Adventurous Muse: Musical Instruments and Whimsical Things

Changes at the Adventurous Muse Store

Recently we posted an article entitled Back to Our Roots at Don Rickert Lutherie. In that article, it was mentioned that we started out making the best baritone (octave) fiddles and travel and backpacker violins available anywhere and that is where we are once again focusing.

We also stated that we will be adding some really interesting additional backpacker instruments besides fiddles in the coming days. Actually, there are more new products than only backpacker instruments in development, such as some new free reed instruments (a foot pumped harmonium-type instrument and and an air-powered drone box similar to an Indian shruti box, but without the hand-operated bellows). It might be a bit longer than a few days before these musical inventions become products; however, there is a new place that you can go to find out about progress on the development of these new instruments: Don Rickert Design Musical Instrument Lab.

In the earlier article we also announced the introduction of the the new Neil Gow 22XL (extended length) Travel Violin. There will be more on this truly awesome backpacker violin in a separate post.

The Fact Is...

Our long-range plan has always been to be a premier invention and design studio with wider breadth than musical instruments. Designs for boats, adventure gear and even custom automobiles have been on our drawing boards for years. This is going to continue until we get on the right financial footing to turn these designs into products.

The Matter of Adventure and Whimsy

A few months back, we incorporated our store dedicated to art, objets d'art, pottery, etc. into the Adventurous Muse Store. What used to be www.AdventureandWhimsy.com (the link does not work any longer) is now the Adventure and Whimsy section of the Adventurous Muse Store. Despite the fact that we have well over $100,000 worth of rare pieces, such as a number of ceramic pieces by Reggie Meaders and Ron Meyers, we have never sold a single piece of art through this channel. You can anticipate a change with respect to Adventure and Whimsy pretty soon. If you are interested, you had better buy now, before it all goes into galleries.

Back to the Musical Instruments with Some More Facts

Try as we have, we sell very few conventional fiddles and even fewer high-end violins by world famous makers such as Ernst Heinrich Roth and Aubert Lutherie. We even sell them at near "bargain basement" prices. We simply are not yet known for our own world-class Custom Fiddles by Don Rickert Lutherie, which come in a wide variety of setup for various musical genres.

Customers, it turns out, go to high-end violin shops to buy high-end violins (go figure!?)...except a number of "off-shore" (i.e. not U.S.-based) criminals who have tried to buy them with stolen credit cards. Sales of our octave violins has been sporadic...pretty much in sync with the economy because they are not cheap.

What we have always sold in respectable numbers are bows, historic pochettes and modern travel and backpacker fiddles. Our truly best-in-class travel and backpacker violins and fiddles are what has kept us going (sometimes barely), as bows are a low-profit item, even the expensive ones.

We have truly mastered getting BIG sound out of ergonomically-advanced tiny instruments. This is the expertise for which we are internationally known and the reason people come to us from around the world. Our reputation for BIG sound from little highly-durable instruments is what we are going to build upon moving forward...and we are more than happy to sell bows with those instruments :-)

Look forward to even more innovation with our backpacker fiddles, as well as:

• 5-string versions of BOTH our Adventurer IId and Neil Gow 22XL Travel Violins
• A backpacker dulcimer
• A take-apart practice violin that can be amplified to full violin volume
• A backpacker octave violin
• A family of incredibly small but powerful backpacker amplifiers (rechargeable with either solar panels or a small pedal-operated generator)
• A string drone box that vibrates sympathetically to your instrument (makes your fiddle sound similar to a Hardanger Fiddle or a Viola d'Amore)

And much more...check out Don Rickert Design Musical Instrument Lab regularly!

We will be phasing out some instruments, such as cigar box fiddles (but not yet, as we have a few bodies already made)...everybody wants them, but they do not want to pay for them.

And Who Knows...

We might even get a boat or two of our design in the water this summer.

