Don Rickert Musical Instruments

The New Ultimate Octave (aka Baritone) Violin by D. Rickert Musical Instruments

Attention!: This is an older post. The instrument described has been replaced by the Rickert Tertis Body Tenor Viola (one octave lower than violin) 15.5 inch body size. Please visit the Don Rickert Musician Shop. The T-Max Tenor Long Scale Octave Violin by D. Rickert Musical Instruments and other amazing low-pitched acoustic bowed instruments are available at the Don Rickert Musician Shop. Introduction Since the beginning of our adventure as an independent boutique custom lutherie (2007 officially), we have always allocated much attention to designing and making the best possible acoustic octave (aka baritone) violins and fiddles. More recently (about 4 years ago), we added acoustic octave violas (aka chin cellos) to our product offerings. Our continuous research with octave violas has become intertwined with our constant quest for the best octave violins possible. Our newest offering, the T-Max Tenor Long Scale Octave Violin is an example of nexus of octave violin and octave viola design research. With the new T-Max Tenor, we have to revise what we mean by “ultimate.” This new instrument is the most incredible octave violin that is played on the shoulder, to date. It is the new ultimate octave violin. The T-Max Tenor Long Scale Octave Violin The T-Max Tenor Long Scale Octave Violin is a variation of the T-Rex Octave Viola. See our article, T-Rex Octave Viola by D. Rickert Musical Instruments with Demo Video. The new instrument from D. Rickert Musical Instruments was suggested by a client. Don't know why we did not... Read more →

Going Electric: Part II of A Different Way of Achieving the Range of an Octave Violin and Octave Viola

Attention!: This is an older post. Please visit the Don Rickert Musician Shop. This article is by D. Rickert Musical Instruments, a highly regarded designer and maker of acoustic purpose-built octave violins and violas, as well as 4-string and 5-string electric violins. All of these instruments are sold via Don Rickert Musician Shop. Introduction This is the second (see Part I) in a three part series on the topic of using a 4-string or 5-string electric violin (and acoustic instruments with the right kind of pickup installed) together with the necessary effect signal processors to achieve a sound either one or two octaves lower than the violin’s or viola’s actual tuning. Part I of this series introduced the possibility of “going electric.” It also acknowledged the reasons why someone would want to stay with an acoustic solution. Further, Part I also suggested a compromise approach, an acoustic instrument with the right kind of pickup installed. This installment is all about the advantages of the electronic approach to octave synthesis and the challenges associated with a purely acoustic approach, especially with 5-string octave violas. Advantages of a Real Electric Violin (as Opposed to an Acoustic with a Pickup) The best electric violins come in a wide variety of shapes. Most are some variation of a solid body, chambered body or “skeletal”. They all have several things in common: A substantial mass of material (usually wood) directly under the bridge A bridge pickup with greater mass than a regular bridge (almost always... Read more →

T-Rex Octave Viola by D. Rickert Musical Instruments with Demo Video

Attention!: This is an older post. Please visit the Don Rickert Musician Shop. How good can an acoustic octave viola sound? The T-Rex Octave Viola sets the standard. Note The T-Rex Octave Viola by D. Rickert Musical Instruments and other amazing low-pitched acoustic bowed instruments are available at the Don Rickert Musician Shop. Go Right to YouTube for Demo T-Rex Octave Viola Demo on YouTube Introduction Since the inception of our ongoing adventure as an independent boutique custom lutherie (began in 2007 officially), we have always allocated much attention to designing and making the best possible acoustic octave (aka baritone) violins and fiddles. More recently (about 4 years ago), we added acoustic octave violas (aka “chin cellos”) to our product offerings. Our Initial Goal for Octave Violas When we stepped into the octave viola arena, our goal was simple: To develop an instrument that sounded a lot better than the original “ChinCellos”, cleverly marketed by a large Asian manufacturer with an Italian-sounding name. These original “ChinCellos”, still sold today through the large online musical instrument mega-stores, are basically student-level instruments set up with special octave viola strings (made by SuperSensitive) and tuned to the same notes (i.e. frequencies) as a full-size cello. The maker claims internal modifications to increase sonority. We assume that this would be some kind of modification to the bass bar. These instruments sound about as good as an $800 converted student instrument could sound. To summarize, their sound is somewhat muffled with a particularly weak-sounding C-string.... Read more →

