Don Rickert Musical Instruments

Announcing the Long-Awaited Violoncello da Spalla by D. Rickert

Available for order NOW at Don Rickert Musician Shop

Introductory Price: $7500. You can place your order with a 50% deposit.

We announced this very cool instrument just several weeks ago and are already building three for customers. As of this writing, the next one ordered would be completed by mid-Summer, 2018.

We are the one of the sources in the U.S. for true replicas of this 18th Century instrument.

Introduction

Over the past year, we received a number of inquiries about the violoncello da spalla. Recently, we started making them on a custom basis. We, in fact have a healthy backlog of commissions for these instruments. We decided that the time is right for the violoncello da spalla as a standard product offering. Ours is a meticulously replica of an 18” violoncello da spalla in proper Baroque configuration. While the instrument is built for gut strings, it can be strung with more trouble-free and sonorous modern synthetic core (i.e “Perlon”) strings.

Background: What is a Violoncello da Spalla?

The violoncello da spalla (Italian for “cello of the shoulder”) was, until fairly recently, a 5-string instrument of the violin family from the Baroque period that had fallen into obscurity. It is a small instrument, about the size of a modern 1/10 size cello, that is tuned to C, G, d, a, e’ (i.e. like a cello with an additional string on the treble side that is tuned to e’, which is an octave lower than the e” string on a violin)

It is thought by many that the violoncello da spalla was invented, or at least perfected, by the German luthier, Johann Christian Hoffman, a contemporary and probably a close friend of Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach’s purported close relationship with J. C. Hoffmann has led to a now popular theory that Bach had a hand in the invention of the violoncello da spalla. This belief continues to be debated by experts who study the history of musical instruments.

Anyway, what is now widely regarded as the primary candidate for distinction as the original violoncello da spalla, having been previously misclassified as either a viola pomposa, viola da spalla or piccolo cello, was made in 1732 by Hoffmann. It is this instrument that, today, is the de facto “gold standard” for a proper violoncello da spalla.

The modern resurrection of the violoncello da spalla, and widespread attribution of the instrument’s invention to Hoffmann, is due largely to the Russian-Dutch luthier and media celebrity, Dmitry Badiarov. Badiarov, based in The Hague, introduced his first violoncello da spalla in 2004, essentially after Hoffmann, albeit, considerably more refined than the original 1732 instrument. While Badiarov, and his collaborator, Sigiswald Kuijken, are more well-known, it was earlier research by the Dutch violinist and violist, Lambert Smit, that laid the groundwork for Badiarov and others involved in the resurgence of the violoncello da spalla. Smit is regarded by many as the true father of the modern revival of the violoncello da spalla. Indeed, it was Smit who first posited the involvement of Bach, himself, in its invention. It was Smit who surmised that Bach’s Cello Suites and Cantatas were written, not for the full-size 4-string cello, but rather for the much smaller 5-string violoncello da spalla.

Since 2004, the violoncello da spalla has grown exponentially in popularity, largely due to Badiarov’s tireless ongoing research, teaching and publishing. Of, and he also has made quite a few of these unique and very cool instruments for world-famous musicians.

How is the Violoncello da Spalla played?

The violoncello da spalla has been described as a bass for violinists. Unlike the 5-string chin cello, a.k.a. the 5-string octave viola (see image below),

the violoncello da spalla is held across the chest, secured with a strap around the shoulder and neck, as you can see in in the photos below of Lambert Smit and Dmitry Badiarov.

 

The violoncello da spalla is easily (a relative term) played by violinists and violists. Indeed, experts believe that the instrument was invented in the early 1700s in order to minimize the learning curve of accomplished violinists and violists desiring to play a baritone range instrument.

Learning to bow the Violoncello da Spalla does not take much time at all. That being said, any, if not most, experienced violinists and fiddlers, whose experience is primarily in playing the lead melody, will probably need to brush up on their music theory, particularly the principles for improvising baritone/bass harmony and chords. Put another way, they will have to learn the mostly lost art of basso continuo. Of course, there are many fully-scored solo pieces for violoncello from the Baroque period, especially by J.S. Bach.

Interest in these newly re-discovered instruments is growing as part of an overall re-discovery of Baroque music and Baroque instruments, particularly those played with a bow.

 

Description of the Baroque Violoncello da Spalla by D. Rickert and its Options

Our violoncello da spalla is based on measurements taken from the surviving instrument by Johann Christian Hoffmann (1732). As would be expected, our Violoncello da Spalla is 5-string instrument with a body length of 18 inches (14.5cm). It is tuned to C, G, d, a, e’. In other words, the tuning is the same as a full-size cello, but with an additional string on the treble side that is tuned to e’ (an octave lower than the e” string on a violin). It is held across the chest, suspended by a strap around the players neck, not unlike a modern guitar, but much closer to the chin (see the images above).

Approximate Critical Dimensions

• Overall length: 30” (75cm)
• Body length: 18” (45.5cm)
• Upper bout width: 8.25” (21.5cm)
• Lower bout width: 10.25” (26cm)
• Ribs: 3.15” (8.0cm)
• Playable String length: 16.53” (42cm)
• Note about string length: The playable string length of this instrument requires a slightly disproportionately long neck length when compared to the “ideal” string and neck lengths of a modern 1/10 size cello or an 18” viola.

Varnish

A number of varnish options are possible. In all cases, the varnish is old-school hand-rubbed oil over an insulation layer of collagen (hide gelatin) and various mineral grounds.

Some players prefer the minimally pigmented varnish treatment of the surviving Hofmann instrument, which is shown above in the introduction.