Wait List Instruments at Adventurous Muse Store: Lower Prices

As mentioned in previous posts, we put a number of the most popular instruments from Don Rickert Lutherie on Wait List status. Plus, we raised the prices. We got the message that a lot of people were not happy with these changes.

As we explained in our prior posts, we had to raise prices because we were losing money on these instruments, especially when they had to be made on a short schedule.

 

Well, we have come up with a compromise.

The waiting list has to stay in place, as there is nothing that can be done about the speed of instrument construction, at least not at the present time, but we have established two ways to pay for the instruments.

Payment Options:

• Option 1: Pay the discounted price up front. This price is often less than the price BEFORE we raised prices.
• Option 2: Pay 50% of the full retail price now and pay the balance when the instrument is ready to ship.

In either case, we will let you know what the estimated wait time will be BEFORE processing your charge. Wait times right now are generally at least 60 days, but can be much longer for some instruments, but less time for several. The estimated current wait times for each instrument are listed for each instrument below.

 The Instruments

Wait List Instruments These are instruments for which there is a waiting list. You can purchase up front by paying the listed discount price OR pay a 50% deposit on the full list price...balance due when the instrument is ready.   Adventurer IId Travel Violin The Adventurer IId Travel Violin (also known as a backpacker violin or fiddle) is just over 3" wide, but has a full 4/4 string length. Due to our innovative tuned porting and other trade secrets, this instrument has the volume and power of a full-sized violin or fiddle. The Adventurer IId Travel Violin is very similar in appearance to an historic (18th Century) pochette or "Dancing Master's" kit fiddle. Indeed, it looks very much like our own extremely popular Neil Gow Pochette. It can be thought of a a modern pochette. Hear it: Adventurer IID Soldiers Joy Waiting period is currently 60-90 days. Retail: $1,650.00 Payment Options: $1,237.50 (You Save: $412.50) $825.00 now + $825.00 when shipped ($1650.00)   Customizable Fiddle, Don Rickert Lutherie We developed this customizable fiddle as an option for our fiddle retro-setup service offerings, for those who want us to make them a new authentic post-Baroque (mid 1700s to early 20th Century). It turns out that this makes an excellent contemporary fiddle as well. Please note that the price of this instrument is for the varnished instrument (see the link to the full product listing above) prior to stringing and set up. In other words, the price of the completed instrument is higher. Waiting period is currently 40-60 days. Retail: $1,200.00 Payment Options: $1,200.00 (You Save: $200.00) $600.00 now + $600.00 when shipped ($1200.00)   Flat-Top Flatiron-Style Mandolin by Don Rickert Design The Rickert Flat-Top Mandolin has a mellow, yet still loud and powerful sound sought by Celtic (both Irish and Scottish) players, as well as many Old-Time mandolin players. This is a MUCH more historically-correct instrument for Old-Time music than either an F or an A type mandolin. This sweet mandolin is our take on the now-defunct, and increasingly collectible, “Flatiron” Mandolin, which has a long and interesting story, as an independent company, as a division of Gibson, and later as a division of Weber Mandolins. Ours has a rosewood fingerboard, mahogany neck, as well as mahogany sides and back. It has a spruce top. Fittings such as tuners and bridge are top grade. Waiting period is currently 40-60 days. Retail: $800.00 Payment Options: $600.00 (You Save: $200.00) $400.00 now + $400.00 when shipped ($800.00)   Glasgow Pochette with Bundled Transitional Bow Option The NEW Glasgow Pochette by Don Rickert Lutherie: Those interested in the more primitive style of pochette, we now make one just for you. It looks a lot like the Neil Gow Pochette, but with smaller sound holes. It is called the Glasgow Pochette. Internally, it has a centered bass bar with no sound post. It comes to you strung with real gut (Pirastro Chorda or the BETTER custom-made gut strings). Everything has been done to achieve the best sound possible; thus, the Glasgow Pochette sounds like an extremely well-made old-style 18th Century pochette. Hear it: Glasgow Pochette Demo Waiting period is currently 60-90 days. Retail: $1,600.00 Payment Options: $1,200.00 (You Save: $400.00) $800.00 now + $800.00 when shipped ($1,600.00)   Mountaineer II Backpacker Fiddle The Rickert Mountaineer II Backpacker Fiddle is a really skinny (but full 4/4 length) travel fiddle that is extremely durable for the