty much ignored doing frequent updates to my blogs and other social media, and boy, am I paying for that now! I have been posting lots of articles the past few weeks. I have regained “first page” status on Google searches for anything remotely related to “Violoncello da Spalla.” We have a long way to go with getting the word out on my octave violins, travel violins and such. And the market for mandolins is so large, that it could take a really long time to get there.
I am eager and ready to start building new instruments for my discerning customers. I have a special affection for the violoncello da spalla and it is, thus, one of my favorite instruments to build. I am also looking forward to making some of my octave violins, 5-string violins and violas and my famous travel violins. I am also now making high-end octave mandolins and citterns in partnership with luthier Jesse Hale, called Rickert & Hale, Luthiers. Prototypes are presently in the hands of expert evaluators. I will be showing at least one octave mandolin prototype (maybe two) at the upcoming Hoppin’ John Old-Time & Bluegrass Fiddlers’ Convention (Pittsboro, NC; September 15-17, 2022).
I will also be showing a new Violoncello da Spalla build in progress and a new Tenor Viola (viola with special design features and setup that is tuned an octave lower than a violin, which is a 4th lower than a regular viola). This instrument is perfect for fiddlers, as all of the fingering is the same as a fiddle, but an octave lower. If you are interested in my opinion on the use of Violoncello da Spalla, and octave violin, in Old-Time string band music, see:
Re-Booting a bespoke lutherie business is surprisingly hard, and, I must say, rather frustrating. I would much rather be making instruments than spending untold hours marketing them! But that is part of the deal for anyone who chooses to earn a living as a luthier.
Attention Economy
In the Attention Economy in which we live, getting noticed is a prerequisite for any kind of business, including small boutique businesses like making custom-built musical instruments. And once you get enough attention to actually sell stuff, you have to continuously remind people via blogs, YouTube and other social media to remember you and the great instruments that you make.
Put simply, the idea behind Attention Economics is that there is way too much information to consume, but humans can only pay attention to a tiny fraction of what they are bombarded with. Online selling platforms such as Reverb.com and eBay take advantage of this human attention deficit by more aggressively bombarding site visitors about what you are tying to sell, for a hefty fee, of course. Too much information and human’s mental limitations results in “attention poverty” for most who seek attention (i.e., selling stuff). Those who have the time and funding to game the system, (SEO, social media algorithms, etc.) get the most attention wealth. If you are curious about attention economics and its psychological theoretical underpinnings, here are some particularly good links:
D. Rickert Musical Instruments (bowed strings), together with its partner, Rickert and Hale, Luthiers (mandolin family and guitars), will once again be showing finished and in progress instruments at the 2022 Hoppin’ John Old Time and Bluegrass Fiddlers’ Convention. The festival happens September 15-17, 2022 at the Shakori Hill Community Arts Center near Pittsboro, North Carolina. That is central North Carolina. People come from throughout the Southeastern US, including Virginia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia and, of course, North Carolina.
We will have at least one of our in-progress violoncellos da spalla to show. As surprising as it might seem, a large number of American traditional fiddle players and enthusiasts are also baroque music enthusiasts. We have actually sold more violoncellos da spalla at (or shortly following) the Hoppin’ John Old-Time and Bluegrass Fiddlers’ Convention than ANY other instrument.
The in-progress violoncello da spalla that we will be showing is actually available for purchase right now. It is the same model played by several renowned violoncello da spalla players. If you are interested, feel free to contact me to discuss.
Later today or tomorrow at the latest, I will post about other instruments that we will have to show at Hoppin' John.
Do you have a taste for the bizarre when it comes to music? Well, I sure do! Well, today is our day, International Strange Music Day (August 24, 2022). Here is a snippet from the website, www.daysoftheyear.com.
“For those who have a tendency to lean toward the unique and bizarre, this is one day that will feed that strange musical soul! International Strange Music Day pulls out all the stops when it comes to going beyond the normal and opening up to a world with new horizons.
