Tag: D Rickert Musical Instruments
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Instrument Builds Planned for 2026: Violoncellos da Spalla, Octave Violins, Tenor/Octave Violas, Travel Violins/Violas and 5-String Banjos
I try to start every year with a basic idea of what I am going to build in the coming year. This is my way of establishing some type of focus, especially when there is a lot of chaos going on, like, for instance, right now. Every year, I am surprised by the way things…
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I Recently Shipped a New Iteration of the International Travel Violin to Germany and It Has Arrived Safely!
I always breath a sigh of relief when a newly completed instrument gets to its destination, especially when shipped to somewhere else in the world. This one is now in the custody of a happy client. The International Travel Violin was designed for violinists and fiddlers wishing to travel without worry with their instruments by air:…
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How Good Can an Octave Fiddle Sound?: Demos of the NEW Double-Fat Strad Octave Violin
Introduction Anyone who has followed this blog for the past 15+ years or has ever spoken to me about musical instruments will know that I am passionate about Octave Violins, which are regular violins modified and fit with special strings to play one octave lower. They are between violas and cellos pitch-wise. They, the good…
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Planetary Tuning Pegs for Bowed String Instruments and Historic Banjos
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…
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Chin Cellos (Octave Violas) AND Tenor Violas are Back!
Full disclosure: I LOVE violas, especially those that are tuned like a cello (chin cello or octave viola) or like an octave violin (tenor viola). It will be of interest to anyone who currently has, or is considering acquiring, a lower-pitched viola. The Chin Cello fad Do you remember the “chin cello” fad just a…
D Rickert Musical Instruments 