most punishing environments. The Mountaineer II Backpacker Fiddle is an improved version of the Mountaineer Backpacker Fiddle. The Mountaineer is designed to accommodate specially-designed chin rest and a new INTEGRATED Rickert Shoulder Rest Adaptor by Don Rickert Lutherie. Your own favorite shoulder rest clips to the new Rickert Shoulder Rest Adaptor  The instrument is just 2" wide and is standard 4/4 length (body just under 14" and total length about 23"). This instrument has now been on journeys in the U.S., Europe, Canada, Middle East, North Africa and the African sub-continent. Waiting period is currently 45-80 days. Retail: $1,500.00 Payment Options: $1,125.00 (You Save: $375.00) $750.00 now + $750.00 when shipped ($1,500.00)   Neil Gow 21C2 Travel Violin Our extremely popular Neil Gow Pochette, an interpretation of an 18th Century pochette (pocket fiddle or kit) on display in the Burrell Museum in Glasgow, Scotland. The 18th Century Neil Gow Pochette, in addition to being charming and beautiful, sounds wonderful. In fact, it has been chosen to be part of Pochette and Kit exhibit at Ringve - the Norwegian National Museum of Musical Instrument. Typical of the many comments we recieve on the Neil Gow pochette's sound is the one below, which was posted on YouTube. Wow - that sounds great ! To my understanding, this size/style of instrument usually doesn't have much of a bass response - but this one does. Some luthier magic there (and a good player too)! The main shortcoming of our original Neil Gow Pochette is that it is made to be played in the style of the late Baroque period, tucked in the arm pit and resting on the arm. Unless the player is an early music enthusiast, he or she usually wants the benefits of a shoulder rest and a chin rest. In fact, many Neil Gow owners have come up with ingenius methods to attach a shoulder rest and chin rest. Well, with the introduction of the Neil Gow 21C Travel Violin, work-arounds are a thing of the past. Hear it: Neil Gow 21C Demo The new Neil Gow 21C2, which it looks like the historic reproduction instrument, is different in many ways. A key improvement of the Neil Gow 21C2 has an integral Rickert Shoulder Rest Adpator, to which your own shoulder rest attaches, and and improved chin rest. There are also other important differences that make it sound even better than its predecessor, such as a tweaked bass bar and a Western Red Cedar top, known for its deep powerful timbre. Finally, the new Neil Gow 21C2 comes with the incredible Wittner Fine-Tune (internal planetary-geared) tuning pegs. Waiting period is currently 60-90 days. Retail: $1,650.00 Payment Options: $1,237.50 (You Save: $412.50) $825.00 now + $825.00 when shipped ($1,650.00)   Neil Gow Pochette II with FREE String Upgrade Plus Transitional or Tourte Bow Option Our extremely popular Neil Gow Pochette has been chosen to be part of Pochette and Kit (another name for a pochette) exhibit at Ringve - the Norwegian National Museum of Musical Instrument. Read about it at AdventurousMuse.com. You need look no further. We now make in our Hiawasse, GA lutherie a pochette based on the one in the Burrell Museum in Glasgow, Scotland... 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). Hear it: Neil Gow Pochette Demo Waiting period is currently 60-90 days. Retail: $1,650.00 Payment Options: $1,200.00 (You Save: $400.00) $800.00 now + $800.00 when shipped ($1,600.00)   Octave Violin, Rickert-Fiddarci, Darci Jones Model The Octave Violin Darci Jones Model (aka the "Type II" Model) was 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. See The William Sidney Mount Historic 1852 “Cradle of Harmony” Violin.   Hear it: Octave Violin Demo Amazing Grace Octave Violin and Adventurer Pochette Demo Waiting period is currently 45-60 days. Retail: $3,200.00 Payment Options: $2,800.00 (You Save: $400.00) $1,600.00 now + $1,600.00 when shipped ($3,200.00)   Octave Violin, Rickert-Fiddarci, W.S. Mount Model The W.S. Mount Octave Violin, designed by Dr. Don Rickert, IDSA of Don Rickert Research & Design in collaboration with Fiddarci Lutherie in Birmingham, is our William Sidney Mount "Cradle of Harmony" inspired instrument, with many modifications based on recent research in bowed string instrument acoustics. See The William Sidney Mount Historic 1852 “Cradle of Harmony” Violin. Like the Darci Jones Model, this is a purpose-built (not a re-strung violin or viola) octave instrument with unbelievable projection and a nice deep timbre (unlike some other instruments, which are loud but 'thin')...this instrument has a sound distinct from a 'cello but projects like a fine 'cello! Waiting period is currently 45-60 days. Retail: $3,200.00 Payment Options: $2,800.00 (You Save: $400.00) $1,600.00 now + $1,600.00 when shipped ($3,200.00)