Don Rickert Musician Shop: Your Source for Unique Bowed and Fretted Instruments and Accessories Ranging from Baroque Period to Today’s Cutting Edge

Don Rickert Musician Shop (D. Rickert Musical Instruments): Your Source for Unique Bowed and Fretted Instruments and Accessories Ranging from Baroque Period to Today’s Cutting Edge Introduction It is quite clear that we are the place to come for the unique stuff…things you just cannot get at either the corner music store, traditional violin shops or the online mega-stores. What are these things that musicians, and the occasional museum, come to us for? Over the 9 years we have been in business, our analysis of search engine “hits” to our websites and online store, corroborated by actuals sales records, indicates that we are best known, in descending order for the following: Modern Travel and Backpacker Violins The world’s finest and more models (to meet different player needs)…5 base models; all customizable! We sell more travel violins than anything else, by a long shot. Yup, real musicians are willing to pay 3 to 5 times as much for a real luthier-built travel violin than for a toy instrument. See the Bowed Instruments (Regular Offerings) > Travel and Backpacker Fiddles at the Don Rickert Musician Shop Octave Violins, Violas and Octave Violas (aka “Chin Cellos”) Best and most innovative. Ours have been played by some of the greatest fiddle innovators in the world. Our instruments are on some CDs by some of the greats, including the musician responsible for the re-birth of the octave violin, Darol Anger (and most recently Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas, their “Abundance” CD). For our current offerings,... Read more →

Don Rickert Musician Shop is Unique: Part 1 (Hard to Find Stuff)

Please visit the Don Rickert Musician Shop. Don Rickert Musician Shop (D. Rickert Musical Instruments) is the place to go for unique instruments that are either very hard or even impossible to find anywhere else. Some examples: Travel / Backpacker Violins and Fiddles We make and sell the finest innovative and ergonomically perfect travel/backpacker violins in the world. Several dozen customers a year opt for one of our travel violins, despite the fact that they cost from 3 to 4 times as much as our apparent competitors. 5-String Violins We make and sell one of best 5-string violins that money can buy (note: There ARE some very fine 5-string instruments by competitors). We also sell the very nice new 5-String acoustic-electric Realist violin by David Gage. We also make and sell an incredible 5-string travel violin. Octave Violins and Violas We make the most advanced and best-sounding octave violins and octave violas (aka “chin cellos”). Dr. Rickert has been researching acoustic octave violins for more than 15 years. He has designed a number of such instruments over the past decade, each new one better than the rest. We sell a lot of these. Top recording artists own a number of them. Tertis Wide-Body Violas in all Sizes We are one of the only U.S. based sources of extremely high quality Tertis wide-body violas, in sizes from 15” to 16.5” (note: viola size is designated by the length of the instrument body, from the saddle to the neck joint). These instruments... Read more →

