Rickert-Benker Fiddle by Don Rickert Lutherie

ATTENTION!: You most likely got to this page via a search engine rather than visiting the Adventurous Muse Storefront. This is a custom-made instrument, available ONLY at our new store, Don Rickert Musical Instruments (www.RickertMusicalInstruments.com).

If you are a musical re-enactor of AUTHENTIC early-20th Century Old Time, Minstrel or Civil War Era American fiddling or Scottish fiddling from the Golden Age of Neil Gow (mid to late 18th Century) and his son Nathanial Gow (late 18th and early 19th Century), this is for you. We can also set this fiddle up for post-1930s or contemporary setup.

The setup of the Rickert-Benker Fiddle pictured in for post-1930s fiddling...steel e" string with wound gut a', d' and g strings.

Note: This violin is very similar to the Pre-20th Century Fiddle by Don Rickert Lutherie. The key difference is that this instrument is is based on a NEW Christian Benker concert violin (made in Germany!), whereas the Pre-20th Century Fiddle is crafted from an expertly-restored vintage fiddle.

The goal for this fiddle was to achieve the same price point for a new completely European (actually made in Europe rather than Asia) instrument that we achieved with the Pre-20th Century Fiddle by Don Rickert Lutherie (by using nicely-restored vintage fiddles as the base instruments).

We have searched the world over for a high-quality German-made base instrument that is reasonably priced. We decided on the Christian Benker Violin, made in Germany by Hofner. This mind-blowing Joseph Guarneri copy is medium amber brown with a tastefully done antique treatment (i.e. slightly faded at the chin touch point and where the left-hand meets the body when playing higher positions). The select spruce top is graduated perfectely to the Guarneri specs. The ribs and neck are nicely flamed maple. The fingerboard is select ebony. The pegs and Hill-type tailpiece are rosewood. For those who opt for a post 1930s replication, a matching rosewood chin rest is included.

The instrument has a perfect balance of bold depth of tone and brilliant clarity. The projection is powerful (loud and sonorous) and astoundingly even across all four strings. Because this instrument has potential heirloom value, we leave the Hofner label with serial number, placing a small Don Rickert Lutherie label on the treble side.

Of course, unless you have unusual needs, you will want a fiddle with lots of bass response and sounds great with the commonly used cross-tunings, these being:

e" a' e' a
d" g" d' g
e" a' d' a

About Christian Benker 

Benker, long associate with the Hofner violin division, is one of the most highly respected luthiers and acoustics researchers in Germany, having received the Bavarian Distinguished Service Medal, for his decades of service to various committees of the National Association of German Musical Instrument Manufacturers (BDMH). Benker's roles with the association have included that of chairman of the Research Association, a post he held for more than ten years; he also presided over a number of committees.

Special Offers on High-Performance Period Bows

Special offers on Intermediate and Master Bows by Georg Werner, Master Bows by Sebastian Dirr and Master Bows by Herbert Wanka. The discount codes, to be used at checkout time, are listed at the end of the product listing.

What This Incredible Fiddle Has!

• Perfectly graduated and tap-tuned top
• The Tuning Pegs
• Traditional Tuning Pegs
• Perfectly fit traditional tuning pegs (for smooth) tuning with appropriately enlarged string holes for gut strings when necessary.
• “Cheater Pegs”
• A secret weapon of re-enactors with gut-strung fiddles is the Wittner Fine-Tune Planetary Tuning Peg. These pegs look like ebony, but have a hidden internal gearing. The aluminum shaft of these pegs is not visible when the instrument is strung.
• Only $75 for this upgrade but only as part of this fiddle offer. Normally they are about $90.
• The Bridge
• The bridge is cut and adjusted for type type of strings that will be used (depending on period replicated)...The optimal bridge height is different, depending on whether the instrument is strung with pure gut, wound gut or metal strings. We have been playing and setting up fiddles for over 3 decades and know how to trim a bridge for FIDDLERS!
• Tail Gut
• Unless specifically requested, the instrument will have a new nylon tail gut (a stainless steel tail gut for the Modern setup option). This makes tail gut adjustment, which is critical for adjusting the harmonics of the strings for optimal tone and volume possible.
• If requested, we will replace the tail gut with real gut. This is only recommended when ABSOLUTE authenticity is necessary, as a tied gut tail gut makes adjustment (and re-adjustment as it stretches over time) extremely difficult and time-consuming.
• The Strings
• We use the correct gauges of strings for the best sound on your instrument!
• Unless otherwise requested, your instrument will be set up with string gauges to accommodate all of these common tunings used in traditional fiddling from the 18th through the 20th Century fiddling without a lot of string breakage (when e" and a' tuned sharp) and optimal tone when d' and g tuned flat.