Changes at Adventurous Muse Store Continued

In a post yesterday we surprised many with the annoucement that pochettes, backpacker and travel violins and fiddles, as well as most octave violins and fiddles have become Wait List Items. Also, the prices have gone up dramatically on many of these items. The octave violins will stay at their current pricing for the time being.

There will be a number of other changes at the Adventurous Muse Store ove the coming days, so check back often.

We will keep you updated here as well.

BIG Changes at Adventurous Muse Store Starting Immediately

You probably want to read this one carefully

As stated in a recent post, our parent company, Don Rickert Design, will be starting a long-term design consulting engagement in the near future. This fact, combined with several others factors, has set in motion some pre-planned actions that are great for us and might be great for you, or might not be...depends on what you want from us.

The Other Factors Mentioned Above

• Analysis of the Adventurous Muse Store visit statistics from our recent Presidents Day Sale (don't worry: we CANNOT tell who you are from these "analytics"...we are NOT "Big Brother"!)

• Analysis of visits to this site and the types of searches that lead visitors here

I realize that what we have told you is vague...this is because the information is propriety business information.

So, Here is What is Going to Happen

Any item that we hand-build "at the workbench" at Don Rickert Lutherie or ANY of our associated workshops (e.g. Fiddarci Lutherie in Helena, AL, where most of our Octave Violins and some pochettes are made) will go onto a waiting list. Basically, if we have to cut, carve or sand wood or varnish it, whatever is will now become a WAIT LIST Item. 

IMPORTANT: The listed prices for these Wait List instruments will be for the initial 50% deposit to get you onto the waiting list only. The other 50% is due when the instrument ordered is ready to ship.  The wait list for most of these instruments (ALL of the pochettes and travel violins and octave violins) is currently from 60 days to 1 year.

Some Important Information

1. Wait List Items will be clearly identified at the Adventurous Muse Store.
2. There will no longer be any store (i.e. % off) discount associated with Wait List Items.
3. As soon as we receive any order for a Wait List Item, we will contact you with an estimated wait time before processing your charge. Once the charge is processed, our costs (merchant services fees, credit card processing fees, etc.) will be deducted from any subsequent refund request.
4. All promotions, such as bow discounts or string upgrades associated with Wait List Items will go away within the next 24 hours (from the time of this post)
5. RUSH ORDERS are possible if your case for "bumping yourself up in line" is compelling. Examples would be circumstances like you need the instrument for a upcoming recording or video, you need the instrument for a museum exhibit, and so forth. These rush orders must be negotiated in a telephone conversation, and there will generally be a substantial surcharge.
6. If you do "get in under the wire" before we have done the work to make something a Wait List Item, we will honor the pricing, promotions and other terms in place at the time of order...the race with time is on, I suppose.

Non-Wait Listed Items

These are the items that we WANT to sell now and can deliver quickly. There will continue to be generous promotions associated with these items.

Those customers who wish to purchase these non-Wait List Items will be happy with our new way of doing business.

Special: Darci Jones Model Octave Violin with High-Performance Bow and Case

ATTENTION!: We have two Rickert-Fiddarci Darci Jones Model Octave Violins ready to ship. If you already have the right kind of bow (a high-permance VIOLA bow) and a suitable case, you can purchase one of the Darci Jones Model Octave Violins only (Octave Violin, Rickert-Fiddarci, Darci Jones Model)

We are also running a special on the Darci Jones Model Octave Violin with a proper bow and case (Octave Violin, Darci Jones Model w High-end Bow and Case). This special outfit includes a state-of-the-art braided carbon fiber bow by a famous bow manufacturer. We cannot list the maker's name owing to minimum advertised price restrictions, but you can figure it out by browsing through Bows and Strings section of the store. You can upgrade the included bow for a nominal charge, as follows:

Bow Upgrades 

• $435 Bow (no charge...part of the "bundle")
• $630 Bow (add $98)
• $850 Bow (add $208)

The case is a very nicely appointed "backpacker-style" suspension case.

 Call us free of charge with any questions about the bow and case details using the Google Voice "widget" below:

The Octave Violin Darci Jones Model (aka the "Type II" Model) was 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.

This is a purpose-built (not a re-strung violin or viola) octave instrument with unbelievable projection and a nice deep timbre (unlike some other instruments, which are loud but 'thin')...this instrument has its own distinctive sound and projects like a fine 'cello! Natalie Haas, one of the truly world-class 'cellists, also owns a Darci Jones Model Octave Violin.

You Might Want to See and Hear One Played



The Octave Violin Darci Jones Model and a related octave violin (see the William Sidney Mount Model) are being played by some of the finest musicians in the world, including the Swedish group Vasen, David Greenberg, Alasdair Fraser and talented and gracious Natalie Haas (one of the world's finest cellists), who has said very nice things about us and her instrument on her website. Darol Anger (father of the modern octave violin) performed with this instrument as well and says some VERY nice things about our company on his website.

So What is a Proper Bow for Octave Violins and Fiddles?

In recent articles I addressed bows in general (The Don Rickert Lutherie Philosophy on Bows Summarized) and bows for Octave violins and fiddles in particular (What About Bows for Octave (also called Baritone) Violins and Fiddles?)

For virtually ALL players, the right bow is a high-quality braided carbon fiber viola bow. Wooden bows of any sort are completely unsuitable for playing an octave instrument, as they tend to have too much bounce. Perhaps a $3,500 Pernambuco wooden bow (which we do, in fact sell) could do the job, but who knows, especially when you can get a bow that we know will work in the $400 to $700 range.

The stiffness of a high-end carbon fiber viola bow pulls sound from the large diameter strings of an octave violin with minimal bounce. We favor the Glasser™ Octagonal Braided Carbon Fiber viola bow or the new CodaBow™ Diamond Series™ braided carbon fiber viola bows:

• CodaBow DIAMOND NX Bow for Octave Violin or Viola
• CodaBow Diamond Series SX Viola or Octave Violin Bow
• CodaBow Diamond Series GX Viola or Octave Fiddle Bow
• Glasser Braided Carbon Fiber Viola or Baritone Fiddle Bow, Octagonal Stick

What About Bows for Octave (also called Baritone) Violins and Fiddles?

There is probably no topic that stimulates more debate than which type of bow to use on an octave violin, or a regular violin for that matter. For instance, Darol Anger, indisputably the prime mover behind the resurgence in modern octave violins, uses a violin bow exclusively and has very strong opinions about its benefits. But, then again, Darol favors an octave strung standard violin for his style of playing and the type of alternative jazz-grass fusion, which is far from the mainstream.

On the other extreme, the great 'cellist, Natalie Haas has used a French-style 'cello bow on her octave violin (a Rickert-Fiddarci with Chanot-type soundholes, called the Darci Jones Model). Natalie has since informed me that she is now using a violin bow. I did not ask her the characteristics of her bow, as we had other business to cover; however, I assume (i.e. if I were her), I would choose a "heavy" violin bow...actually, ALL violin bows weigh in the 58-60 grams range. A "heavy" bow is one whose balance point is further away from the frog, so that it feels heavier and "grabs" the strings with more force.

Our point of view is informed by formal observational research and depth interviews with hundreds of musicians conducted by Dr. Don Rickert.

The answer is that whatever bow works for the type of music you are playing is the right bow. For virtually ALL players, however, the right bow is a high-quality braided carbon fiber viola bow. Wooden bows of any sort are completely unsuitable for playing an octave instrument, as they tend to have too much bounce. Perhaps a $3,500 Pernambuco wooden bow (which we do, in fact sell) could do the job, but who knows, especially when you can get a bow that we know will work in the $400 to $700 range.

The stiffness of a high-end carbon fiber viola bow pulls sound from the large diameter strings of an octave violin with minimal bounce. We favor the Glasser™ Octagonal Braided Carbon Fiber viola bow or the new CodaBow™ Diamond Series™ braided carbon fiber viola bows:

• CodaBow DIAMOND NX Bow for Octave Violin or Viola
• CodaBow Diamond Series SX Viola or Octave Violin Bow
• CodaBow Diamond Series GX Viola or Octave Fiddle Bow
• Glasser Braided Carbon Fiber Viola or Baritone Fiddle Bow, Octagonal Stick

That update being covered, I will talk a bit about my two favorite bows for octave violin; the Glasser Braided Carbon Fiber Octagonal Viola Bow and the new CodaBow Diamond Series NX, SX and GX Viola Bows, also a "braided" carbon fiber (meaning epoxy-saturated carbon fiber fabric wrapped around a core) bows.

The Glasser is pictured on the left and the CodaBow on the right.

The Glasser's core, as far as I know, is proprietary or I was not paying attention when I was told. The CodaBow's core is composed of Kevlar strands. The Glasser is slightly stiffer, the octagonal shape contributing somewhat to this stiffness, as the octagonal is far stiffer than the Glasser round shaft version of the same bow, which I do not like. The CodaBow has a round shaft but it is plenty stiff, just not so much so as the Glasser.

I have to say, I love both bows. I suppose that the CodaBow feels a little bit more like a really good wooden bow, but nowhere near as bouncy. The CodaBow seems to have a bit more "pull" when a lot of two string chords are involved. The Glasser is a bit faster on melody parts.

Bottom line is that one needs both, but if I had to choose one, I would choose the CodaBow for octave violin, as most of my octave playing is chordal "second fiddle" accompaniment.

Octave Violins and Fiddles that Adventurous Muse Store Can Get to You by Dec. 24th

There are a number of instruments, including the incredible Octave Violins and Fiddles listed below, available at the Adventurous Muse Store, by Don Rickert Lutherie (Don Rickert Design) as well as other makers, IF YOU ORDER NOW. Now is a good time to order anyway, as many prices are about to increase really soon.

Octave Violins and Fiddles by Don Rickert Lutherie in Collaboration with Fiddarci Lutherie

SEVERAL OF EACH MODEL described below are available for December 24th delivery

Octave Violin, Rickert-Fiddarci Lutherie, Darci Jones Model (about $2900)

The Octave Violin Darci Jones Model (aka the "Type II" Model) was designed by Dr. Don Rickert, IDSA of Don Rickert Research & Design in collaboration with Fiddarci Lutherie in Birmingham, AL. This is a purpose-built (i.e. not a converted fiddle or viola) baritone (octave) violin. The Octave Violin Darci Jones Model and a related octave violin (see the William Sidney Mount Model below) are being played by some of the finest musicians in the world, including the Swedish group Vasen, David Greenberg, Alasdair Fraser and talented and gracious Natalie Haas (one of the world's finest cellists), who has said very nice things about us and her instrument on her website. Darol Anger (father of the modern octave violin) performed with this instrument as well and says some VERY nice things about our company on his website.

