Adventurous Muse

NEW Soprano and Tenor Ukuleles by Old Mill at Adventurous Muse

Soprano Ukulele by Old Mill

This is an ALL solid mahogany uke, finished in a beautiful oil varnish in our Roswell, Ga workshop. Elegantly simple purfling around the soundhole. No plywood to be found in this professional quality, American-made traditional ukulele. The Old Mill Soprano Ukulele has a rosewood fingerboard with inlaid dot markers. The bridge is rosewood as well. All internal bracing and linings are of the finest spruce.

This soprano ukulele has 13-3/4" scale length.

• Standard Tuning for a soprano ukulele: g'c'e'a'…the 4th string is actually a higher note than the 3rd string.
• Alternative Tuning: The most common alternative tuning is a'd'f#'b'

This instrument is fit with traditional ukulele friction pegs, but you can upgrade to the revolutionary Pegheds™ 4:1 ratio planetary geared pegs, which look exactly like really traditional violin-type pegs. See the images.

   

   
Tenor Ukulele by Old Mill

This full-size tenor ukulele is ALL solid mahogany, finished in a beautiful oil varnish in our Roswell, Ga workshop. Elegantly simple purfling around the soundhole. No plywood to be found in this professional quality, American-made traditional ukulele. The Old Mill Soprano Ukulele has a rosewood fingerboard with inlaid dot markers. The bridge is rosewood as well. All internal bracing and linings are of the finest spruce. This tenor ukulele has 17-3/32" scale length.

• Standard Tuning for a tenor ukulele: gc'e'a'. This is almost like the soprano ukulele; however, the 4th string on a tenor is an octave lower than the 4th string on a soprano
• Alternative Tunings: The most common alternative tuning is d'gbe' (with this alternative tuning, the 4th string is a higher note than the 3rd string). Tenor ukes are sometimes strung with special strings and tuned exactly like a soprano ukulele, but with a far more powerful sonority.

This instrument is fit with traditional ukulele friction pegs, but you can upgrade to the revolutionary Pegheds™ 4:1 ratio planetary geared pegs, which look exactly like really traditional violin-type pegs. See the images above.

Four NEW Old Time Open Back Banjos at Adventurous Muse

We've got 3 new Recording King Open Back banjos by Recording King and a Late 19th Century Open Back Banjo by us (Old Mill Musical Instruments)

California Deluxe Open Back Banjo by Recording King

The California Deluxe Open Back Banjo by Recording King (RB-024)

The California Deluxe has original detailing and a sweet open back tone players love. Select ebony graces the fretboard, the heel cap and the peghead overlay for extra-fine craftsmanship. The unique peghead inlay was designed by Greg Rich and features a traditional floral pattern.

With legendary craftsmanship and amazing features, Recording King open-back banjos are simply the best banjos money can buy. As with all Recording King open back models, this one has genuine pre-war replica parts. These banjos have meticulous detailing and graceful craftsmanship.

The California Deluxe also features a Whyte Laydie tone ring, a bound walnut rim, a walnut neck with a maple skunk stripe and a no-knot tailpiece. This model has dual coordinator rods, 24 brackets and nickel-plated hardware. The original peghead inlay features binding for greater strength.
 
The California Deluxe is a great banjo for frailing or clawhammer style banjo playing. With its unique detailing and graceful craftsmanship, this model revitalizes the Recording King legacy.
 
Specifications
• Bound Walnut Rim
• Recording King Deluxe Inlay Peghead with Binding
• Walnut Neck with Maple Skunk Stripe
• Whyte Laydie Tone Ring
• Dual Coordinator Rods
• 24 Brackets
• Ebony Fretboard
• Ebony Heel Cap and Peghead Overlay
• No-Knot Tailpiece
• Nickel-Plated Hardware
• Remo Fiberskyn Head
• Notched Hoop
• Neck Width Under Nut: 30.5mm
• Head Size: 11", medium crown (7/16" height)
• Frets: 22
• Total Length: 38"
• Weight: 6.7 lbs
• Limited Lifetime Warranty

California Open Back Banjo by Recording King

The California Open Back Banjo by Recording King (RB-012)
   
With a sweet, rich tone and a lightweight design, the Recording King California Banjo is a traditional open back banjo designed for old-time, frailing and clawhammer style playing.

