Pictured is the fiddle retro-fit by Dr. Rickert in the instructional video series. The pictured instrument is a German-made Meisel, no longer available in the U.S.. We are now using German-made Christian Benker Standard violins for the conversion, with very good results at an affordable price.
We sell other higher-end instruments, which are are also excellent for the 1860s setup: We recommend the Christian Benker Professional Model or our Maggini Reproduction. Contact us at Don@donrickertdesign.com for pricing.
Price: $800.00 $680.00 Retail: $800.00 You Save: $120.00
Maggini Violin Antique Copy Don Rickert Design (Adventurous Muse) has acquired an old Maggini copy (1920s or 30s) in perfect condition. We are selling this rare find for only $1,299...price includes a high-end suspension case as well as the original period case (1920s - 1930s).
Well-made antique Maggini copies in perfect condition like this one really pack a punch and are not for the timid. This is an instrument for musicians who are confident about being heard. Because of their legendary sonic power, these instruments have long been used as small violas and work very well strung with octave strings. It could be years before you find another like it with NO cracks or even repaired cracks.
Price: $1,299.00 Retail: $1,400.00 You Save: $101.00
Violins, Fiddles and Related Instruments
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Acoustic Violins and Fiddles
C. Benker 4/4 Violin, Dark Brown Wonderful dark brown Christian Benker Violin manufactured by Hofner (yes, the makers of Paul McCartney's famous left-handed "violin" bass). Made in Germany. Extraordinary, whether used as a violin or a fiddle, and you can't beat the price for the German-made instrument. Also available in golden brown.
Why would anyone waste his or her time bidding online for a piece of junk violin when they can get a quality German-made instrument for this price?
Price: $700.00 $595.00 Retail: $700.00 You Save: $105.00
Christian Benker Professional Violin Christian Benker Violin, made in Germany by Hofner. While the less expensive Benkers we sell are extraordinary, this instrument is mind-blowing, whether you play it as a violin or a fiddle. Antique varnish.
Price: $1,370.00 Retail: $1,700.00 You Save: $330.00
Our antique reproduction cigar box fiddles are extremely loud and powerful. They are made from solid Spanish Cedar, with a Western Red Cedar top. The new CodaBow Diamond Series bows draw the best sound from these instruments.
Price: $700.00 $595.00 Retail: $850.00 You Save: $255.00
Fiddarci Lutherie Professional Model Fiddle Shep Jones, Owner and Master Luthier at Fiddarci has outdone himself with the introduction of the new Professional Model. Whereas the “Standard” has a single “slab-cut” back (note: Stradivari commonly used this type of back), the “Professional” has a stunning highly-flamed two-piece back. The varnish recipe has been changed (a trade secret) for the new instrument, the top graduations have been tweaked, as has the bassbar to obtain even more beautiful power and responsiveness to bowing nuance; which is critical to Irish and Scottish style fiddlers
Price: $2,250.00 $1,912.50 Retail: $2,500.00 You Save: $587.50
Pictured is the fiddle retro-fit by Dr. Rickert in the instructional video series. The pictured instrument is a German-made Meisel, no longer available in the U.S.. We are now using German-made Christian Benker Standard violins for the conversion, with very good results at an affordable price.
We sell other higher-end instruments, which are are also excellent for the 1860s setup: We recommend the Christian Benker Professional Model or our Maggini Reproduction. Contact us at Don@donrickertdesign.com for pricing.
Price: $800.00 $680.00 Retail: $800.00 You Save: $120.00
Joseph Guarnerius del Gesu 1724 Model Violin by E.H. Roth This violin is a faithful reproduction of one of Guarneri’s finest works. The most illustrious member of this famous family of violin makers was Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri (Cremona, Italy, 1698-1744), better known as Joseph Guarnerius del Gesu.
Price: $4,525.00 Retail: $6,800.00 You Save: $2,275.00
Maggini Violin Antique Copy Don Rickert Design (Adventurous Muse) has acquired an old Maggini copy (1920s or 30s) in perfect condition. We are selling this rare find for only $1,299...price includes a high-end suspension case as well as the original period case (1920s - 1930s).
Well-made antique Maggini copies in perfect condition like this one really pack a punch and are not for the timid. This is an instrument for musicians who are confident about being heard. Because of their legendary sonic power, these instruments have long been used as small violas and work very well strung with octave strings. It could be years before you find another like it with NO cracks or even repaired cracks.
Price: $1,299.00 Retail: $1,400.00 You Save: $101.00
This Maggini reproduction is correctly set up either as a violin or a fiddle by Don Rickert Musical Instruments' lutherie in Atlanta, GA.
You can own one of the coolest instruments on the planet for just over $2,000.
Price: $2,120.00 Retail: $3,000.00 You Save: $880.00
Professional Performance Fiddle by D, Rickert Design The new Rickert Professional Performance Fiddles are set up to be powerful and loud...bassy on the G and D and brighter on the A and E. Unless you specify otherwise, they are set up as contest-winning fiddles with low action at both the nut and bridge. These are German-made (Meisel or Christian Benker) violins that we have been holding for several years that are converted to the seriously "tricked out" fiddle that Dr. Don Rickert generally uses when he performs or jams.
