Don Rickert Musical Instruments

D. Rickert Musical Instruments Will Be a Vendor at Hoppin' John 2022.

D. Rickert Musical Instruments will be showing one of its Violoncellos da Spalla at an upcoming festival in the Southeastern US. 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. 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 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... 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 in Hiawassee, GA, USA, with minimal apprentice or contract labor. Prices start at $16,000 US. To learn more, go to NEW Violoncello da Spalla by D. Rickert (Standard Plus Model) on the Don Rickert Musician Shop website. 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 design and build 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.... 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 new joint venture, Rickert & Hale, Luthiers, will focus on mandolin family instruments. Please check out our new website: www.RickertandHale.com. See more details about D. Rickert Musical Instruments Who Plays Instruments Made by D. Rickert Musical Instruments? Since our founding in 2008, our instruments have made it into the hands of more than 250 musicians. A short list of some of the well-known musicians playing our instruments include: Alasdair Fraser, Darol Anger, Natalie Haas, Andrew Gonzalez (violoncello da spalla), William Hurd (violoncello da spalla), Kristen Rule (violoncello da spalla), Albert Chang (aka Sleightlymusical) (violoncello da spalla), Peter Walker (violoncello da spalla), Gary Payne, Aindrias de Staic, David Thames and Mary Anne Thames. See pictures and see/hear videos of some of the instruments made by D. Rickert and played by some of the artists listed above. Our Soon-to-Come “Big Mandolins” and Related Instruments When I say “Big Mandolins” I am referring generally to octave mandolins, mandocellos and what are commonly referred to these days as “Irish bouzoukis”. Roger Landes points out that, in Ireland, these instruments... Read more →