Alternative 1	Alternative 2	Alternative 3

Other possibilities are illustrated in the images of some of our other Baroque instruments shown below. The varnish on these instruments is achieved by various combinations of amber, brown and red pigments.

Historically Correct Middle to Late Baroque Period (1700 to 1750) Setup

Micarta synthetic ivory nut and saddle

• Micarta is a synthetic material that has the appearance of ivory. It is slightly softer than ebony and, thus, much kinder to gut strings. Further, ivory is absolutely banned worldwide!

Baroque type pegs (no ivory ring!)

• If you want an “ivory” ring, it will have to be painted on, as even mammoth (i.e. “fossil”) ivory is illegal in many states as well as foreign countries.

True veneered spruce Baroque fingerboard

A proper Baroque fingerboard is not made from either solid ebony or maple. Rather, it has a core of quarter-sawn spruce, which is then clad with thick veneers (2mm to 3.5mm) of various woods, including ebony and figured maple. The fingerboard options are illustrated in images of our Baroque violins below.

Plain Ebony	Ebony w/Maple Border	Dark Maple w/ Natural Maple Border	Natural Maple w/ Dark Maple Border

True Baroque tailpiece

A Baroque Tailpiece can be made from solid ebony or boxwood; however, Baroque tailpieces are more often made from maple, which is then veneered to match that of the fingerboard (see the images above).

Correct bridge for a violoncello da spalla

The correct bridge is best described as a hybrid between an extra-wide (for 5-strings) viola bridge and an extra-wide cello bridge. There are no commercial manufacturers of blanks for such bridges; therefore, we make them for each individual instrument in our workshop.

Strings

Standard String Set

The standard string set for our Violoncello da Spalla is designed to achieve a balance between period authenticity and the expectations of the modern player with respect to sonority/playability/practicality, as well as reasonable cost. As one should expect, we also offer premium replica real gut strings.

Included in the price of your instrument is any combination of the following modern strings listed below. We will work with you to determine the best combination for your needs. String configuration is a matter for post-purchase discussion.

• Chromium-wound high-carbon steel strings (a to C only) by Dogal (Venice, Italy)
• These strings have a tension and feel that is quite similar to gut; however, they—
• Are much more flexible (easier on the fingers)
• Have a significantly smaller diameter than gut (affords superior left-hand playability as well as bowing)
• Are noticeably more responsive and sonorous, with very even balance between the lower two and higher three strings.
• Custom-gauged Sensicore (synthetic core) strings by SuperSensitive
• This string set is quite similar in feel and response to the extremely popular SuperSensitive Sensicore Octave Viola and Octave Violin strings used on 4-string and 5-string “chin cellos”.

Gut Strings

We know that some players want to play a Baroque period instrument replica that is strung only with the type of strings that were available in the early 18^th Century. We understand the appeal of gut strings, despite their high cost and typically short life. So, if you are committed to gut, we’ve got you covered. If you indicate that you may want gut strings, we will contact you to discuss the best string set to meet your requirements. We get our strings from the premier maker of historic reproduction gut strings, Gamut Music, Inc. (Dan Larsen). The additional cost for gut strings can range from $150 to $550!

The typical all gut string configuration for our Violoncello da Spalla is as follows:

• e’: plain gut
• a and d: Pistoy gut (rope twisted gut)
• g and C: gimped or wound (copper or silver) gut
• Note: Please be mindful of the fact that even wound gut C and g strings for a baritone range instrument of this small size have very large diameters (up to 3mm+) and are prone to breakage. The quest to reduce string diameters was a driving force behind the invention of modern strings.

Cases

As part of the purchase, we provide two cases:

• A high quality padded soft case
• Hard shell case for a ¼ size cello. This is the smallest hard shell cello case made by ANY manufacturer. We modify the ¼ size case to fit the proposed instrument perfectly by adding foam padding.

Optional Custom Case

A modified ¼ size cello case has outside dimensions that are much larger than those of a custom-sized case would be. A custom case for this instrument is certainly possibly; albeit, expensive (in the price range of $800 to $1,000 if for an instrument we make for you – more if not). The modified 1/4 size cello case we provide works just fine. It is just larger than it needs to be. About 50% of our customers opt for a custom case that is "right-sized".

• A custom case for this instrument has a plan (front) profile slightly larger than a shaped viola case. Of course, it is considerably deeper than a viola case. The case weight depends on the materials, and generally weighs less than 10 lbs.
• We can make custom a case from durable and beautiful heavy saddle leather, molded composite wood veneers or Kyvex™ (a very attractive and lightweight thermoplastic material). We also sell custom-sized flight cases, which weigh about 25 lbs.

If you wish to discuss a custom-made perfectly sized case for this instrument, let us know.

Bow

• The bow is your responsibility. If you like, we will find you the best deal possible for a Baroque cello bow in whatever price range you desire. We sell some very fine modern bows, should you wish to go modern with the bow. The least expensive suitable bows start at about $450. As with modern bows, you can spend a huge amount of money for a Baroque bow.

 

What Is a Master Violin? Not a Simple Answer

Please visit the Don Rickert Musician Shop.

"Master violin" is one of those phrases that can confuse rather than clarify.

There is no international violin grade classification policing organization. The term is actually used very loosely, at best. 

Hopefully, this brief article is helpful in evaluating claims of "Master Violin" status.

What is meant by the descriptor, “Master Violin”?

There are at least three meanings, which are summarized below.

1) Expertly restored (by Master restorers) old violins that are well-authenticated as having been made by renowned violin makers of the 17^th, 18^th or early 19^th Centuries 

Instruments in this category would include those by such makers as Paulo Maggini, Gaspar da Salo, Andrea Amati, Jakob Stainer, Joseph del Gesu Guarneri and, of course, Antonio Stradivari. There are many other Masters who are lesser known to the general public, but whose instruments are masterpieces of great value.

The image to the right is a a Strad.

The instruments in the “Old Masters” category sell in a wide range, from tens of thousands of dollars to more than $1,000,000. Violins by the “Big Three” (Amati, Stradivari, Guarneri) generally fetch the highest prices.

2) New custom made violins by living violin makers who are widely regarded as Masters 

The makers include such notable figures as Jonathan Cooper and Joseph Curtin. In fact, Bernd Dimbath, owner of Heinrich Gill is regarded as one of these contemporary Masters.

The image to the right is a Joseph Curtin.

Violins by these violinmakers typically sell in the $10,000 to $25,000. New Joseph Curtin violins have a base price of $44,000. That being said, Curtin holds the world record for a “played in” instrument sold at auction ($132,000!).

Generally, the top echelon living Master violinmakers have waiting lists ranging from several years to a decade!

3) New regular production violins made by luthiers regarded as Master violin makers by the workshops that employ them 

Master violins by these workshops, generally selling in the $5,000 to $10,000 range, are the ones that normal mortals can purchase and receive in weeks or months rather than years.

The image to the right is a Heinrich Gill Model 68 Master Violin.

Well-known contemporary workshops that make semi-standardized regular production (i.e. there are model numbers) Master grade violins include: Wilfer & Sons (Germany), K.C. Strings (USA), Ithaca Strings (USA), Ernst Heinrich Roth (Germany) and Bernd Dimbath/Heinrich Gill (Germany).

Luthier-Built 1920s Stromberg-Voisinet “Venetian” Style Octave Mandolin by D. Rickert

Attention!: This is an older post. We are currently working on newer and better instruments in this category. Please visit the Don Rickert Musician Shop.

Introduction 

The new 1920s Stromberg-Voisinet “Venetian” Style Octave Mandolin by D. Rickert is available now at the Don Rickert Musician Shop (D. Rickert Musical Instruments)

The 1920s Stromberg-Voisinet “Venetian” Style Octave Mandolin by D. Rickert is an octave mandolin with the same scale length as a typical commercial “Irish” octave mandolin; however it has a considerably larger body. The body design inspired by the Stromberg-Voisinet fretted instruments of the 1920s, particularly the tenor guitars.

This is a made-to-order professional performance level instrument, with a price tag to match. The instrument can be fitted with a pickup system to meet the needs of the buyer’s live performance needs.

The potential buyer should follow the links below.

Links

• The Octave Mandolin and its Relative, the Octave Mando-Guitar
• About Stromberg-Voisinet and it Successor, Kay Musical Instruments and How This Relates to D. Rickert Musical Instruments

What is an Octave Mandolin?

The octave mandolin is a fretted string instrument with four pairs of strings tuned in unison fifths, G, D, A, E (low to high), an octave below a mandolin. It has a 20 to 23-inch scale length and its construction has generally been, until recently, is similar to other instruments in the mandolin family, particularly those of the flat-top type rather than the carved arch-top (e.g. Gibson “A” or “F” types) type.

Octave mandolins did not exist in the early 20^th Century, which was the heyday of amateur mandolin orchestras. The primary use of the modern octave mandolin has been in Celtic music, particularly Irish Traditional Music, the genre from which the octave mandolin was born in the late 1960s.

Octave mandolins have also found their way into progressive folk music throughout continental Europe, particularly in Scandinavian and Eastern European bands. The Octave mandolin is also enjoying ever-increasing popularity among Bluegrass mandolin players.

The octave mandolin and its larger cousin, the modern mandocello, have generally been used as chord/basso continuo accompaniment instruments. The tenor banjo and, occasionally the tenor guitar, have tended to be the instruments on which baritone melody and counter-melody have been played. That being said, the best players, using the most state-of-the-art acoustically powerful octave mandolins, often play a combination of chords and octave melody.

 

The 1920s Stromberg-Voisinet “Venetian” Style Octave Mandolin by D. Rickert

Our luthier-built (made one-at-a-time rather than factory made) Octave Mandolin, despite its whimsical 1920s retro design, is a state-of-the-art instrument with the necessary acoustic power to serve as a solo melody instrument. Of course, it can play chord accompaniment as well.

For starters, our 1920s Stromberg-Voisinet “Venetian” Style Octave Mandolin, while having the standard octave mandolin 23” playable scale, has a tenor guitar sized body with an average depth of 89mm (about 3.5”). It is, quite simply, larger than the “traditional” Irish octave mandolin. Further, because our instrument is hand made by expert luthiers, the bracing is tuned (typically “scalloped”) for optimal vibration characteristics of the instrument top and back.

Who is this instrument for?

This octave mandolin is for professional performing artist or seriously dedicated musicians seeking a professional level instrument with far greater acoustic power (volume) than the typical commercial Irish octave mandolin.

The instrument is strung for an octave unison tuning of G-D-A-E). The player will have an octave mandolin that can compete sonically with a tenor banjo in the contemporary (a la Barney McKenna) G-D-A-E tuning.

Specs

The materials used in the construction of this instrument are the very best tone woods and can be shipped anywhere without restriction (i.e. they are not endangered!)