Price: $1,450.00 $1,232.50 Retail: $1,450.00 You Save: $217.50
Stradivarius model 1718 Violin by E.H. Roth Marvelous replica of extraordinary 1718 model by Antonio Stradivari (A.K.A. Stradivarius), made in Germany by the famous maker, Ernst Heinrich Roth.
Price: $3,625.00 Retail: $5,200.00 You Save: $1,575.00
Trapezoidal 'Cradle of Harmony' by William Sidney Mount This extraordinary instrument was patented by the artist, fiddler and inventor William Sidney Mount in 1852 and there are only a handful of known examples in existence. They were too loud for orchestral use.
Price: $1,900.00 Retail: $2,200.00 You Save: $300.00
The Georges Michel Model violin features exquisite select aged tone woods from Aubert’s own forests, flamed maple and select spruce, supple light brown varnish with a stunning transparency, rosewood fittings. The Aubert Lutherie Georges Michel violin is renowned for its full-bodied and robust yet warm, well-balanced sonority, responsiveness to even the most subtle bowing dynamics. All of that and the Georges Michel is unusually easy to play, boot.
Price: $4,420.00 Retail: $6,600.00 You Save: $2,180.00
Violins, Fiddles and Related Instruments
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Baritone (Octave) Violins
This Maggini reproduction is correctly set up as an octave fiddle by Old Mill Musical Instruments (formerly called Don Rickert Musical Instruments) in Atlanta, GA.
You can own a baritone (octave lower) version one of the coolest instruments on the planet for just over $2,000.
Price: $2,319.00 Retail: $3,100.00 You Save: $781.00
The Type II Octave Violin Darci Jones Model, designed by Dr. Don Rickert, IDSA of Don Rickert Research & Design in collaboration with Fiddarci Lutherie in Birmingham, AL, who also builds the instruments, is a William Sidney Mount "Cradle of Harmony" inspired instrument, but with Chanot-type "slit" soundholes, with many modifications based on recent research in bowed string instrument acoustics.
Price: $2,620.00 $2,230.00 Retail: $3,400.00 You Save: $1,170.00
The Cradle of Harmony Octave Violin designed by Dr. Don Rickert, IDSA of Don Rickert Research & Design in collaboration with Fiddarci Lutherie in Birmingham, AL, who also builds the instruments, is our William Sidney Mount "Cradle of Harmony" inspired instrument, with many modifications based on recent research in bowed string instrument acoustics.
Price: $2,620.00 $2,230.00 Retail: $3,400.00 You Save: $1,170.00
Violins, Fiddles and Related Instruments
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Cigar Box and Related Fiddles
Our antique reproduction cigar box fiddles are extremely loud and powerful. They are made from solid Spanish Cedar, with a Western Red Cedar top. The new CodaBow Diamond Series bows draw the best sound from these instruments.
Price: $700.00 $595.00 Retail: $850.00 You Save: $255.00
Custom Cigar Box Fiddles We build custom early 20th Century style cigar box fiddles. We have the experience to create a nice playing and good-sounding instrument from just about any type of box (except cardboard). The listed price of $900 is only an average. Your instrument may be less or it may be greater. Most custom instruments tend to be on the higher end of the price scale.
Price: $900.00 Retail: $900.00 You Save: $0.00
Whiskey Box Pocket Fiddle by Don Rickert Design About a year and a half ago, Dr. Rickert, did a design study of just how simple one could make a pocket fiddle, also known as a pochette and still get a decent sound with good playability. The outcome was a prototype of a pochette-sized instrument made from half of a whiskey or wine bottle box. Think of it as a really skinny cigar box fiddle. The body is made of basswood (linden) and the top is good spruce tone wood. It played and sounded amazingly good.
Anyway, we made a video of Darci Jones playing a tune called "The Bright Hollow Fog" and it has gotten about 10,000 viewings on YouTube, and more positive commentary than any other instrument we make. We have not made a production version of the Whisky Bottle Box Pochette until now.
Price: $350.00 Retail: $350.00 You Save: $0.00
Violins, Fiddles and Related Instruments
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Early Instruments (Vielles, etc.)
If you know anything about Thomas Jefferson, he would buy this instrument in the blink of the eye...oh, wait--he did!
WANT TO PLAY A FIDDLE LIKE THE ONE THAT NEIL GOW (one of the founding fathers of Scottish fiddling) played. THOMAS JEFFERSON often played a fiddle of this type as well (yup, the President was a fiddler as well).
If you have to ask why, see the YouTube video of a Medieval Vielle performance (Barry Hall playing) in the detailed description.
Price: $1,950.00 Retail: $2,200.00 You Save: $250.00
Wooden Case for Pochettes and Kit Fiddles Historically accurate (c.1780) case in Oak, Maple or Spanish Cedar for Pochettes (aka Dancing Master's Kit Fiddles), such as the Neil Gow Pochette.
Price: $420.00 $360.00 Retail: $400.00 You Save: $40.00