Octave Violin, Rickert-Fiddarci Lutherie, W.S. Mount Model (about $2900)

The W.S. Mount Octave Violin, designed by Dr. Don Rickert, IDSA of Don Rickert Research & Design in collaboration with Fiddarci Lutherie in Birmingham, is our William Sidney Mount "Cradle of Harmony" inspired instrument, with many modifications based on recent research in bowed string instrument acoustics.

Like the Darci Jones Model, this is a purpose-built (not a re-strung violin or viola) octave instrument with unbelievable projection and a nice deep timbre (unlike some other instruments, which are loud but 'thin')...this instrument has a sound distinct from a 'cello but projects like a fine 'cello!

This instrument differs from the Darci Jones Model (aka "Type II") Octave Violin in that it has the very large enigmatic reverse f-holes that William Sidney Mount used on many of his instruments. The result is a complex darker timbre than the Darci Jones. Like the Darci Jones Octave, the W.S. Mount Octave is loud and powerful with astounding projection. This is the octave violin favored by Alasdair Fraser.

We strongly recommend the CodaBow Diamond Series VIOLA bow or the Glasser Octagonal Braided Carbon Fiber Viola Bow for all of our octave fiddles and violins.

NEW MP3 with Really Cool Octave Fiddle

As part of our ongoing Trew Ska'ish project (traditional Scottish fiddle tunes on synthesizers), we did a version of the Scottish reel, I'll Gang Nae Mair to Yon Toun, a few weeks ago. This version is in the key of F, as transcribed by James Scott Skinner ("The Strathspey King") with flute and accordion. The bass part is the left hand piano part as transcribed by Skinner played entirely on the accordion bass keys...all those buttons on the left side of accordions.

New Version with Prominent Octave Fiddle Part

We have a new version of I'll Gang Nae Mair to Yon Toun with Octave Fiddle, transposed to the key of D (better for fiddle, as we fiddlers all know). This version will be used ultimately (sometime soon) in a YouTube video tutorial on playing octave fiddle. In this D version, the accordion and flute are the primary melody instruments.

The octave fiddle part is typical of a well-played baritone range accompaniment. Lots of octave drones, open string and double-stopped chords (a good reason to get our guide to fiddle chords), harmony to the melody, guitar-style bass progressions, octave unison both with and without chords, timing tricks with the bow and so forth. In almost no case is the octave fiddle simply playing what the accordion bass is playing...makes for a wonderfully intricate baritone mix (I won't say counterpoint so as to avoid corrective comments from the music theory mavens). We promise that you will LOVE it. To get the full effect, use headphones or a subwoofer!

This new key of D with Octave Fiddle version of I'll Gang Nae Mair to Yon Toun is in two of our Facebook Playlists: Trew Ska'ish as well as Octave Fiddle.

What Is the Deal With Octave Violins?

There was a time when we had trouble keeping up with demand for specialized octave violins and fiddles. This includes the various designs by Don Rickert: the Rickert-Fiddarci W.S. Mount and Darci Jones models, and a Maggini Octave Violin conversion by Don Rickert Design.

Right now, we sell an octave fiddle only occassionally. We did a little research and have come up with some preliminary conclusions about what is going on, and it is NOT "The Economy"...people still buy things if they really want them.

Our Observations:

• Observation 1:

People have acted on the myth that you can slap some octave strings on a standard fiddle and you have an octave fiddle. This myth seems to derive from the fact that probably the most famous player of "baritone fiddle", Darol Anger, uses a regular violin re-strung with octave strings. What people fail to consider is that Darol has a unique style of modern-jazz infused Bluegrass that works for him. It works for him because he is one of the best fiddlers in the world and has decades of experience with coaxing sound from a standard violin with octave strings.

