ATTENTION!: The Adventurous Muse Store is now closed! The new online store for D. Rickert Musical Instruments is the Don Rickert Musician Shop (www.DonRickertMusicianShop.com). Many of the articles you read prior to late February 2015 will have links to the now defunct Adventurous Muse Store. VISIT THE NEW STORE (Link at the top of the page) instead. Apologies for any inconvenience.
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:
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 salient qualities often metamorphose into those qualities most irritating to the player.
The violin's ultra-soprano range can be a source of joy or nerve-shattering neurosis, and has inspired many players to seek the warmer-toned viola as a solace." --Darol Anger, Strings Magzine,1992
The above image shows a complete Violin Octet. The Mezzo Violin is the larger 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 shorter neck, which affords a playable string length the same as a regular violin (i.e., that would be about 13”). Parodically, while having a larger front and back profile, Mezzo Violins, at least later examples, actually have narrower ribs than a conventional violin. My understanding is the narrower ribs were to counteract production of a timbre that is too deep (i.e., “muddy”). It is tuned the same as a regular violin (typically G3 D4 A4 E5).
While being tuned the same as a conventional violin, a Mezzo Violin has a deeper timbre, usually with noticeably louder projection. 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 (60 years ago!). They were to revolutionize the modern orchestra. That didn’t happen. While the orchestral music establishment has shown some acceptance to innovation over the centuries (e.g., the modern neck set, chin rest, etc.), 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 started making a new instrument, which I call a “Quasi-Mezzo Violin”. Unlike a Mezzo Violin, it is about the same size as a conventional violin, but with significantly deeper ribs and a shape that has less pronounced corners. On the inside, it is optimized for deeper timbre and projection. These optimizations include a special bass bar as well as different graduation than a conventional violin.
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 a full-size (16”+) viola. I have been more successful, however, in selling, violas with standard length viola-length necks and often fit with special octave strings. The playable scale length is 14.5” or more depending on the viola. Most of these have been based on the Tertis pattern, which has a wider middle and lower bout. When strung with octave strings, I call them “Tenor Violas”.
If you want to hear one in the able hands of a really good fiddler, click here .
Because our Tenor Violas are based on a very nice imported Tertis pattern viola, we can keep the price down to the $2K to $2.5K range. If you are interested in learning more about these instruments or 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.
The image is not a new musical instrument but a faucet. If you continue you will understand
I make my living making very good custom musical instruments, including:
Violoncellos da Spalla
Octave Violins
Travel Violins
Octave Mandolins
Citterns
Mandocellos
I would very much like to sell you one. If you are reading this, you can easily figure out how to contact me (706-896-0909; don@donrickertdesign.com).
Now, I’ll cut to the chase – Very few people are buying custom musical instruments these days. It is even worse than the worldwide financial crisis of 2007-2008. Well, maybe not worse, but just as bad.
Very few makers of custom hand-built musical instruments will admit publicly that the current state of affairs is really dire, which is a polite way of saying that it sucks! Why? — because it is generally not a good marketing strategy to say out loud that business is challenging and things like you might lose your home to foreclosure and the like. The “Market” could not care less. Well, the truth is the truth!
For me, the time of daunting backlog queues is a thing of the past. Since Q3 2021 it has been quite the opposite. You do not see economists on National News programs talking about any of this, as small businesses that make bespoke goods are, quite simply, a tiny segment of the overall economy. Since you will not be hearing from economists on the current dire situation for custom luthiers, I will tell you what I think.
The COVID-19 Pandemic and the "Lockdown"
The COVID pandemic, especially what we called the “lockdown” was bad in all sorts of ways. First, there was so much suffering and widespread death, as well as the long-term health issues for many survivors. And then were the businesses that were affected. Service industries like restaurants, and the entertainment industry, suffered terribly. Some businesses, like makers of strings for orchestral instruments (e.g., SuperSensitive), went out of business during the lockdown. The reason is that SuperSensitive absolutely depended on sales of inexpensive strings to tens of thousands of students in middle school and high school orchestra programs. The ripple effects were severe. For example, octave viola (aka “chin cello”) players are now without a source for strings, as SuperSensitive was the ONLY maker of such strings.
Given the aforementioned tragedies, I feel almost guilty about what I am about to say, but the COVID lockdown was really good for makers of high-end (i.e., expensive) musical instruments, large as well as small. For instance, 2020 was a very good year for manufactures like Gibson, Taylor, Martin and Fender. In fact, 2020 was the best year for sales in the history of Fender. This trend continued into part of 2021. Those trying to make sense of this attribute the spike in high-end musical instrument sales to the confluence of several things:
Thousands of adults were bored out of their minds.
Many of these bored people decided to take up a musical instrument.
