Category: About Don Rickert Musical Instruments

Instruments Completed in 2025 to Date

Oct 1, 2025

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by

Donald Rickert

in 5-String Violins and Fiddles, About Don Rickert Musical Instruments, Announcements, D. Rickert Musical Instruments, Don Rickert Musical Instruments, Don Rickert Musician Shop, Mezzo and Quasi-Mezzo Violins, Octave and Baritone Violins, Pochettes, Kit Fiddles, Pocket Fiddles, Tenor and Octave Violas, Travel and Backpacker Fiddles, Violoncello da Spalla

I have been very busy in the first 3 quarters of 2025. I have completed and delivered 12 instruments thus far in 2025. The represent an even mix of ‘Conservatory’ level (intermediate “value priced” instruments) and ‘Professional’ level (high-end) instruments. The latter are the ones made completely by me in our Hiawassee, Georgia (US) workshop.…
Planetary Tuning Pegs for Bowed String Instruments and Historic Banjos

Apr 23, 2025

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by

Donald Rickert

in About Don Rickert Musical Instruments, Announcements, Don Rickert Musical Instruments, Don Rickert Musician Shop, Observations and Opinion

Virtually all violin family instruments we make at D. Rickert Musical Instruments are fit with planetary pegs. The image of the violoncello da spalla pegbox/scroll clearly shows the planetary geared pegs, which look exactly like regular ebony pegs. Planetary geared pegs provide a profound enhancement of the playing experience, especially for non-standard lower pitched violin…
The Latest on Octave Violas and Tenor Violas by D. Rickert (with Demos)

Apr 17, 2025

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by

Donald Rickert

in About Don Rickert Musical Instruments, Announcements, Don Rickert Musical Instruments, Don Rickert Musician Shop, Low-Pitched Instruments, Octave and Baritone Violins, Tenor and Octave Violas, Video and Sound Demos

New product listing for Octave Violas and Tenor Violas at the Don Rickert Musician Shop! For the first time in years, we have a specific product listing on our online store website, Don Rickert Musician Shop (www.donrickertmusicianshop.com), having treated Octave Violas as completely custom commissions. Octave Violas and Tenor Violas are now listed as two…
Offbeat Songs for Cool Cats: New Podcast From D. Rickert Musical Instruments

Dec 28, 2022

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by

Donald Rickert

in About Don Rickert Musical Instruments, Announcements, Don Rickert Musical Instruments, Don Rickert Musician Shop, Podcasts and YouTube Channels

We just launched our new podcast, Offbeat Songs for Cool Cats, just in time for Christmas 2022. Below are links to play Episode 1, Parts 1 and 2 via Spotify. We aim to post an episode every 2 weeks. The next is scheduled for on or about January 5, 2023. I'll be telling you more…
Don Rickert Musical Instruments, Makers of Violoncellos da Spalla and Other Fine Bowed Instruments

Dec 21, 2021

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by

Donald Rickert

in 5-String Violins and Fiddles, About Don Rickert Musical Instruments, About the website, Announcements, Backpacker Violins and Pochettes, Banjos, Baroque Instruments, Bows, Don Rickert Musical Instruments, Don Rickert Musician Shop, Historic Instrument Replicas, Octave and Baritone Violins, Old-Time Music, Strings, Fittings and Accessories, Tenor Banjo

For more information about us, including our online store, the Don Rickert Musician Shop, see Introducing the Don Rickert Musician Shop. Don Rickert Musical Instruments is a 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.…
The Latest on Travel Violins and Fiddles by D. Rickert Musical Instruments

Feb 4, 2018

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by

Donald Rickert

in About Don Rickert Musical Instruments, Backpacker Violins and Pochettes, Don Rickert Musical Instruments, Don Rickert Musician Shop, Historic Instrument Replicas, Pochettes, Kit Fiddles, Pocket Fiddles, Travel and Backpacker Fiddles, Video and Sound Demos

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

Jan 29, 2018

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by

Donald Rickert

in About Don Rickert Musical Instruments, Backpacker Violins and Pochettes, Baroque Instruments, Don Rickert Musical Instruments, Don Rickert Musician Shop, Pochettes, Kit Fiddles, Pocket Fiddles

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…
Octave Violins, Octave Violas and Hybrids from Don Rickert Musical Instruments

Jan 25, 2018

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by

Donald Rickert

in About Don Rickert Musical Instruments, Baroque Instruments, Don Rickert Musical Instruments, Don Rickert Musician Shop, Octave and Baritone Violins

Note: There is a newer updated version of this article entitled, Octave Violins, Tenor Violas and Related Instruments from Donald Rickert. See the Don Rickert Musician Shop for current product offerings. Introduction Darol Anger and Vasen w/ Rickert Octaves In 2006, one of the first things we at D. Rickert Musical Instruments set out to do…
Going Electric: Part II of A Different Way of Achieving the Range of an Octave Violin and Octave Viola

Jul 24, 2015

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by

Donald Rickert

in 5-String Violins and Fiddles, About Don Rickert Musical Instruments, Don Rickert Musical Instruments, Don Rickert Musician Shop, Electric Violins, Low-Pitched Instruments, Observations and Opinion, Octave and Baritone Violins

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

Apr 23, 2015

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by

Donald Rickert

in About Don Rickert Musical Instruments, Announcements, Backpacker Violins and Pochettes, Banjos, Baroque Instruments, Bows, Cigar Box Fiddles, Don Rickert Musical Instruments, Don Rickert Musician Shop, Electric Violins, For Civil War and Other Re-enactors, Guitars, Historic Instrument Replicas, Mandocello, Octave and Baritone Violins, octave mandolin, Old-Time Music, Tenor Banjo

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…