With legendary craftsmanship and amazing features, Recording King open-back banjos are simply the best banjos money can buy. As with all Recording King open back models, this one has genuine pre-war replica parts. These banjos have meticulous detailing and graceful craftsmanship.

The California features a bound walnut rim, a walnut neck with a maple skunk stripe, a rosewood fretboard and a no-knot tailpiece. This model also features dual coordinator rods, 24 brackets and nickel-plated hardware. The peghead features the original Recording King logo with a star detail for a simple, classic look.
 
Specifications

• Bound Walnut Rim
• Walnut Neck with Maple Skunk Stripe
• Dual Coordinator Rods
• 24 Brackets
• Rosewood Fretboard
• Heel Cap and Peghead Overlay
• Recording King Peghead
• No-Knot Tailpiece
• Nickel-Plated Hardware
• Remo Fiberskyn Head
• Notched Hoop
• Neck Width Under Nut: 30.5mm
• Head Size: 11", medium crown (7/16" height)
• Frets: 22
• Total Length: 38"
• Weight: 6 lbs
• Limited Lifetime Warranty

   
Late 19th Century 5-String Banjo by Old Mill

Late 19th Century 5-String Banjo by Old Mill Musical Instruments. The design (by Dr. Don Rickert) of this banjo is inspired by the actual 1870s fretted banjo pictured below.

This very cool instrument will have several modern touches, necessary for allowing the use of steel strings if the player desires. It can also be strung with the more authentic lower tension gut (Nylgut) strings.

Summary of Features:

• Maple Neck
• Headstock close the one pictured
• Pegheds Violin-type planetary-geared tuning pegs...5th string peg in modern orientation (note: the internally geared tuners, which look EXACTLY like violin type pegs, are to necessary enable the use of steel strings, as well as making it MUCH easier to keep gut or Nylgut strings in tune
• A double-action truss rod (to accommodate the added tension of steel strings)
  
• Metal frets
• 11" rim
• Maple dowel stick instead of a modern coordinator rod (see image(
• NO tone ring
• Grooved tension ring
• 22 brackets
• Remo FiberSkyn head

Ne Plus Ultra Open Back Banjo by Recording King


The Ne Plus Ultra Open Back Banjo by Recording  King (RB-036): The Ne Plus Ultra is the most incredibly crafted, meticulously detailed open back banjo in the Recording King collection.
 
The beauty of this model is immediate: the stunning "Tree of Life" abalone inlay on the peghead and fretboard was designed by Greg Rich and demonstrates his appreciation for the traditional pre-war style.
 
The rim is made from flamed maple and features binding for more style. Flamed maple is also used on the neck which also features an ebony skunk stripe. This model features a Whyte Laydie tone ring, a Kershner tailpiece, dual coordinator rods and 24 brackets.
 
This open back has a sweet, harmonious tone that's excellent for all styles of playing. There's a piece of history with every Recording King banjo, and the Ne Plus Ultra is a perfect example of this.
 
Specifications
• Flamed Maple Rim with Binding
• Tree of Life Peghead and Fretboard Inlay
• Flamed Maple Neck with Ebony Skunk Stripe
• Whyte Laydie Tone Ring
• Dual Coordinator Rods
• 24 Brackets
• Ebony Fretboard
• Ebony Heel Cap and Peghead Overlay
• Kershner Tailpiece
• Nickel-Plated Hardware
• Remo Fiberskyn Head
• Notched Hoop
• Neck Width Under Nut: 30.5mm
• Head Size: 11", medium crown (7/16" height)
• Frets: 22
• Total Length: 38"
• Weight: 6.85 lbs
• Limited Lifetime Warranty

While you are at it you might want to check out the Kevin Enoch Tradesman Banjos that we carry.

Tradesman Banjo Fretless Version

Tradesman Banjo Fretted Version

New 000 Guitar at Adventurous Muse

Those who are really into Old Time music know that the Martin 000 guitar is the only truly authentic Old-Time period guitar. We have a good one for you.

12th Fret 000 Model Guitar by Recording King

Century Studio Series 626 12th Fret 000 by Recording King: The Recording King ROS-626 is a faithful reproduction of the Martin 0-Series steel string guitars of the early 20th Century. If you are looking for the most authentic guitar possible for Old-Time music, this is it. Because the 000 body style is MUCH smaller than a contemporary steel string guitar, although not as small as the Martin 1850s and 1860s gut-strung guitars, it is a plausible alternative to the Civil War reenactor who needs an instrument appropriately-braced for steel strings.

