Don Rickert Musical Instruments

Travel Violin Trade-in Offer Ends March 31, 2024!

Recently I posted two articles on our newest models of Travel Violins and Violas. See: Travel Violins and Violas: Don't Miss Out on Substantial Trade-in Offer It's Travel Violin (and Viola) Time 2024! In both of the aforementioned posts, I said that we would give a substantial trade-in for several popular travel violins by other makers towards the purchase of one of my travel violins or violas. There is little that I can do with these cheaper trade-in instruments, other than re-sell them at fiddlers' conventions and such. Don't need ANY more, but would still love to put one my instruments instruments in your hands. If you are interested in the trade-in offer, you have until March 31, 2024. That is a week from the publication of this post. I should mention that I have tweaked Ranger IV Travel Violin so that it fits into the smallest diameter case ever without sacrificing the great playability and sound. The width and depth dimensions have been trimmed a bit and the headstock geometry has been adjusted to accomplish this. If you want to know more I can tell you all about it. Give us a call now and save some serious money, like up to $500! Phone: 706-896-0909, email: [email protected]. Read more →

Travel Violins and Violas: Don't Miss Out on Substantial Trade-in Offer

In a very recent post, I mentioned that we would take a Cricket Travel Violin or a Wiplstix as a trade-in ($500 for the Cricket, $300 for the Wiplstix) for one of my newest travel violin or travel viola models. See: It’s Travel Violin (and Viola) Time 2024! Our trade-in allowance is not that much lower than the purchase price for the Cricket and Wiplstix. The trade-in can apply to either a Ranger IV Travel Violin OR an International Travel Violin OR a Ranger IV Travel Viola in any size (15" to 16,5"). Note that there is not yet a separate product listing for the travel violas, but I am working on that. Some have already heard the call! People are taking us up on the Cricket/Wiplstix trade-in program. We only need so many of these instruments; actually, don’t need any at all, so this trade-in offer’s days are numbered. Now might be the time to step up to a true luthier-built travel violin If you are thinking about it, now might be the time to think faster. Give us a call: 706-896-0909, email: [email protected]. Read more →

It’s Travel Violin (and Viola) Time 2024!

Special Trade-In Offer! For a limited time: $500 trade-in for a Cricket Travel Violin or $300 for a Wiplstix. Contact Info. Don Rickert on Linktree: https://linktr.ee/donrickert. This link gets you to ALL of my detailed contact information, my websites and social media. Email: [email protected] Phone (in US): 706-896-0909 or 706-400-1481 (mobile) What is a travel violin or travel viola? 18th Century Pochette A modern travel violin has a full 13” (like a 4/4 violin) playable string length, but has a narrower body in the 1.75” to 4” range. Modern travel violins look much like their ancestors, 18th Century pochettes. The smaller body affords the use of an easily-portable tubular case. Also, modern travel violins are built to be far more durable than regular violins. Why do I say that it is travel violin season? Because Springtime is close. In the Spring and Summer months, we sell a lot of travel violins and travel violas, standard offerings as well as completely custom instruments. The main reason for this is simple: people do a lot more outdoor adventure activities during the warmer months. Travel fiddles are in their element in the outdoors. The reason I mention the timing issue is that almost every year, I have to turn down potential travel violin orders because there is insufficient available lead time. So, if you are planning on taking one of my instruments with you on a trip, leave enough time for me to make it. It usually takes about 5 weeks. Why would... Read more →

Donald Rickert is In the March/April 2023 Issue of Strings Magazine

I (Don Rickert) am in the March/April issue of Strings Magazine! I am honored to have been one of several experts interviewed for the article, A Pocket Full of Sound, by Karen Peterson in the March/April 2023 issue of Strings Magazine (No. 311, March/April 2023). I wish I could share the entire article here, but I am pretty sure that that would be a copyright violation. That being said, I feel pretty good about how my comments about the 18th Century pochette were incorporated into the article. Hats off to the author Karen Peterson for an excellent piece. Unless you are a Strings Magazine subscriber, or chose to spend $10 to download the March/April 2023 issue, you won’t be able to see it, at least now here. I can, however, summarize the key points: The pochette was a tiny violin-like bowed instrument that was usually tuned to a higher pitch than a regular violin. Note: Many pochettes, especially later ones, while still having a very small body, had disproportionately long necks, which made possible the same vibrating string length of a full-size violin, and thus, enabling them to be tuned to regular violin pitch. The tuning pitch of the Baroque period was a bit lower than modern pitch. The pochette dates back to the 1500s, when, in its primitive form, was often played by street musicians. During the reign of Louis XIV (the Sun King) beginning in the late 17th Century, the pochette came into its own among the aristocratic... Read more →