It is assumed that the player will be using the following tunings:

• Standard: e” a’ d’ g
• A Cross-tuning: e” a’ e’ a
• G-D Cross-tuning: d’ g’ d’ g
• D tuning e” a’ d’ a
• We use EXTREMELY high-quality strings, depending on the period setup you ask us to replicate.
• 18th and 19th Century Setup: We use custom gut strings from one of several Master String Makers. The strings we use are renowned for their excellent craftsmanship, intonation, resistance to breakage (this has to do with the string polishing process) and stability…in other words, they stay in tune very well for gut strings. Unless used for pre 1790 playing, your instrument will be strung with pure gut (unwound) with a silver-wound g-string.
• 1890s to 1930 Setup: Silver-wound g-string, varnished gut d' and a' strings and a Jarger Crome Steel e" string, with a single fine-tuner for the e" string
• Post 1930s Setup: Pirastro Passione modern gut strings...wound a', d' and g' with a silvered steel e" string.
• Modern Setup: Our preference is D'Addario Helicore Medium; however, we will substitute another string at your request.
• Necessary Sound post adjustments
• Tail gut adjusted to achieve optimal tone and volume from your instrument
• Adjusting the distance between the tailpiece and bridge is a painstaking process and necessary to achieve optimal sonority from the instrument. Such adjustment is far more important when using gut strings than when using modern steel strings. 

What about a Chin Rest, Fine Tuners and Shoulder Rest?

It depends on the period.

• Fine Tuners
• Fine tuners do not not work with old-style gut at all nor do they work well with modern gut strings...so it depends on the stringing of your finished instrument.
• On the other hand, when using modern metal strings, which are made from various combinations of steels, aluminum alloys, chromium, titanium and silver, we recommend fine tuners on all 4 strings. A tailpiece with the fine tuners built-in works the best.
• Chin Rest
• Chin rests were not generally used prior to the 20th Century.
• While the chin rest was invented in 1820 by Louis Spohr, there is no documentation of its use by fiddlers and very few violinists used it. A notable exception was the Spanish virtuoso, Pablo de Sarasate (1844 - 1908), whose playing years were from about 1860 until the early 20th Century.
• For those who need some kind of chin rest, natural chamois folded over several times is the best option we know of. There is some evidence of use of such padding as a “chin rest” in the 19th Century.
• For players using a 19th Century Setup and REALLY want to use a chin rest, we are working on a replication of the Spohr chin rest of 1820, as well as a later 19th Century chin rest of the type used by Sarasate and incorrectly attributed to Louis Spohr as the inventor. We will have a post at www.AdventurousMuse.com soon about these chin rests
• Shoulder Rest
• The shoulder rest as we know it was not invented until well into the the 20th Century.
• As with the chin rest, folded over blanketing or similar material serves as a shoulder rest.

The Bows

• Note: The first price listed in parentheses is the list price. The second price is our normal discounted price.
• (Werner Int) Georg Werner Intermediate Violin Bow Octagonal Shaft, Germany ($490/$416.50) $100 extra discount...Enter code GWINT when purchasing the bow (You will only get the discount if you also purchase the Glasgow Pochette, Neil Gow II Pochete, Rickert-Benker Fiddle or Pre-20th Century Fiddle, regardless of what the invoice on the computer screen says!)
• (Werner Oct) Georg Werner Master Violin Bow Octagonal Shaft, Germany ($1100/$892.50) $225 extra discount...Enter code GWOCT
• (Werner Rnd) Georg Werner Master Violin Bow Round Shaft, Germany ($950/$765) $200 extra discount...Enter code GWRND
• (Wanka 24A) Herbert Wanka Master 24A Bow, Round or Octagonal Shaft, Germany ($3200/$2720) $500 extra discount...Enter code HW24A
• (Wanka 24B) Herbert Wanka Master 24B Bow, Round or Octagonal Shaft, Germany ($3000/$2550) $450  extra discount...Enter code HW24V
• (Dirr Tran) Sebastian Dirr transitional violin or pochette bow, Germany ($2540/$1999.50) $400 extra discount...Enter code DIRR