The ROS-626 Model 000, with its solid AA-grade Sitka spruce top and all-solid African Mahogany back and sides (no plywood!), the tone is warm and even, and the hand-rubbed nitrocellulose lacquer finish (NOT SPRAYED POLYURATHANE!) allows the sound of the wood to resonate clearly and powerfully.
 
This guitar is built with lighter bracing for more resonance, but still strong enough to accommodate steel strings, and the ebony pyramid bridge helps enable greater vibration from the hand-selected spruce top.

The Nitrocellulose lacquer finish is dried for 8 weeks in order to ensure that the lacquer is properly bonded to the wood. Both the gloss and matte finishes allow the guitars to sing powerfully and clearly.

Feature Summary:

BODY SHAPE:        12th Fret OOO
TOP MATERIAL:        Solid AA Grade Sitka Spruce
BACK MATERIAL:        Solid African Mahogany
SIDE MATERIAL:        Solid African Mahogany
TOP BRACING PATTERN:    Fully Scalloped X-Bracing
TOP BRACES:        Scalloped Spruce
NECK MATERIAL:        1 Piece Mahogany
NECK PROFILE:        Vintage "V"
NECK JOINT:        Hand-Cut Dovetail
FRETBOARD MATERIAL:    Ebony
SCALE LENGTH:        25.4"
# OF FRETS CLEAR:        12
# OF FRETS TOTAL:        20
NUT MATERIAL:        Bone
NUT WIDTH:        1-13/16"
HEADSTOCK TYPE:        Slotted
HEADSTOCK OVERLAY:    Rosewood
HEADSTOCK INLAY:    None
TUNING MACHINES:    Grover Butterbean
BODY BINDING:        Grained Ivoroid
ROSETTE:        3-Ring
TOP PURFLING:        Herringbone
FRETBOARD INLAYS:    Diamond and Square, Pattern 1
FRETBOARD BINDING:    None
BRIDGE MATERIAL:        Ebony
BRIDGE SHAPE:        Pyramid Style
SADDLE:        Bone
BRIDGE PINS & ENDPIN:    Ivory with Black Dot
PICKGUARD:        None
FINISH:        Hand-Buffed Nitrocellulose Lacquer
WARRANTY:            Lifetime warranty
   
You might check out our 19th Century Guitar and Martin 1857 Model Guitar Replica while you are at it.

Kevin Enoch Fretless Tradesman Banjo

The veil of secrecy has been lifted. We now carry (immediately) several banjos from the renowned maker Kevin Enoch (see his brief bio at the end). This is one of them. This model is especially suited to the mid-19th style player.

About the Fretless Tradesman Banjo

The fretless version of the "Tradesman" by Kevin Enoch is a simple Minstrel-type banjo loosely based on some of the early (1860s) Dobson banjos. They are extremely well-made with high quality materials and Kevin's legendary workmanship.The fretless neck is walnut with a separate ebony fingerboard. The neck's shape, particularly the wonderfully sculptural heal, is designed to be similar to some of the early Dobsons. These instruments, in keeping with their authentic period character, do not have truss rods (a 20th Century invention). In order to keep your beautiful neck from warping, a small graphite rod is placed under the fingerboard for reinforcement. There is no external evidence, such as a truss rod cover, to indicate its presence.

The rim of the Tradesman is maple with no tone ring and finished black, in the manner of many 19th Century banjos. The head is a REMO Renaissance. Interestingly enough, it was Dobson who obtained a patent for a banjo tone ring in 1881.

The fretless Tradesman is strung with Nylgut (imitation gut), in character with the mid-19th Century period. A scooped fingerboard is available.

Hear it!

Playing by Paul Brown, musician and radio journalist, recorded these tunes played on Enoch banjos. Paul Brown's web site: http://www.brownpaul.net/

• Tempy (1.05 MB): Tuning: f#-ADAD / Key: D / 2-finger picking
• Pretty Little Girl (1.14 MB): Tuning: a-EAC#E / Key: A / clawhammer style

A Bit More About the Fretless Tradesman Banjo

The Tradesman comes with planetary tuners. If this is an important historical authenticity issue for you, no problem...Pegheds(tm) violin-type planetary-geared tuning pegs are available as an option. Pegheds are indistinguishable from old violin-style tuning pegs with the advantage of 4:1 ratio planetary gearing hidden in the peg shaft.