When it comes to the ‘strange’ part, this can mean either unfamiliar or bizarre – or both! The choice is entirely personal and up to the individual. In either case, International Strange Music Day is meant to expand the ear toward new sounds.”
There are a number of genres that people who are into these things have associated with International Strange Music Day. Click here to learn more those genres. These genres are not necessarily meant to be funny; however, “Chap Hop” (as in "Good to see you, Old Chap") is laugh-out-loud funny. Think of hip hop performed by stereotypical oh so English Eaton (e.g., the cricket and regatta set) types, complete with straw boater hats and striped jackets and rapping in Queen’s English about stereotypical aristocratic English things.
So, what about things like fart music? But of course! I will leave you with the following.
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!
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 don@DonRickertDesign.com 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 “Standard Model”.
Dr. Don Rickert is one of the preeminent cello da spalla makers worldwide. He is based in Hiawassee, Georgia, USA, which is located in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of North Georgia. The workshop is located literally on the border of the Nantahala Wilderness area of the Chattahoochee National Forest. Dr. Rickert and his fellow luthier, Dr. Randy Hale also designs and builds professional-level octave mandolins, Irish bouzoukis, citterns, mandolas and mandolins. See the Rickert & Hale website. Their workshops are located on adjacent ridges.
Why the New Model?
Funny you should ask. In the past few years, the violoncello da spalla market has evolved such that it has become much smaller and more discerning. The time of exuberant enthusiasm, with throngs of eager beginners, has diminished markedly, and with it the market for violoncellos costing less than $10,000. Put bluntly, the fad has faded. Even the market for well-made Chinese-made—set up in US instruments costing less than $4,000 has disappeared. I mean zero!
What is left is a cadre of highly committed professionals and advanced amateurs, who are only interested in instruments completely made by master luthiers, with NO factory-made components made by low-skilled workers. This group knows that such instruments cost a lot more—simple as that.
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 “Standard Model”.
This new instrument has the same basic specifications as the earlier Standard Model, but is primarily hand-made by Master luthier, Dr. Donald Rickert in our workshop in Hiawassee, GA, USA, with minimal apprentice or contract labor. Prices start at $16,000 US. To learn more, go to NEW Violoncello da Spalla by D. Rickert (Standard Plus Model) on the Don Rickert Musician Shop website.
Dr. Don Rickert is one of the preeminent cello da spalla makers worldwide. He is based in Hiawassee, Georgia, USA, which is located in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of North Georgia. The workshop is located literally on the border of the Nantahala Wilderness area of the Chattahoochee National Forest. Dr. Rickert and his fellow luthier, Dr. Randy Hale also design and build professional-level octave mandolins, Irish bouzoukis, citterns, mandolas and mandolins. See the Rickert & Hale website. Their workshops are located on adjacent ridges.
Why the New Model?
Funny you should ask. In the past few years, the violoncello da spalla market has evolved such that it has become much smaller and more discerning. The time of exuberant enthusiasm, with throngs of eager beginners, has diminished markedly, and with it the market for violoncellos costing less than $10,000. Put bluntly, the fad has faded. Even the market for well-made Chinese-made—set up in US instruments costing less than $4,000 has disappeared. I mean zero!
What is left is a cadre of highly committed professionals and advanced amateurs, who are only interested in instruments completely made by master luthiers, with NO factory-made components made by low-skilled workers. This group knows that such instruments cost a lot more—simple as that.
Our Violoncello da Spalla Standard Plus Model is for those aspiring violoncello da spalla players who are really committed for the long haul. We look forward to discussing what you want.
D. Rickert Musical Instruments has a model of Violoncello da Spalla for every level of commitment beyond “just curious and doing research”. Our Standard Model Violoncello da Spalla goes for just under $10K. This is the model played by some of the widely-recognized best violoncello da spalla players in the world, such as Andrew Gonzalez and Will Hurd. We also have a Deluxe Model, which costs more. Both of these are made by us in our Hiawassee, Georgia USA workshop. We also have a really nice entry-level model that this made in China and set up by us in our workshop. We also make a really cool small Petite Violoncello da Spalla. See the following product listings:
