Adventurous Muse: Musical Instruments and Whimsical Things

NEW Don Rickert Design Musical Instrument Portfolio

     
 
 
Don Rickert Design Musical Instruments are marketed under the following brands:

1. Don Rickert Design
2. Old Mill Musical Instruments
3. Rickert-Fiddarci Lutheries

All Don Rickert Design Musical Instruments

Don Rickert Design Branded Instruments 

Adventurer IIc Travel Violin

Custom Cigar Box Fiddles

Maggini Violin Baritone - Octave Model by Don Rickert Design

Maggini Violin by Don Rickert Musical Instruments

Mountaineer Backpacker Fiddle

Professional Performance Fiddle by Don Rickert Design

Rickert Electro Acoustic Performance Fiddle

Rickert Violin Synthesizer

Series 4 Electric Violin by Don Rickert Design

Series 5 Electric Violin by Don Rickert Design

Travel Master Pochette (Extreme Condition Version)

Old Mill Musical Instrument Brand 

Arch-Dulcimer by Don Rickert

Cigar Box Fiddle Authentic 1860s Style

Civil War Reenactor Field Fiddle

Fiddle Set Up Mid-19th Century Style

Flat-Top Flatiron-Style Mandolin by Don Rickert Design

Late 19th Century 5-String Banjo by Old Mill

Banjo Metal Rim Open-Back

Leather Case for Pochettes and Travel Violins

Martin 1857 Model Guitar Replica

Neil Gow Pochette (aka Dancing Master's Kit, Travel fiddle)

Renaissance Vielle and Fiddle

Soprano Ukulele by Old Mill

Tenor Ukulele by Old Mill

Trapezoidal 'Cradle of Harmony' by William Sidney Mount

Travel Master Pochette (Travel Violin)

Whiskey Box Pocket Fiddle by Don Rickert Design

Wooden Case for Pochettes and Kit Fiddles

Rickert-Fiddarci Lutheries Brand 

Octave Violin, Rickert-Fiddarci Lutherie, Darci Jones Model

Octave Violin, Rickert-Fiddarci Lutherie, W.S. Mount Model

We Now Have the Photos of the Guild F-40

1975 Guild F-40 Carved Archback Guitar

Since 1954, several guitars have had the F-40 designation. There was the original "concert body" F-40 Valencia and the current F-40 Valencia, which you can buy new today. The guitar that we have is a rare archback model of the "Bluegrass F-40" that Guild developed in the late 1960s. We are not sure of the final date of production.

The F-40 blond archback has a mahogany neck, a spruce top with curly maple sides and a carved curly maple back (like that of a violin). While a "jumbo" body style, it is somewhat smaller than the Guild F-50, which is still available as a new instrument.

The guitar we are selling is extremely difficult to find. Check out this extraordinary guitar at the Adventurous Muse Store. The guitar comes with the original hard-shell case, which is in good condition.

Here are some photos: (click on the thumbnails)

Rare Find: Flatiron Model 3K Octave Mandolin 1983

Flatiron called this instrument a "Bouzouki" when they made it in 1983, because they did not know what else to call it, even though it is not really a bouzouki, which is strung with pairs (courses) of strings, one low and one high, like a 12-string guitar. These days we call it long-scale "octave mandolin." It is strung like an octave mandolin with unison strings and has a somewhat longer scale, making it much strong acoustically than most of the current crop of "Celtic Octave Mandolins."

This 1983 Flatiron Model 3k has a spruce top and stunningly beautiful figured Koa back and sides. This instrument is much louder than most contempory octave mandolins with a nice deep timbre.

The one we have is in pristine condition and comes with the orginal hard-shell case. This instrument will sell quickly, so don't mull it over for too long!

Check out this rare KIng of Octave Mandolins at the Adventurous Muse Store.

Rare Find: 1975 Guild F-40 Carved Archback Guitar

1975 Guild F-40 Carved Archback Guitar

Since 1954, several guitars have had the F-40 designation. There was the original "concert body" F-40 Valencia and the current F-40 Valencia, which you can buy new today. The guitar that we have is a rare archback model of the "Bluegrass F-40" that Guild developed in the late 1960s. We are not sure of the final date of production.

The F-40 blond archback has a mahogany neck, a spruce top with curly maple sides and a carved curly maple back (like that of a violin). While a "jumbo" body style, it is somewhat smaller than the Guild F-50, which is still available as a new instrument.

The guitar we are selling is extremely difficult to find. Check out this extraordinary guitar at the Adventurous Muse Store.

We will be posting additional information and photos of the instrument in the next day or so. Please be patient.

Two Workshops on Banjo Making at Will Rock

Registration for two new courses by Old Mill School of Traditional Music and Musical Instruments opens today.