U.S. and Non-U.S. Markets

• body shape: Shape inspired by 1920s Stromberg-Voisinet tenor guitar
• bracing: X Bracing
• top: Solid Sitka Spruce top
• back & sides: Red Mountain Cedar (Peru)
• neck: Sepele Mahogany (Africa)
• Fingerboard: Katalox (Southern Mexico and Central America)
• Bridge:
• Pure acoustic option
• Custom maple moveable bridge
• Saddle: TUSQ (synthetic ivory)
• Pickup option
• Bridge will differ from acoustic bridge, depending on pickup option we design for your application
• body binding: Black or crème colored ABS or natural wood
• top purfling: Natural wood alternating white and black squares with black edging
• fingerboard inlay: Pearloid dot inlay
• tuning machines: Gotoh
• Nut: Micarta (synthetic bone)
• number of frets: 20
• Saddle: TUSQ (synthetic ivory)
• strings: Loop end phosphor bronze octave mandolin strings
• finish top: polished satin hand-rubbed oil varnish
• finish back and sides: polished satin hand-rubbed oil varnish
• finish neck back: Satin oil varnish
• Scale: 584mm (23”)
• Width at Nut: 35mm (1.38”)
• Thickness at 1^st: 20mm
• Thickness at 7^th: 21mm
• Radius: 250mmR

Body Dimensions (SV Octave Mandolin)

• Length: 18"
• Width: 14.4"
• Max Depth: 3.5" (89mm)

Pickup

For professional live performance, a pickup is recommended. The type of pickup depends greatly on your needs.

If you simply wish to amplify the instrument, the preferred options are:

• Shadow Flat Top Mandolin Bridge W/ Pickup (about $150) 
• Fishman Nashville Series Flat Top Mandolin Rosewood Bridge Pickup (about $250)

If you will be using ANY type of effect box (“stomp box”), a custom designed bridge with a separate transducer for each string will be necessary. If you indicate that you wish to discuss performance rig design, we will discuss all of this with you.

Optional Payment Terms:

Due to the expense of this instrument and the long wait time (up to 120 days), the following payment terms are available:

• 50% up front
• 50% upon shipping

Please call or email us if you wish to discuss this option.

don@DonRickertDesign.com

(706) 896-0909 (direct)

Related articles

The Octave Mandolin and its Relative, the Octave Mando-Guitar

Octave Mando-Guitar (Guitar Style Octave Mandolin) by D. Rickert Musical Instruments

Tenor Guitar (1920s Banjo Headstock Type) Set Up for Irish Traditional Music - Don Rickert Musical Instruments

About Stromberg-Voisinet and it Successor, Kay Musical Instruments and How This Relates to D. Rickert Musical Instruments

About Stromberg-Voisinet and it Successor, Kay Musical Instruments and How This Relates to D. Rickert Musical Instruments

Attention!: This is an older post. We are currently working on newer and better instruments in this category. Please visit the Don Rickert Musician Shop.

Introduction

This article relates to several new instruments to be announced soon (or will have been announced by the time you read this) by D. Rickert Musical Instruments and available from the Don Rickert Musician Shop.

These new luthier-built (i.e. not factory made and not cheap!) instruments by D. Rickert are all based on a design motif introduced by a company called Stromberg-Voisinet in the 1920s. The design motif is quite distinctive and is called the “Venetian” style.

Stromberg-Voisinet and Kay Musical Instruments

The Groeshel Mandolin Company was established in Chicago in 1890. In 1921, the company was renamed to Stromberg-Voisinet. In 1923, Henry Kay Kuhrmeyer joined the company. He later became president. In 1928, with help of an investor, bought the company. The new company, "Kay Musical Instruments" was formally established in 1931 from the assets of Stromberg-Voisinet.

Stromberg-Voisinet primarily manufactured mandolins, tenor guitars, tenor banjos and 6-string guitars under its own brand as well as a large number of other brands, as Stromberg-Voisinet was an OEM supplier to many other manufacturers. Kay Musical Instruments continued this practice; however, Kay did sell many instruments under its own brand, “KayKraft.”

Stromberg-Voisinet has a special place in guitar history. Stromberg-Voisinet produced the first commercial electric guitar, the Stromberg Electro, in 1928.

Stromberg-Voisinet is particulary well-known among serious students of stringed instrument design for its unique “Venetian” body shape, which was used for its mandolins, tenor guitars and 6-string guitars.

   

Kay continued the Venetian body style after acquiring Stromberg-Voisinet. In fact, the Venetian shape is probably better known for its use with many instruments sold under the KayKraft brand and other popular brands such as Recording King in the 1930s through the 1950s.

D. Rickert Instruments Based on the Stromberg-Voisinet Venetian Body Shape

The first three master luthier-built (hand-made one at a time; i.e. NOT factory made) instruments being introduced by D. Rickert Musical Instruments are:

• A 4-course (8-string) Octave Mandolin
• A 4-course (8-string) Mandocello
• A 6-string concert guitar (about the size of an OM)

 Soon to follow are two additional 100% luthier-built instruments of the Venetian style:

• A mandolin
• A tenor guitar

None of the new D. Rickert instruments are replicas of particular Stromberg-Voisinet or KayKraft instruments. First the Octave Mandolin was not even invented until the 1960s and Stromberg-Voisinet did not make a mandocello (note: Gibson had close to a monopoly on mandocellos in the 1920s; however, Kay did make a mandocello in the 1930s).

Second, the construction, particularly the bracing, of the D. Rickert instruments is state-of-the-art…far advanced to the the 1920s instruments.

Why did D. Rickert Musical Instrument Adopt the “Venetian” Body Style?

There are primary two reasons:

Sound: the Venetian shape affords a much larger capacity sound box than the ubiquitous teardrop or oval “Flatiron” used for flat-top mandolin family instruments, with no increase in overall instrument size. We designed our instruments to produce a BIG, full-bodied sound.