The various stimulus checks, both under both the Trump and the Biden administrations, helped people to pay for their newfound hobbies.
During the 2020-2021 period, I had more orders for my violoncellos da spalla, octave violins and travel violins than I ever could have imagined. It was almost impossible to keep up with orders. Then, it was as if a faucet was turned off. I mean OFF! To this day I still mutter WTF to myself when I think about it.
So, here we are waiting for the phone to ring. Well, not exactly, as the downturn seems to have empowered the crackpots. Every custom luthier knows what I am talking about… people who find it interesting, comforting or whatever to engage a luthier in hours of prelude to what appears to be a likely commission. In reality, all these folks want to do is go through the motions of specifying the instrument they would like, as if they were ever going to actually buy one. That’s enough to get those pleasurable neurotransmitters going. It is very much like people who pretend that they are rich and take Ferraris on test drives. Yes, that really is a thing, believe it or not. I imagine that some of these people will read this and I have one thing to say—shame on you!
While I feel that I understand why sales spiked during the lockdown, as described above. I have no idea why everything grinded to a halt when the lockdown ended. I am really interested in your ideas should you want to share them.
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:
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 definitely widely used in Highland fiddling as basso continuo to the fiddle. The dominant figure in Scottish Baroque fiddling, Niel (aka "Neil") Gow (1727 – 1807), was usually accompanied by his brother Donald on cello.
Anyway, the violoncello da spalla is an early to mid 18th Century (i.e., Baroque) instrument that is enjoying a resurgence of popularity, particularly among experienced viola and violin players who are Baroque period enthusiasts. Why violists and not cellists? (Actually, many cellists have taken up the instrument; however, most of my highly accomplished violoncello da spalla clients are violists). Because of its playing position, one bows from the treble side like a viola or violin, which is backwards to a cellist.
Cello has been used in Old-time music for a long time. The first time I saw a cello in an Old-Time string band was at the U.S. National Folk Festival, which was at that time held in Northern Virginia at the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, in 1976. And the cellist was playing a 1/2 size cello da spalla style!!! Admittedly, it has never been, and still is not, common. That being said, it is my opinion that there is no better “second fiddle” than either an octave violin (tenor range) or a cello, including the violoncello da spalla (both baritone range). The octave violin is more well established in the Old-Time, as well as the more modern Bluegrass genre, but that is a story for another day.
Those familiar with the late great “Carolina Chocolate Drops” will know exactly what I am talking about here. It is indeed the case that one or two of my violoncello da spalla clients have actually competed in the “Non-Traditional Fiddle” category at Old-Time fiddlers' competitions--on violoncello da spalla!
If you have never heard cello backing up a fiddle, you simply must. Please check out the following videos that inspire me about the possibilities of violoncello da spalla in Old-Time music. I suppose that "haters" would maintain that such a match-up is anachronistic--REALLY?!?!?!? I mean, who cares! "Traditional" Old-Time string band music is about as far from being some kind of historical reenactment as is humanly possible. Further, the list of commonly used instruments has evolved radically over time. Since its origins in the Southeastern Appalachians in the 19th Century, the genre has had more names than you can keep track of. With the advent of phonograph records, it was originally distributed under the "Hillbilly Music" category. The moniker "Old-Time" became popular in the 1960s.
That is the great Rhiannon Giddens of Durham, North Carolina on fiddle and vocals. She is now a solo artist, performing with the likes of Yo Yo Ma.
Appearing in the last video are Natalie Haas (cello) and Brittany Haas (5-string fiddle). Natalie has recorded on more than 30 albums, many with the Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser, and is an Associate Professor at the Berklee College of Music. Brittany has appeared on at least a dozen albums.
It is only a matter of time before some crazy violoncello da spalla player decides to cross over into Old-time string band music in a big way, I mean with high-quality YouTube videos and such. Or it could be a really good fiddler who decides to take up the violoncello da spalla. We have been talking to a few great fiddlers who are trying to find a way to afford a violoncello da spalla. Wish I could afford to just give them one!
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.
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!
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 for demonstration videos of our instruments. Let’s agree up front that there will be no hurt feelings. I mean, I am a player, but at nowhere near the skill level necessary for a compelling demonstration. My partner, Dr. Hale, and others have pointed this out to me, and my feelings were not hurt 😊.
Introduction
We are Rickert & Hale, Luthiers, a collaboration between me (Donald Rickert) and fellow luthier, Dr. Jesse Randy Hale of J. Hale Custom Guitars. We set out to design and build the BEST bouzoukis and octave mandolins possible, employing materials and design elements that have been plausibly related (by us and others) over the years to superior sound and playability. I will get back to that point in a bit.