Demos (video with audio) of the Fat Strad Deux 5-String

Please visit the Don Rickert Musician Shop. Demos (video with audio) of the Fat Strad Deux 5-String See the D. Rickert Fat Strad III 5-String Violin at the Don Rickert Musician Shop. The Fat Strad Deux 5-String Fiddle is a now called the D. Rickert Fat Strad III 5-String Violin. It uses the same acoustically advanced body as our D. Rickert Fat Strad Acoustic Octave Violin. David Thames Demonstrating Fat Strad Deux 5-String Mezzo Viola David Thames Playing Fat Strad Deux 5-String Mezzo Viola Accompanying a Violin David, a violist and cellist (who also plays violin) is accompanying violinist and fiddler, Mary Ann Thames, who is playing her cool Lion Head fiddle. They are playing a baroque liturgical canon. Links: David Thames Demonstrating Fat Strad Deux 5-String Mezzo Viola (YouTube Video) David Thames Playing Fat Strad Deux 5-String Mezzo Viola (YouTube Video) David, a violist and cellist (who also plays violin) is accompanying violinist and fiddler, Mary Ann Thames, who is playing her cool Lion Head fiddle. They are playing a baroque liturgical canon. The NEW Fat Strad Deux Mezzo Viola by D. Rickert Musical Instruments See How the Fat Strad Deux Mezzo Viola Works Who is the Fat Strad Deux 5-String Fiddle for? This instrument is NOT for a beginner who likes the idea of having a low C or D string (D is a more common note than C for an experienced 5-String player). Becoming proficient on a 5-String fiddle takes practice beyond that necessary to play a... Read more →

Introducing the New Don Rickert Musician Shop

The Don Rickert Musician Shop is the new online retail face of Don Rickert Musical Instruments, premiere designer and maker of innovative custom and historic musical instruments. Since starting our musical instruments enterprise in 2007, we have dealt primarily in those of the bowed variety (e.g. violins, fiddles and related instruments such as octave fiddles). We have also designed and made a number of fretted instruments along the way: mandolins, parlor guitars, acoustic bass guitars, tenor guitars and the like. We will soon be branching out in a serious way into the world of fretted musical instruments. Look forward to some really interesting mandolins, octave mandolins, mandocellos, parlor guitars, acoustic bass guitars, tenor guitars and the like. They will start showing up soon as R&D instruments in our new Custom Shop. Our business is owned and run by Donald Rickert, Ph.D., IDSA, who has been playing, designing, making and modifying stringed musical instruments of many types for more than 40 years. Dr. Rickert is a Professional Member of the Industrial Designers Society of America (designated IDSA) We started out as a general product research & design firm in 2005, when we were incorporated as a Limited Liability Company (LLC) in the State of Georgia, USA. The original corporate name, which is still in effect today, is Wiederholt & Rickert Partners, LLC. The two founding Members were Brad Wiederholt and Donald E. Rickert, Ph.D., IDSA. In 2007, Brad left the firm to pursue his high-technology interests. Donald Rickert became sole Owner.... Read more →

David Thames Demonstrating B-Rex 5-String Octave Viola (aka Chin Cello)

Please visit the Don Rickert Musician Shop. The B-Rex II 5-String Octave Viola, discussed and demonstrated on this page, has been replaced by the T-Rex Octave Viola, which is available at the Don Rickert Musician Shop. The new T-Rex is available in either 4-string or 5-string configurations. Links David Thames Demonstrating B-Rex 5-String Octave Viola (aka Chin Cello) (Link to YouTube Demo) The NEW B-Rex II 5-String Octave Viola (Photos) B-Rex II 5-String Octave Viola (Product Listing at the Adventurous Muse Store) Introducing the NEW B-Rex II 5-String Octave Viola (Informational Article) Introduction The B-Rex II 5-String Octave Viola by D. Rickert Musical Instruments has proven to be an extremely popular instrument for fiddlers, violinists and violists looking for a powerful acoustic low voice tuned EXACTLY like a full-size cello, with the added benefit of a fifth string at the high end tuned to the high E of a octave violin. The B-Rex II 5-String is a 15” or 15.5” body* viola that is tuned an octave lower than a violin (the first 4 strings), making it quite large-bodied octave violin (i.e. tenor). Strings 2 to 5 are tuned an octave lower than a viola (i.e. identical to a full size cello), making it a “chin cello” (i.e. baritone) as well. You can think of the B-Rex II either as… An octave viola with an extra octave E string at the high end A big burly octave violin or fiddle with an extra octave C string at the low end.... Read more →

More Photos from Field Research on Octave Violin Prototypes

Some additional photos from design research conducted by Don Rickert Research & Design. Note: See the Don Rickert Musician Shop for current product offerings. Click on any of the thumbnails for full-size views. Read more →