Don Rickert Musical Instruments

Episode 2 of the Podcast, Cool Instruments for Hep Cats is Available NOW on Spotify and YouTube!

Episode 2 of 'Cool Instruments for Hep Cats' is available now as a regular audio podcast on Spotify and as a video podcast on YouTube. On Spotify On YouTube In this episode I talk to Dr. Roger Landes about bouzoukis (Greek as well as Irish), octave mandolins and citterns. Episode 2, a continuation of Episode 1, features discussion and demonstrations of several of Roger's very cool instruments. For more information about 'Cool Instruments for Hep... 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 →

Sessioneer Spartan Bouzouki by Rickert and Hale, Luthiers (Full Product announcement)

This article is also published at www.rickertandhale.com. Ordering Information While semi-standardized, each Sessioneer Bouzouki is built for the individual buyer, at least for now. If you wish to discuss buying one of these instruments, give us a call or send an email. Looking forward to talking! Phone: 1-706-896-0909 Email: [email protected] Note: If you are a highly-skilled player with a history of high-quality videos on YouTube, we are open to discussing a discounted price in exchange... Read more →

Announcing the NEW Standard Plus Model Violoncello da Spalla by Don Rickert

If you have decided to acquire a professional level violoncello da spalla, you should pay attention to this! Email: [email protected] Phone: 706-896-0909 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... Read more →

Rickert Musical Instruments Is Branching Out with Mandolin Family and Related Instruments.

Email: [email protected] Phone: 706-896-0909 My name is Donald Rickert, I am a musical instrument designer, inventor, craftsman/maker, musician, luthier and Professional Industrial Designer/Design Researcher. I have been a luthier since 1970, transitioning to full-time professional luthier in 2006. See more details about me. About My Company, D. Rickert Musical Instruments My company, D. Rickert Musical Instruments, formally established in 2008, is based in Hiawassee, Georgia, USA. My business partner is luthier, Dr. Randy Hale. Our... Read more →

Results of Recent Survey: Big Mandolin/Irish Bouzouki Attribute Preferences

Call Us: 1-706-896-0909 Email: [email protected] Introduction Several months ago, a number of volunteers from the Facebook “The Irish Bouzouki” and “Octave Mandolin” groups kindly completed a survey about Big Mandolin/Irish Bouzouki Attribute Preferences. The survey also queried participants about pricing preferences and tolerances. Volunteers were also solicited from my own Facebook business page, D. Rickert Musical Instruments (aka DonRickertMusicianShop) as well as my personal Facebook page, Donald Rickert (aka Donald.rickert1). I wish to once again... Read more →

New Violoncello da Spalla in Progress, Big Mandolins, and Other Cool Projects at D. Rickert Musical Instruments

First things first: I have a new Violoncello da Spalla under construction. Here are some photos of the instrument in its current state. Click on any of the photos for a larger view. When it is paired with a lucky future owner, I will finish it. It will take about a month. In the meantime, we have several really exciting projects going on, which I will briefly describe below. Once the new Violoncello da Spalla... Read more →

The New Mandolin Family Part 2: Octave Mandolins, Citterns and Irish Bouzoukis

This article is Part 2 of 2 and a follow on the article, The New Mandolin Family Part 1: Ancient Mesopotamia to Orville Gibson. We will pick up with other developments staring in the 1960s and culminating in today's New Mandolin Family of instruments. Here I will discuss the large tenor range instruments of the New Mandolin Family. These instruments are often called ‘octave mandolins’, ‘citterns’ and ‘Irish bouzoukis’. There is considerable confusion about whether... Read more →

The New Mandolin Family Part 1: Ancient Mesopotamia to Orville Gibson

This is the first of a multi-part series on the New Mandolin Family of musical instruments. Those who follow this blog will know that this is also the first article I have posted in some time. This reason for this hiatus is simple; we at Don Rickert Musical Instruments have been very busy making instruments. The success of our 5-string Violoncello da Spalla was far greater than anyone could have predicted. This is the kind... 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 →