We are absolutely committed to fair pricing for our instruments, which are hand-made by master luthiers 100% in the U.S. This in no way equates to low cost, but quite the opposite. There are already many lost cost options provided by a market that is quite saturated with cheap factory-made instruments. Our instruments are for committed players who have already, or are ready to, step up to luthier-built instruments of the highest caliber.
After many months of R&D and numerous prototypes, we are readying our first instruments for formal trial by evaluators in the Western U.S. and in Nashville, TN. We are taking orders right now.
The Sessioneer and Sessioneer Spartan Bouzoukis—Our initial Offerings
The Sessioneer Bouzouki is a relatively small-bodied (< 14” wide) traditional-looking (i.e., teardrop or “onion-shaped” body) Irish style bouzouki with a long (25.5”) scale. The “Spartan” variant has a minimalist violin/viola/cello-like aesthetic—no rosette, unbound ebony fingerboard with no position markers, ebony nut and bridge. We will do a Mycarta™ nut and zero-fret upon request. Both variants currently utilize a violin-type tail saddle and ebony tailpiece with a tail gut (i.e., tail cord) that is similar to those used on Benedetto guitars. The tuners are gold-plated Gotoh M6 Mini or 510 Mini (there is a price differential).
Anyway, our new Sessioneers sound like “Irish” bouzoukis (jangly and slightly “nasal”—NOT like a guitar), but are loud with very strong bass overtones, rich in harmonics across the spectrum but still focused, with sustain that could be mind-blowing if you have never played a fine luthier-built instrument.
Attributes of Our Instruments That Contribute to Superior Sound
That being said, there are some sonic attributes of plucked acoustic stringed instruments, which I believe are widely accepted as desirable, such as:
Sonority (i.e., “power” or loudness)
Balance (i.e., low notes on the low strings are just as loud to the ear as notes on the high strings)
Focus (i.e., not “muddy”)
Richness in harmonic overtones
Sustain (largely a function of overtone richness)
Note: Achieving focus and overtone richness is a balancing act, as achieving one can come at the expense of the other. Only the very finest instruments achieve both. We believe that we have achieved that balance.
The following link is to a video, which I believe demonstrates the above desirable sonic attributes in the domain of classical guitars. It is really quite fun to watch and listen to.
So, does the $200,000 instrument sound 1000 times better than the $200 one? No, probably only about 100 times (10,000%) better!
Some Steps We Have Taken to Achieve the Best Sound Possible
At the end of the day, it all gets down to materials, design and workmanship.
Neck and Bridge
The neck is three-piece laminated rock maple, or a three-piece laminate of mahogany-maple-mahogany. The dense neck forces the vibrations back to the body rather than being absorbed by the neck. The downside of the all-maple neck is that it is heavier, which has ergonomic implications. The three-piece lamination (either option) also makes for an extremely stable neck that is resistant to warping. We utilize a custom-made double action truss rod, which allows correction for both backbow and upbow. Backbow can result from use of very light-gauge strings.
One neck set option is a 1.75-degree back angle and 1.5mm overstand, which affords the use of a bridge that is at least twice the height of a typical bouzouki bridge.
Another option is a zero angle (i.e., orthogonal) neck set with a 3mm overstand, which affords a bridge with a more “standard” height. The advantage of the latter is that is has a more proven track record with respect to long-term structural top integrity. While the higher bridge option has a bit more “punch”, both produce an excellent response. We have decided that the zero-angle neck and lower bridge will be the recommended default moving forward.
The bridge is fit completely flush with the induced arch (25’ radius) top, in effect functioning like an additional brace, allowing for lighter internal bracing—Thanks to the great Graham McDonald for this idea.
Top and Top Bracing
The top is AAA-grade Adirondack or Sitka spruce (there is a price differential). Adirondack is legendary for its power and focus.
The internal top bracing is a modified X/lattice hybrid that is radically scalloped. We spend far more time in computer-assisted tap-tuning and making adjustments to the top thickness and brace thinning-scalloping than the total build time of most factory instruments. We’re talking about days!
Unless otherwise requested the back and sides of the Sessioneer Bouzouki are the finest genuine Honduras mahogany. It looks nice and contributes to the sound we strive for. The back is X-braced and has a 15’ radius induced arch.
Our back design really pumps the vibrating air through the sound hole, which is the primary source of sound for a plucked string instrument. With bowed strings, the top vibrations are more significant.
Tailpiece
Our tailpiece is a cello-type “free” design attached with a Kevlar tail cord. Vibrations are transmitted directedly into the end block.
We look forward to hearing from you.
We also have a flat-top guitar-shaped octave mandolin, an archtop octave mandolin and a 5-course mandola, which we are calling an “Alto Cittern” on the near horizon.