Cool Factor: The Venetian shape is simply as cool looking as it gets for a fretted instrument. Put simply, we just loved the design from an aesthetic perspective.

We believe that the world has enough “A” and “F” style mandolins and more than enough teardrop shaped octave mandolins and mandocellos.

Related articles

Octave Mando-Guitar (Guitar Style Octave Mandolin) by D. Rickert Musical Instruments

The Octave Mandolin and its Relative, the Octave Mando-Guitar

It's Baroque, Man! (or the Low-down on Baroque Violins)

Please visit the Don Rickert Musician Shop.

This article is primarily for those considering purchase of a Baroque violin, such as the Model 1721 Early 18th Century Baroque Violin by D. Rickert Musical Instruments, via the Don Rickert Musician Shop, which sells 6 models of true Baroque violins, ranging in price from less than $2,000 to about $10,000.

The next article (or maybe the one after that) will focus on WHY? In other words, the many reasons why someone would want to take up the Baroque violin or fiddle (there was no real differentiation between violin playing and fiddle-playing in the old days).

This article only deals with the instruments themselves and not with playing techniques or the evolution of the bows used to play them. I have touched on baroque playing techinque and baroque bows in past articles. I will be cover them in depth in a future article.

Introduction

To the majority of modern violinists and fiddlers, Baroque violins are shrouded in mystery and myth. I believe that many players, and even some violin makers, think that the Baroque violin is a completely different instrument than the modern violin. This is understandable, as many Baroque instruments, with their short, wedged and highly decorated veneered fingerboards and similarly decorated tailpieces attached with gut cord, look very different from the instruments we play today.

The absence of a chin rest alone, which would be the case with all true Baroque violins, can make them look like a different instrument than a modern violin or fiddle. Accentuating the salient visual differences between Baroque and modern instruments are the ivory or bone nuts on many Baroque violins. As an aside, the use of ivory or bone nuts on Baroque instruments is imponderable, as ivory and bone are murder on gut strings, which are made from twisted sheep intestine or similar yucky animal parts (NEVER cat innards, contrary to popular myth).

The fact is, any violin in use today that was made prior to 1760 or thereabouts, was a Baroque violin when it was new. Most Baroque violins were retrofitted and, thus, converted to modern violins during the late 1700s and early 1800s. The old instruments acquired mortised (rather than nailed on) necks, larger bass bars, long ebony fingerboards and 19^th Century tailpieces (almost like a modern taipliece, but still attached with gut but in a different way) during the 1800s. The modernized old instruments further acquired chin rests in the early 20^th Century and modern tailpieces attached with Nylon “tail adjusters" in the 1950s. Shoulder rests became the rule a bit later.

So, an instrument made in 1700, while still essentially the same instrument, looks very different today than it did when it was new.

The Classes of Baroque and Related Violins

Baroque Violins Proper

• All instruments made roughly between the late 1,500s and about 1760, as they were prior to retrofitting (transformed into a “modern” violin)
• Some instruments made post-1760 until well into the 19^th Century as they were prior to retrofitting
• Modern instruments converted (“back-dated”) to Baroque violins
• Retrofitted (modernized) baroque instruments converted from their modern state back to baroque violins
• Replica baroque instruments made from the early 19^th Century to present day

Other Classes of Violin Related to the Baroque Violin

• “Transitional” Violins

The Baroque Period of violin making did not suddenly stop in 1760. Violins began an evolutionary period bridging Baroque and Modern instruments decades before 1760 and extending well into the 19^th Century. These violins are often called “Transitional” instruments. There is no standard for a transitional violin; which will have characteristics of BOTH Baroque and Modern instruments. They range from “mostly Baroque” to “almost Modern”. For example, you will see instruments that are Baroque in every way except that they have a mortised neck, or you might see instruments that are Modern in every way except that they have a Baroque-type tailpiece and saddle, and so forth.

• “Baroque-Inspired” or Pseudo-Baroque violins

These are modern violins with a modern fingerboard, typically maple, decorated with inlay to look like some actual baroque fingerboards and a similarly decorated fake baroque modern tailpiece.

Many Commonly Held Beliefs about Baroque Violins

The common ideal of what constitutes a proper Baroque violin come mostly from luthiers and academics in the 19^th and 20^th Centuries interested in the idea of a standard "ideal" baroque violin. Many aspects of this standard ideal do, in fact, reflect actual violin making practices during the period in the middle of the “official” Baroque period (1600 to 1760), often known as the “Golden Age” of violin lutherie. This was the period during which the likes of Amati, Stradivari, Joseph Guarneri were establishing how to make a good violin.

What follows is a description the common contemporary ideal for the early 18^th Century violin:

The Model 1719 Early 18th Century Baroque Violin“ by D. Rickert Musical Instruments more or less reflects this ideal.

   

Body:

Exactly the same as a modern violin except for the absence of a neck mortise

Neck:

Attachment:

• No mortise
• Glued directly to the ribs and button and nailed by 3 nails through the neck block

Neck Angle and Set:

• Angle at the heel between 88% and 90%
• Neck set so that top plane (where the fingerboard is attached) is even (or slightly proud) of the top plate edge

Neck Shape:

• Slightly more wood left in the heel angle, presumably to provide more mass to nail into.
• Often, a more gradual curve where the neck meets the scroll (i.e. not hollowed out like most modern necks)

See illustration below. The photo shows a baroque neck. The dashed lines show where neck material would be removed to approximate a modern neck shape. Click on the image for a larger view.

