Context of this article: This article was written as a link target for our Adventurous Muse Online Store in order to explain why we do not compete on price with the mega-stores and distributors on price on Celtic Instruments.
This is what we bring to the table when it comes to Celtic musical instrument expertise!
Darci Jones:
- Over 2 decades of playing and recording Irish fiddle.
- The fiddler of the Celtic band, Hooley and the most sought teacher of traditional Irish fiddle in the Southeast.
Shep Jones:
- Has been building and setting up fiddles specifically for Irish or Scottish Highland style playing for many years.
- His newest instrument, the Fiddarci Lutherie Professional Fiddle is specifically designed for Irish playing
Dr. Don Rickert:
- Ancestral roots in Northern Ireland (Orange: i.e. Protestant) AND Dublin (Green: i.e. Catholic)...family gatherings in childhood were interesting to say the least!...continues to cycle through Catholic, Anglican and Presbyterian practice...I wonder why? :-)
- Has been designing and building musical instruments, as well as modifying fiddles for Scottish and Ulster style play for over 30 years.
- Was a founder (together with Craig Mayers: Mandolin, Irish Tenor Banjo, English system concertina) first fiddle in the Baltimore-based Celtic band (traditional and plugged-in Irish and Scottish) Tom O'Bedlam Band for over a decade spanning the mid-1970s and 1980s).
- Figured out how to effectively electrify a fiddle for large venues in 1976.
- Played fiddle, mandolin and dulcimer in the Celtic group, Sir Wembly Drakeston's Rogue and Charleton Mistrel Band for several years. Perfected Strathspey playing on a dulcimer (using his secret tuning) during those years.
- Played Fiddle with the Johns Hopkins Ulster Ceili Band
- Performed Scottish Highland fiddle and baritone fiddle in live concert with the with the Atlanta Pipe Band
Robert (Bobby) Rickert:
- Member of numerous Celtic groups and Ceili bands in which he played mandolin, Irish Citten (Octave Mandolin) Irish Tenor Banjo and Mando-Cello, including...
- Below the Salt
- Tom O'Bedlam
- The Congress
- Reel Time
- The St. Pious X Ceili Band
- Numerous other stand-ins with groups such as Celtic Thunder
- Studied Irish Tenor Banjo under Dr. Mick Maloney, well known Irish recording artist and arguably the greatest living Irish Tenor Banjo player and Professor of Irish Music at the Peabody Conservatory of Music of the Johns Hopkins University
- Artist, master craftsman and luthier, who designed and built...
- Banjos (expert at setting up regular tenor banjos as Irish Tenors)
- Irish Citterns (Octave Mandolins)
- Hammer Dulcimers
- Bohdrans
- Restored antique (e.g Vegas, Fairbanks, etc.) tenor banjos as Irish tenor banjos
- Electric Cittern (a highly modified Fender Stratocaster with a shortened neck, 5 strings tuned an octave lower than a mandolin with an extra C string, thus covering the 'cello range)
- Not to mention his out-of-the box modifications of tenor guitars and long-neck Greek bouzoukis for Irish music
Patti Rickert:
- Member of the Tom O'Bedlam Band and many Ceili bands
- Virtuoso on Guitar and master of the correct guitar accompaniment style for Irish fiddle.
- Virtuoso on Bohdran, Bones and Spoons
- Expert Mando-Cello player (Owns a magnificent 1920s Gibson A-Style Mando-Cello)
- Also studied plays Fiddle and Viola