How to Make a Late 19th Century Open-Back Banjo

Making an Early 20th Century Old-Time Open Back Banjo

   
 

Wild Rock: Home Base for Old Mill School of Traditional Music and Musical Instruments

Introduction

Wild Rock is the home base for the Old Mill School for Traditional Music and Musical Instruments. Think of it a a mountain retreat bed and breakfast where you can learn how to play and make traditional musical instruments. Our courses that lend themselves to a smaller venue are generally held at Wild Rock. Wild Rock is near Hiawassee, GA in the North Georgia Mountains, bordering North Carolina. It is about 120 miles from Atlanta, GA.

Information Needed for Online Mapping: Wild Rock, 726 Hall Creek Road, Hiawassee, GA 30546, 706.896.0909

Here are some more photos, as well as reiteration of some details about Wild Rock published in an earlier post.

      

           

 

“Wild Rock” is the name of our large studio and retreat in the North Georgia Mountains. The property shares a border with the Nantahala National Wilderness Area in North Carolina. Click on the image on the left. More photos of Wild Rock

Wild Rock is located in some of the most breathtakingly beautiful country you will ever experience. We have a stocked trout pond, but wild trout can also be caught in the creek that runs along the other border of our property.

We are about 10 miles from the town of Hiawassee, GA (including Lake Chatuge, which is in Hiawassee) and about 15 miles from historic Brasstown (going West), about 15 miles from Lake Burton and 25 miles from Lake Rabun. We are also about 15 miles from the world-famous Campbell Folk School. We are also about 5 miles from the Hightower Clydesdale farm; where you can see these gentle and playful Scottish horses that weigh well over 1000 lbs.

Rooms

We can accommodate 6 to 10 attendees, depending on the mix of single attendees and couples. We will have a detailed description of the rooming options and costs within a day.

We have single rooms ($75 per night per person), double rooms ($50 per night). We also have two large "lodge rooms" with huge decks that can sleep 4 people. These are $150 per night (for each room). Call us to discuss your interest in one of these larger rooms (706.896.0909) or email us at don@donrickertdesign.com.

Meals

We will serve breakfast, lunch, 4:30 tea/cocktails and supper every day. We will try to accommodate special diets within reason.

Guided Short Wilderness Hikes and Trout Fishing

There will be “down-times”, such as when you are waiting for glue to dry, and so forth. You will have the opportunity to do either if you so choose.

Initial Courses at Wild Rock

4/30 - 5/1: Converting a Modern Fiddle to a 19th Century Fiddle (Wild Rock)    Course20001

5/8 - 5/9: How to play Octave (Baritone) Fiddle (Wild Rock)    Course10002

4/9 - 4/10: How to Play Old-Time Fiddle (at Wild Rock)    Course10001

5/8: How to play Second Fiddle (Wild Rock)    Course10003

 

Dates for First 4 Old Mill Live Courses

The Old Mill School of Traditional Music and Musical Instruments is now accepting registrations for the first 4 scheduled course of Spring 2010. Click on the links for details

4/30 - 5/1: Converting a Modern Fiddle to a 19th Century Fiddle (Wild Rock)    Course20001

5/8 - 5/9: How to play Octave (Baritone) Fiddle (Wild Rock)    Course10002

4/9 - 4/10: How to Play Old-Time Fiddle (at Wild Rock)    Course10001

5/8: How to play Second Fiddle (Wild Rock)    Course10003

 

Registration for First 4 Courses NOW OPEN

The Old Mill School of Traditional Music and Musical Instruments is now accepting registrations for the first 4 scheduled course of Spring 2010. Click on the links for details

Converting a Modern Fiddle to a 19th Century Fiddle (Wild Rock)    Course20001

How to play Octave (Baritone) Fiddle (Wild Rock)    Course10002

How to Play Old-Time Fiddle (at Wild Rock)    Course10001

How to play Second Fiddle (Wild Rock)    Course10003

 

New 1901 Type Metal Rim Open-Back 5-String Banjo

Old Mill Musical Instruments has a new early 20th Century type metal rim banjo. The banjo is similar to the 1901 Fairbanks, pictured here.

This is a really cool Old-Time metal rim open-back banjo based on the Fairbanks banjos of the early 20th Century. The rim is polished aluminum with an integral tone ring and a single coordinator rod, which can be upgraded to a wooden dowel stick for period authenticity. It has 24 brackets. It also features a solid mahogany neck with a rosewood fingerboard with a beautiful peghead design.

Other features:

• Adjustable truss rod
• Nickel-plated planetary tuners
• Nickel-plated geared 5th string peg
• Nickel-plated adjustable tailpiece
• Nickel-plated arm rest
• Choice of steel or Nylgut strings

Purchase at the Adventurous Muse Store

First Workshops, a New Banjo Model and a Flatiron Octave

We posted our first two live workshops to be held at Wild Rock...many more to be posted tomorrow.

April 9-10 Beginning Old-Time Fiddle

May 8-9 Playing Scottish Highlan Fiddle

Of course, go to Adventurous Muse Store.

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We will be announcing a new Old Mill Musical Instruments 5-string banjo. It's a metal-rim open-back based on the 1901 Fairbanks.

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We have acquired another pristine vintage Flat Iron Bouzouki/Octave Mandolin, which we will be listing for sale in the next day or so