 

Neck Length:

Long enough to provide from 320mm to 330mm (baroque violin scale length was NOT, in fact, standardized) of nut-to-bridge string length with the fingerboard (described below) in place

Fingerboard

Fore-Aft Shape:

• A virtual wedge (part of the fingerboard as opposed to being a separate piece) is incorporated into the fingerboard to compensate for three things:

1. The low neck set (about 6mm lower than a modern neck on average)
2. The essentially perpendicular relationship of the neck heel with the ribs (i.e. little or no “angle back”). This can also be thought of as the near parallel alignment of the neck top surface (where the fingerboard is glued) to the plane defined by the upper edge of the rib garland. See the illustration.
3. The height of the arching where the bridge is located (same as a modern violin: 190mm – 195mm from the neck attachment to the ribs)

The fingerboard rise starting at the nut ends up being approximately 7 degrees +/- in order that the bridge be of sufficient height to suspend the strings slightly higher than a modern violin)

Fingerboard Arching:

• Very slightly flatter than a modern fingerboard

Fingerboard Length:

• Baroque fingerboards were shorter than modern fingerboards; however, how much shorter is still a matter of debate. See the illustration below. Click on the image for a larger view.

 

Materials and Construction:

While actual baroque period fingerboards cut from a single piece of wood, particularly maple, are not unheard of, many, if not most baroque violins had composite (aka veneered) fingerboards.

The solid maple fingerboards are probably over-predominant in modern baroque violin replicas.

A baroque composite fingerboard consists of a core of spruce, with thick veneers (2.5mm to 3mm) of either figured maple or ebony glued to the sides. A thinner veneer of either ebony or maple is glued to the top arched part. Often the top veneering employs various decorative marquetry techniques using at least two types of wood, or at least simple decorative purfling.

See the examples below. Click on any of the images for larger views.

   

Tailpiece and Saddle:

A baroque tailpiece, often decorated to match the fingerboard, generally has more of a square-edged shape than a modern tailpiece. See the illustrations below.

 

A bona fide baroque tailpiece will have simple holes drilled for the strings rather than the “keyhole” type string attachment holes of modern tailpieces. The strings are attached to the baroque tailpiece either with a loop, as shown below, or simple with an overhand knot. The g-string is almost always attached with a loop; often, the e" as well, as an overhand knot used on the relatively thin e" string can compress and slip through the tailpiece hole. You will see a' and d' strings secured either way: looped or secured with an overhand knot.

 

You will see many tailpieces that look like baroque tailpieces, but with the modern string attachment holes. See illustration below.

The most significant difference from a modern tailpiece is the attachment method. Thick gut cord is threaded through two holes through the tailpiece near its base. The cord is either knotted or the two ends are joined using a technique known today as the “Stradivari stitch”. The photos below show tail gut tied in this manner.

  

Typically, a baroque violin has no saddle per se, but rather an insert of bone, maple or ebony in the same place a modern raised saddle would go. The baroque insert can be thought of as a very low saddle. The rather stiff 2mm diameter (on average) tail gut cord ends protruding from the bottom of the tailpiece serve to raise the tailpiece substantially.

The bass bar

A Baroque bass bar is shorter, lower and thinner than a modern one. There are no standard measurements, Baroque bass bars, and even their location within the instrument, varied by maker. Some measurements of actual original bass bars, listed below, provide some general guidelines. 

• Jacob Stainer violin, 1656: 250 mm long; 6.7 mm long; 4.9 mm thickness
• Nicola Amati violin, 1665: 235 mm; 5.0 mm; 4.4 mm
• Nicola Amati violin, 1671: 217mm; 6.2mm; 5.0mm
• A. Stradivari violin, 1719: 241mm; 6.6mm; 4.7mm

A contemporary modern bass bar is about 270-275mm in length, 9-12mm in height (the highest point) and between 5.5-6mm in thickness

Baroque bass bars tend to be more gradually tapered than modern bass bars, which are tapered rather abruptly close to the ends. The following illustration compares a Stradivari 1719 spec bass bar to a typical modern spec bass bar. Click on the image for a larger view.

Bass bar orientation and location

• A Baroque bass bar is generally oriented parallel to the instrument centerline, either under the bass bridge foot or in the center of the instrument.
• A modern bass bar is mounted in a transverse orientation such that the part under the bridge is 15mm from the centerline, the leading edge is 13mm from the centerline and the rear edge is 17mm from the centerline.

Strings:

• All four strings pure gut for pre-1750s setup
• Silver wound gut G on later setups

Many Aspects of the Ideal Baroque Violin are Myths

The fact is, the only rules actually formalized were the body shapes and graduation maps (topographical maps of varying plate thickness) for Amati, Stradivarius and Guarnerius instruments, as well as shop notes for neck angles and the like recorded by Stradivari. Other standard practices come from surviving Baroque instruments that were never retrofitted to modern specs.

What appears to be true

• Surface-mounted (non-mortised) necks secured by glue and nails through the neck block
• Low-set necks (i.e. top edge of heal even with top plate)
• The absence of a raised saddle
• Smaller bass bars
• The spruce core composite (veneered) fingerboard that is shorter than a modern fingerboard
• Tailpieces secured by gut cord

What appears to be pure fantasy

Short Necks resulting short (320mm +/-) playable string length:

There were many Baroque violins, including those made by Stradivari, with a modern (330mm +/-) playable string length. Stradivari shop notes actually refer to short and long scale necks.

Non-angled necks

Common belief notwithstanding, it appears that angled necks, some with even more angle than the 83 degrees (+/-) of modern necks were the rule rather than the exception.

For instance, it is now well established that at least some Strads had an 86-degree angle, with 3-4 degrees of compensating rise on the fingerboard, resulting in a modern neck angle.

