Category: Observations and Opinion
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A Chin Rest for Fiddlers Who Do Not Use Chin Rests
In our very recent article, The Solution to the Chin Rest Problem on Backpacker Violins and Fiddles, I described Don Rickert Lutherie's quest for the solution to the chin rest problem with our backpacker and travel violins and fiddles. See that article for the details. The bottom line is that we have found a tailpiece-chin…
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Pochettes, Backpacker Fiddles and Ergonomics: A Short Primer
What is a Pochette? A pochette was a violin-like instrument of the 17th and 18th Centuries that was 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 where the modern English word "pocket" comes from. Pochettes were…
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So You Think You Know about the Banjo in Irish Traditional Music?: Part 1
Please visit the Don Rickert Musician Shop. There are many myths about the banjo in traditional Irish music. It is commonly believed that a special type of tenor banjo (a 17 fret, 4-string banjo tuned in 5ths to G d a e' ), called the "Irish Tenor Banjo", has been part of Traditional Irish Music since at least…
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Why the F-Type Mandolin Dominates Bluegrass – Flatirons Dominate Celtic (UPDATE)
Please visit the Don Rickert Musician Shop. Have you ever seen a Bluegrass mandolin player playing anything but an F-Type or a Celtic player ever playing an F-Type (the photo with the scroll on the left). There are reasons. Read on… Musicians in just about every genre except Bluegrass, including Old-Time (lots of F-Styles and…
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A Brief History of Flatiron-Type Mandolins (UPDATE)
Please visit the Don Rickert Musician Shop. Flat-Top Flatiron-Style Mandolin by Don Rickert Design (now Don Rickert Lutherie) and available from the Adventurous Muse Store is of the general type known as either "pancake" or "flariron". It has that mellow, yet still loud and powerful sound sought by Celtic (both Irish and Scottish) players, as well as…
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Gourd, Tackhead and Minstrel Banjos: Clearing Things Up (Maybe?)
When people talk about the old-style banjos, they often use the terms gourd banjo, tackhead banjo and minstrel banjo as if they are synonymous. Hopefully, this post will clear matters up a bit. There are a number of photo thumnails in this article. Click on them for larger views. First Things First: Where was the…
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The Problem with Musical Instrument Mega-Stores
I do not believe that it is part of the business plan of most big music stores, "brick-and-morter" as well as online, to put the small independent musical instrument makers out of business. I don't know, maybe it is. Intended or not, that has been the effect…duh!…what happened to all of the great small specialty stores…
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Gut Fiddle Strings: Let the Truth Overcome Your Fear!
Metal wound strings and modern synthetic core strings (e.g. Dr. Thomastik) are wonderful for the modern fiddler, regardless of the type of music he or she is playing. The good ones, such as D'Addario Helicores and Infeld Super-Flexible rope core strings, sound great, are easy on the fingers (and your instrument) and stay in tune. Other…
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