Most people who have tried simply putting octave strings on a fiddle have been almost universally disappointed. What they end up with is an instrument that is extremely weak accoustically and is hard to play in many cases because they did not do the other parts of setup like have the nut re-cut for the fatter strings, etc.

• Observation 2:

People don't know what to do with an octave fiddle. Proper use of an octave fiddle only rarely involves soloing; which is to say playing the primary melody. To be a good octave fiddle player requires mastery of the art of second fiddle. This means that you have to know fiddle chords, harmony, and so forth. Further, nobody wants to be SECOND FIDDLE, owing to the negative conotation that the phrase has taken on. Second fiddle is like the goal-keeper in soccer...nobody wants to do it, but it is the most important position on the team.

This observation, combined with the first observation has resulted in observation a lot of really marginal octave fiddle music showing up on YouTube and audio-sharing sites. I have personnally made some bad recordings, which I posted on YouTube against my better judgement, but some of what I am hearing people do is insanely horrible. 

Notable Exceptions: People Who Have Learned How to Use an Octave Fiddle (or Viola...same principles apply)

There are notable exceptions, of course, such as grounhogbrains' rendition of Sal's Got Mud Between Her Toes. This one is cool because the low-pitched instrument (a viola) is actually doing most of the melody playing and the fiddler is playing mostly second.

That is actually a viola in the video, but the principle of fiddle and octave fiddle playing together is conveyed brilliantly.

Then there is Jack Burgess's mind-blowing version of Hangman's real, only available as an audio file. We have permission from Jack to present it here as an MP3 file.

• Hangman's Reel by Jack Burgess (used with permission)

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Jack Burgess is a great fiddler and he uses just about every technique that any second fiddler should know, especially an octave fiddler. Note: Jack is also playing lead fiddle on the recording...the wonders of dubbing. He uses drones, chords, played straight as well as with shuffle bowing and Darol Angerish "chop" bowing, harmony lines and octave unison. Wow!

The above examples are exceptions and hopefully inspirational.

For the most, alas, all you are going to hear from others is a weak-sounding version of the primary melody of fiddle tunes.

Conclusions:

• Successful octave fiddle players have special instruments and not simple octave conversions of regular fiddles. Solutions we have learned about by successful octave fiddlers like Jack Burgess involve use of larger instruments such as Jack's 5-String 14" viola, which has a lower string that can be tuned to C or D. The body of Jack's instrument is substantially larger than a fiddle or a typical small viola, but still has a standard fiddle scale length (about 13").
• Many players convert violins built to the Maggini pattern. These work very well if they are well-made. Magginis are longer and have higher ribs than Strad-pattern violins. A good Maggini replica is naturally very powerful with astounding projection volume. They generally sound really good with octave strings if they are set up correctly.
• Many successful players use a viola bow (heavier and stiffer)
• Many successful players use a purpose-built octave violin; that is, a special violin that is made to be an octave violin. Octave violins and octave-conversions on Magginis designed by Dr. Don Rickert or Tim Philips in Wales would be examples of purpose-built instruments. The great jazz violinist (some say the greatest modern jazz violinist ever) and Professor at Berklee College of Music, Christian Howes, uses an early 20th Century purpose-built octave violin called an "Oktavgeige," which is German for octave violin.
• ALL successful players of octave fiddle have found the resources to learn the following:

• Chords
• The right notes to use for drones (the root note of the key of the tune and the same note either an octavle lower or an octave higher)
• The basics of harmony
• Excellent bowing technique

We are going to put together a list of resources for learning how to properly play octave fiddle. You can start with the chord charts, available at the Adventurous Muse Store.

Scots Strathspey with Octave Fiddle

Here is a new version of the classic Strathspey, Laird O' Drumblair, in which the octave fiddle is prominent among the accordion and piccolo. We'll talk about the various techniques used, including chords, drones, harmony and octave unison in a post tomorrow. You can download the MP3 for free.

• Laird O' Drumblair (take 2)

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