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Authentic Cases for 19th Century Musical Instruments

Please visit the Don Rickert Musician Shop.

The type of case usually used for fiddles and guitars of the mid-19th century is often called a "coffin" case, owing to its resemblance to a coffin. Coffin cases were sometimes used for banjos as well. Here are some examples of some actual cases for period guitars and a pretty worn out fiddle case.

   

Shown below is a design diagram for the coffin cases that we will be selling. They will be made from 3/8" pine lined with heavy felt and will be available with either an oiled finish or painted black, per common practice. All joints will be super-strong box joints.

 

The cases will sell for about $325 for a guitar case and $220 for a fiddle case.

We will also be making heavy duty weather resistant fabric cases for guitars, fiddles, banjos and Irish harps.

All cases will be available at the Adventurous Muse Store.

The Violin Was Perfected 300 Years Ago...Hogwash!

Please visit the Don Rickert Musician Shop.

Recently I had been looking at a lot of violin and fiddle related websites and blogs and have seen far too many assertions that the violin was perfected centuries ago. This ranks up there on the idiocy scale as the statement by the Director of the U.S. Patent Office early in the 20th Century that the Office was no longer needed, because everything worth inventing had already been invented.

The violin was not perfected three hundred or even 400 years ago (I prefer the Magginis of the early 1600s myself). What was perfected was a basic design pattern for a particular type of violin adopted for particular types of music. Heck, even Thomas Jefferson, who was in debt up to his ears, but managed to get an Amati and one of the first Tourte bows (which were considered as outrageous as IncrediBows when first introduced) did not dare take his Amati to the local pub for a fiddling jam session. He took a Dancing Master's Pochette, for which he had a leather saddle case made. The best pochette in the world would not have compared to an Amati, Strad or Guarnerius, but it was absolute perfection for Tom J's immediate problem, getting to a pub and back home on horseback, with a lot of drinking and playing in between.

That's all for the moment...back to the shop to get ready for our next effort at divergence from stupid perfection. Probably something old Antonio Stradivari did a number of times. By all accounts, he was just as irreverent about stupid traditions as the irreverence embodied in these words.

More to come I am sure. Let the comments fly, but keep it clean, as I have the "Block User" button and I'm not afraid to use it :-)

DR

Photos of the Three Basic Types of Old-Style Banjos

These photos are being posted in preparation for adding old-style banjos to our online store www.AdventurousMuseStore.com.

From left to right, a Gourd Banjo, a Tackhead Banjo and a Minstrel Banjo

Tattooed Fiddles by Don Rickert Design

Please visit the Don Rickert Musician Shop.

Do you want a "full body suit"...not on you, but for your violin or fiddle? We have not figured out fiddle body piercing yet, but we are working on it. Read on...

The decoration of musical instruments has been done for hundreds of years. Such decoration has  included inlay work of various types, painting, etching, carving, application of gold leaf and "rosing", the Norwegian nickname for "rosemaling", which is the tattoo-like inkwork one sees on Hardanger Fiddles.

Some Historic and Recent Examples

Giovanni Paolo Maggini (c. 1580 - c. 1630), while making violins without special decoration, is best best known for his later instruments that two rows of purfling on the top and back. Many of Maggini's instruments are ornamented on the back with decorations such as Saint Andrew's Cross, clover leaves, crests and other motifs. His most famous decorations are designs accomplished by extending the inner of the two purfling rows onto the backs of the instruments to form various designs, as illustrated.

You can see more Maggini designs, as well as other historic and recent decorated violins and fiddles in our photo gallery: Historic and New Rosed and Inlaid Instruments

Antonio Stradivari (1644 – 1737) is not generally known for elaborate violin decoration. He did, however, produce a number of instruments with complex and beautiful decorations. Many of Strad's decorations look like inkwork, but they are, in fact, inlays. The photo of a quartet of inlaid instruments shows some of Stradivari's best inlay decoration, for which he charged huge sums of money, according to lore.

You can see designs by Stradivari, as well as other historic and recent decorated violins and fiddles in our photo gallery: Historic and New Rosed and Inlaid Instruments

The Hardanger Fiddle, or "hardingfele" in Norwegian, originated in the mid-1600s in a region of western Norway traditionally known as Hardanger. Unlike regular fiddles or violins, Hardanger fiddles have 4 primary strings that are played, with 4, to as many as 8, sympathetic drone strings that run under its hollow fingerboard. For hundreds of years, Hardanger Fiddles have been elaborately decorated with black ink patterns, generally floral in nature, called "rosing", which is short for "rosemaling", the Norwegian word for decorative painting. While actually constructed differently from violins, the Hardanger Fiddle has looks much like a tatooed conventional fiddle with a really long peg box and a lot more tuning pegs.

You can see additional Hardanger Fiddle photos in our photo gallery: Old Hardanger Fiddle with Elaborate Rosing (Inkwork)

Southern Mountain Fiddles: In the late 19th Century and early 20th Century, there were many fiddle  makers working in the Southeastern mountains (e.g. Southern part of the Appallachians) of the U.S. These "mountain luthiers" pretty much dissappeared (as well as fiddle playing, at least in public) when the prevaling regional religious belief (now revised, mostly) held that it was sinful to play the fiddle.

During their prime, these Southern Mountain luthiers made instruments loosly based on the Maggini pattern. The decoration is often "over-the-top", incorporating dyes, inkwork and almost always crude mother-of-pearl inlay work. The photo illustrates what appears to be a nicely-done example of one of these rare old instruments.

