Don Rickert Musical Instruments

Celebrating 10 Years of Gangnam Style - Way to Go, Psy!

Originally known in Korea, not as a K-pop artist, but as a controversial and satirical hip-hop artist, Psy (slang for “psycho” – real name, Park Jae-sang) achieved international fame in 2012 with the music video to his humorous pop song “Gangnam Style”. Psy is considered to be the first K-pop artist to make a breakthrough in the Western music industry. He now runs a record company and management agency for up-and-coming K-pop artists. His office... Read more →

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 →

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 →

Back in the Saddle Again! (And the Economics of Attention)

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... Read more →

Violoncello da Spalla in Old-Time Music: A Match Made in Heaven

If you don’t know what a violoncello da spalla is, click here for a description. The short explanation is that it is a very small 5-string cello that is suspended by a shoulder strap and played across the chest more or less under the chin, as shown in the image of our friend Peter Walker in full Scottish Highland dress. The violoncello da spalla has no well-established connection to 18th Century Scotland; however cello was... Read more →

International Strange Music Day 2022

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... Read more →

What Makes the Difference Between Pretty Good and Great Acoustic Stringed Instruments?

This article has been updated. See: What Makes the Difference Between Pretty Good and Great Acoustic Stringed Instruments? (Revised 6-2023) Introduction Before I start, what are the criteria for judging the sound quality of musical instruments? I hope that the reader can agree that this is largely subjective, and often, culturally relative. Take the Great Highland Bagpipe. That there are two kinds of people in the world; those who love the bagpipes and those who... Read more →

Your Amplified Violin Not Working with Effects Processors?: The Problem is With Your Pickup! (UPDATE 11-2017)

This is an update of an article published in 2015. Introduction Many violinists with an “amplifier-ready” (i.e. has a pickup) instrument try to use effect processors to extend their sound palate. Effect processors are usually called “guitar effect boxes”, because such devices have historically been marketed to electric guitarists. In recent years, there has been a growing number of effect processors marketed for use with amplified acoustic guitars. Such devices are often referred to by... Read more →

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)... Read more →

The Tenor Guitar: An Odd Loner without a Real Family

Please visit the Don Rickert Musician Shop. The Tenor Guitar: An Odd Loner without a Real Family http://www.rickertmusicalinstruments.com/2015/08/the-tenor-guitar-an-odd-loner-without-a-real-family.html Prelude This article is by D. Rickert Musical Instruments and its online store, Don Rickert Musician Shop. We hope that you find this article interesting in its own right. That being said, the article is a background piece to an article that proposes a new graduated family of 4 or 5-string steel-strung instruments, tuned in 5ths and... Read more →