Standard Pro 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 This is an obsolete instrument that is superceded by a new custom-made model, which is available ONLY at our new store, Don Rickert Musical Instruments (www.RickertMusicalInstruments.com).

This fiddle is on the cusp between a high-end intermedite instrument or a entry-level master instrument. It has the overall look of one of our Master-level fiddles.

The fiddle is a Stradivarius pattern with a modern setup for advanced amateur or professional performance in just about any genre. We set the string height and the degree of bridge arch the way you want it, and string it with Helicore Medium Gauge (powerful and bright) or Thomastik-Infeld Vision Synthetic Core strings (powerful, full-bodied and dark).

The Fiddle

The select spruce top is graduated to Stradivari specs. The back, ribs and neck are nicely flamed maple. The fingerboard is select ebony.

Amplified Performance

While this fiddle can be set up with a Realist pickup (Realist Pickup for Violin or Fiddle with Mini-Jack) for amplified performance, we suggest that you consider one of The Realist 4 and 5-string violins (The Realist(tm) Violin Shop) when playing “plugged in.”

Varnishing

We expertly varnish the instrument with traditional oil varnish in a stunning golden brown. The varnish is applied by hand in the traditional manner; not sprayed!  

Custom Tattooing (Inkwork or "Rosing")

See Tattooed Fiddles by Don Rickert Design and Tattooing, Inkwork, Rosing

A very popular decoration option is hand inkwork known as "rosing", which is common on Norwegian Hardanger fiddlers. You can think of rosing as tatooing for a fiddle. The artist we engage to do custom inkwork will work with you to turn your vision into reality. Such decoration, needless to say, adds substationally to the final cost of the instrument. Note: when inkwork decoration is applied, the varnish color should be light, such as vintage amber.

The Sound

This instrument has a perfect balance of bold depth of tone and brilliant clarity. The projection is powerful (loud and sonorous) and even across all four strings. After all, we have years' of experience with making 3" wide backpacker violins sing like full-size violins...imagine what we can do with a full-size instrument.

Playlist of all demos of Custom Series and Custom Vintage Fiddles by Don Rickert Lutherie

Summary of Features:

• Top: Well-graduated and tap-tuned top-grade European Spruce
• Back and Ribs: Well-flamed maple
• Tuning Pegs: Traditional ebony, upgradable to Wittner Fine-Tune Planetary Tuning Pegs. 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. See our articles, Why Wittner Fine-Tune Planetary Pegs are a Good Idea and Secret Fiddle Tuning Weapon.
• Bridge: A high-quality (generally Bausch, Teller or Aubert) is cut and adjusted for type of strings that will be using and your style of playing. We have been playing and setting up fiddles for over 3 decades and know how to trim a bridge for FIDDLERS!
• Chin Rest: Polished ebony Guarneri-style
• Tailpiece: Choice of Wittner Ultra polycarbonate with 4 built-in fine tuners or a Dov Schmidt Harp compensated ebony tailpiece with either a single fine-tuner for the e"-string or NO fine-tuners. You would choose the Dov Schmidt Harp if you opt for the Wittener Fine-Tune Planetary Tuning Pegs. 
• Tail Gut: Wittner or Sacconi nylon.
• The Strings: The standard strings for this instrument are Helicore Medium Gauge or Thomastik-Infeld Vision Synthetic Core. Both strings are easy on the fingers. The Helicores a powerful and bright, whereas the Visions are powerful and dark. We always use the correct gauges of strings for the best sound on your instrument! We assume that, as a fiddler and unlike a violinist, you 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
• Low D tuning d" a' d' D (used by many for "Midnight on the Water" and some versions of "Bonaparte's Retreat."
• We can accomodate whatever you wish or advise you on mixed-gauge string sets...we have tried just about anything you can imagine with respect to "unconventional" stringing to accomplish specific musical goals.

We Sweat the Small Details that make a BIG Difference

• We always tweak the sound post position for the best sound possible
• Unlike most new instrument setups, we actually go to the trouble to adjust the distance between the tailpiece and the bridge to achieve optimal tone and volume from your instrument.
  

This instrument is "TATTOO FRIENDLY"...suitable for inkwork decoration (rosing)

See:

• Tatooed Fiddles by Don Rickert Design (article)
• Tattooing, Inkwork, Rosing (product listing)