We Just Shipped the First International Travel Violin “Lefty” Version

We just shipped this left-handed version of our new International Travel Violin. This instrument, while having a full-length scale, is short enough to fit into a 4" diameter x 22" long case. That meets all known carry baggage size restrictions in the world. The instrument, in its case, will fit into many roller bags. This instrument, as well as many others, are on sale from now until June 4th, 2018. Check it all out at Don Rickert Musician Shop (www.DonRickertMusicianShop.com). See images of a newly completed International Travel Violin. The International Travel Violin is our newest design. It is, of course, a TRAVEL VIOLIN that we designed for violinists and fiddlers wishing to travel without worry with their instruments by air: To destinations outside of the U.S., especially Europe From one European region to another or from one country to another On any small plane (< 50 seats), regardless of destination, within the U.S. or abroad AND Desire an all wood, luthier-built instrument with a 4/4 playable string length, AND Require an instrument with the sonority and timbre close to that of a full-size instrument. This completely new instrument has a full-size playable string length of just approximately 13 inches. The cool thing about the International Travel Violin is that it has a body length of approximately 13 inches (normal 4/4 violin has a 14” body) and a cleverly shortened “scroll-less” pegbox. The result is a full-size instrument with a total length of just under 21”! This allows the use... Read more →

Yet Another New Travel Fiddle For International Travel by D. Rickert Musical Instruments

The New International Explorer Travel Violin by D. Rickert The newest instrument by D. Rickert Musical instruments is the International Explorer Travel Violin. It is available at the Don Rickert Musician Shop. Like its larger-bodied sibling, the International Travel Violin, this new travel violin was designed for violinists and fiddlers wishing to travel without worry with their instruments by air: To destinations outside of the U.S., especially Europe From one European region to another or from one country to another On any small plane (< 50 seats), regardless of destination, within the U.S. or abroad AND Desire an all wood, luthier-built instrument with a 4/4 playable string length, AND Require an instrument with the sonority and timbre as close to that of a full-size instrument as possible for a small instrument. As with its predecessors, the Mountaineer series (I through VIII), the International Explorer Travel Violin is the instrument of choice for adventurer-musicians for whom any of the following apply: Willing to sacrifice the full-size violin sound of the International Travel Violin or the Ranger C3 (but still sounds pretty good) in favor of considerably greater durability. The new International Explorer Travel Violin is ideally suited for outdoor adventure, where weather, rough conditions, rough treatment (e.g. being dropped onto the ground or into water) etc. are part of the deal. Are seeking a travel violin that is less expensive than either the International Travel Violin or the Ranger C3. Indeed, the International Explores is hardly cheap, with a sell price... Read more →

The Latest on Travel Violins and Fiddles by D. Rickert Musical Instruments

Please visit the Don Rickert Musician Shop. Introduction Travel violins and fiddles are specially-designed instruments for adventurers and other travelers for whom small size, extreme durability and easy portability are essential. Travel violins/fiddles are also commonly known as “backpacker fiddles”. Travel Violins and Fiddles by D. Rickert Musical Instruments D. Rickert Musical Instruments has been designing and making historic pochettes (e.g. Baroque-period dancing master’s “kits”) and best-in-class modern travel violins (aka backpacker fiddles) since 2005. Continuous improvement based on customer and market feedback and our own continuous evaluation, is just the way we roll. This has led to the design and production of more than two-dozen models over the past 13 years. We currently make three regular production models of travel/backpacker violin. We also make various custom variants, including “lefty” and 5-string models, as well as travel violas. All of our regular production travel violin models have 14” bodies with 13” playable scale lengths; the same body and scale lengths as full-size violins. All of these instruments are available at the Don Rickert Musician Shop. See the Travel and Backpacker Fiddles category of the Don Rickert Musician Shop website (online store). Late Baroque Pochette While our modern travel fiddles look superficially like Barqoue pochettes (pocket fiddles), they are, in fact, full-length violins intended for backpacking and travel. All of our travel and backpacker violins are full 4/4 length instruments with chin rests and shoulder rest adapters. They are very popular among traveling classical violinists as well as adventure-loving fiddlers. Unlike... Read more →

Things to Know About the Baroque Pochette (a.k.a “Kit”)

Please visit the Don Rickert Musician Shop. What Is a Pochette or “Kit” Fiddle? Pochettes are 18th Century instruments whose popularity was primarily from the early 1700s through the 1780s; however, there are surviving examples dating back to the 1600s. The pochette (French for “pocket”) was a small violin-like instrument designed for easy portability. They are also known as “pocket fiddles” and “kit fiddles”. Pochettes were always quite a bit smaller in girth than full-size violins; however, their overall length, as well as playable string length varied from quite short (about that of ½ size violin or viololino piccolo, or even shorter) to the length of a regular fiddle. The longer pochettes were generally the later ones. Short scale pochettes were usually tuned to a higher pitch than a full-size violin. How Did the Pochette or "Kit Fiddle" Get its Names? Pochettes were small enough in girth to fit into a longish sheath sewn into one's coat. The sheath came to be known by the instrument's name: "pochette". This is the origin of the modern English word "pocket". Pochettes were also known as "kits" or "kit fiddles", primarily in England and, to a lesser extent, in Scotland. The name "kit" is an example of impossible-to-comprehend (to anyone but an Englishperson) English humor. The idea appears to have been that, if a full-size violin is analogous to a cat (a reference to "cat gut" strings...actually never made from cat guts, but rather sheep intestines), then a small violin would be, by... Read more →