Note: We see a number of these century-old fiddles at fiddlers' conventions. Typically, a man in his 80s will want to sell his father's fiddle to us. The sellers themselves do not play, as they grew up during the "fiddling is a sin" era. Very few of these extremely ornate fiddles are in decent playing condition, as they have often been hidden for many decades in attics; thus, subjected to poor environmental conditions.

You can see this Southern Mountain fiddle, as well as other historic and recent decorated violins and fiddles in our photo gallery: Historic and New Rosed and Inlaid Instruments

Recent Fiddles with Inkwork: The extremely creative violin luthier, Tim Phillips, is based in the small  mountain town of Mochdre (properly pronounced Mock druh but ofen pronounced Mock dree locally) in the county of Powys, Wales, UK. Phllips' extremely innovative violins gererally are shaped quite differtly from standard violins and fiddles. Tim has supplied some of the greatest fiddlers in the world with instrments. At least on some of his instruments, including a fiddle played by the Irish musician, Sharon Shannon, whimsical inkwork is employed in its design. This cool inkwork can be seen in the photos of Sharon Shannon's fiddle.

You can see additional images of Tim Phillips' violin inkwork, as well as other historic and recent decorated violins and fiddles in our photo gallery: Historic and New Rosed and Inlaid Instruments

Don Rickert Lutherie:

See a variety of fiddle, violin and pochette inkwork possibilities for our instruments in these photo galleries:

• Rickert Pochette with Celtic Rosing (Inkwork)
• Don Rickert Tattooed Fiddles
  

We have produced custom instruments for several years with combinations of inkwork, etching and inlay (see Cigar Box Fiddle Authentic 1860s Style Special Edition and Whiskey Box Pocket Fiddle by Don Rickert Design). We are now expanding our capacity to do simple or elaborate inkwork on several instruments made by Don Rickert Lutherie. The product listing at the Adventurous Muse Stores is Tattooing, Inkwork, Rosing. The instruments are:

• Customizable Fiddle, Don Rickert Lutherie
• Custom-Made Fiddle with Celtic Setup Don Rickert Lutherie
• Glasgow Pochette
• Neil Gow Pochette
• Adventurer IId Travel Violin
• Mountaineer II Backpacker Fiddle
• Neil Gow 21C2 Travel Violin
• Flat-Top Flatiron-Style Mandolin by Don Rickert Design

In all cases, these are instruments for which we do the varnishing, as inkwork is done on sealed bare wood BEFORE the varnish is applied.

The price for our "rosed" instruments varies according to the following factors:

• The complexity and size of the design

• The method by which the inkwork is applied: On relatively flat surfaces, such as a pochette, travel violin or the ribs (sides) of a Rickert Customizable Fiddle, a process called dry ink transfer can be used. On surfaces with complex curves, such as the top or back of a Rickert Customizable Fiddle, the inkwork must be done by hand by a skilled pen-and-ink or tatoo artist...this is almost exactly like the process a tatoo artist must use when tattooing a person (except with pens rather than an electric tattoo needle).
• Original Custom Design vs. an Existing Design: There literally thousands of existing tatoo stencils (called "flash"), which can be modified to "tattoo" an instrument. A completely original design is certainly possible, but involves extra effort and, thus, additional cost.

You can expect to pay about as much for instrument inkwork as you would for getting yourself tattooed.

Bottom Line

We are able to apply just about any design imaginable to your instrument. The varnish is applied OVER the design, making it about as permanent as a tattoo on a person. We DO reserve the right to reject offensive images. After all, it is our name on the label inside the instrument. 

Needless to say, once one of our instruments with custom inkwork is NOT returnable. That being said, we bend over backwards and give you a "Photoshop" visualization of what your instrument will look like after tatooing. We proceed when you sign-off on the visualizations and agree on the price.

Now, that is a lot more than you get before getting your body tatooed!

A Brief History of Flatiron-Type Mandolins (UPDATE)

Please visit the Don Rickert Musician Shop.

Flat-Top Flatiron-Style Mandolin by Don Rickert Design (now Don Rickert Lutherie) and available from the Adventurous Muse Store is of the general type known as either "pancake" or "flariron". It has that mellow, yet still loud and powerful sound sought by Celtic (both Irish and Scottish) players, as well as many Old-Time mandolin players.

The ancestor of the Flatiron was a mandolin made by Gibson during the WWI years, known as the Army-Navy (or simply A-N) mandolin. A soldier or sailor could purchase one for $12 and the general public paid $15. This was considerably less than the A1, which sold for about $50, the A4 about $80, F2 about $100 and F4 about $125. The F5 (the original Lloyd Loar model that Bill Monroe played during most of his career in Bluegrass) came out in 1922 for $250, which was a lot of money back then.

The A-Ns were durable instruments made to withstand the rigors of trench warfare and the sounded pretty good, to boot. They were suitable, and indeed used, to play all genres of music. The World War I Gibson Army-Navy models became the basic design for the late Flatiron "pancake" mandolins later built in Bozeman MT during the period when Flatiron was an independent manufacturer, and later when Gibson bought Flatiron.

Gibson Flatiron mandolins were made well into the 1980s, after which they were owned by Weber Mandolins for a period of time extending into the 1990s. The F-Style mandolins of today (actual Gibsons and their imitators, such as “The Loar” mandolin that we sell...Loar Mandolin LM 500 VS (AKA Golden Age Mandolin)) were developed for the kind of playing and sound that Bill Monroe wanted for his jazz-infused Old-Time music, later, and still, known as Bluegrass. It is noteworthy that the new Loar Mandolins are named after Lloyd Loar, who, while working for Gibson for several years, designed Bill Monroe's famous mandolin.

You will rarely see a Bluegrass mandolin player using anything but an F-Style, with the occasional A-Style non-conformist.