The price of the "Tradesman" banjo includes a basic gig bag. Authentic Civil War oilcloth carrying bags and coffin cases are available from Old Mill Musical Instruments.

About the Maker:

Kevin Enoch, founder of Enoch instruments, has been involved in playing as well as making banjos and other stringed instruments since 1984. Enoch Instruments was formally established in 1990. Kevin's goal is to create an instrument designed for Minstrel stroke and clawhammer playing, embracing the aesthetics of the great banjo makers of the 19th and early 20th century. Kevin's love for the music, as well as his craft, is apparent in the degree of care and precision he puts into every detail of these musical masterpieces. Kevin Enoch has been praised by some of the finest banjo players on Earth: Bruce Molsky, Dirk Powell, Bob Carlin, Rafe Stefanini, Paul Brown, Gerry Milnes, Joe Newberry, and the list goes on...

Fretted Tradesman Banjo by Kevin Enoch

The veil of secrecy has been lifted. We now carry (immediately) several banjos from the renowned maker Kevin Enoch (see his brief bio at the end). This is one of them. This model is especially suited to the the early Old-Time clawhammer, as well as 2-finger and 3-finger style player.

About the Fretted Tradesman Banjo

The fretted version of the "Tradesman" banjo by Kevin Enoch is a simple "Transitional" (later 19th Century) banjo loosely based on some of the Dobson banjos. It was Dobson who introduced metal-fretted banjos in 1878. This gem, when strung with steel strings, is a really early version of an Old-Time banjo...it doesn't get any more Old-Timey than this! They are extremely well-made with high quality materials and Kevin's legendary workmanship.

The Fretted Tradesman is also suitable as a super-authentic "Classic Banjo", when strung with the optional Nylgut strings.

Don't know the difference between an Old-Time Clawhammer banjo and a Classic Banjo. Well, it's kind of like the difference between a fiddle and a violin...all in the set-up and how you play it. Classic banjos were late 19th Century and early 20th Century banjos with metal frets and gut or metal-wound silk strings. To find out more, go to either the American Banjo Fraternity or Classic Banjo site.

The fretted neck of the Tradesman Banjo is walnut with a separate ebony fingerboard. The neck's shape, particularly the wonderfully sculptural heal, is designed to be similar to some of the early Dobsons. These instruments, in keeping with their authentic period character, do not have truss rods (a 20th Century invention). In order to keep your beautiful neck from warping, a small graphite rod is placed under the fingerboard for reinforcement. There is no external evidence, such as a truss rod cover, to indicate its presence.

The rim of the Tradesman is maple with no tone ring and finished black, in the manner of many 19th Century banjos. The head is a REMO Renaissance. Interestingly enough, it was Dobson who obtained a patent for a banjo tone ring in 1881.

The fretted Tradesman comes strung with steel strings; however, it can be strung with Nylgut (imitation gut) as an option (both steel and gut strings were used in the late 19th Century and early 20th Century). A scooped fingerboard is available.

Hear it!

Playing by Paul Brown, musician and radio journalist, recorded these tunes played on Enoch banjos. Paul Brown's web site: http://www.brownpaul.net/

Fretted Tradesman Banjo, Nylgut (nylon imitation gut) Strung

Cumberland Gap (1.58 MB): Tuning: e-BEBC# / Key: E / 2-finger picking

Jimmy Sutton (1.04 MB): Tuning: f#-BF#A#C# / Key: B / clawhammer

Fretted Tradesman Steel Strung

John Riley the Shepherd (1.34 MB): Tuning: g-EADE / Key: A / 3-finger picking

Arkansas Traveller (1.17 MB): Tuning: a-DADE / Key: D / clawhammer style

A bit more about the Fretted Tradesman Banjo

The Tradesman comes with planetary tuners. If this is an important historical authenticity issue for you, no problem...Pegheds(tm) violin-type planetary-geared tuning pegs are available as an option. Pegheds are indistinguishable from old violin-style tuning pegs with the advantage of 4:1 ratio planetary gearing hidden in the peg shaft.

The price of the "Tradesman" banjo includes a basic gig bag. You may want to purchase an Old Mill wooden "coffin" case for authenticity.

About the Maker:

Kevin Enoch, founder of Enoch instruments, has been involved in playing as well as making banjos and other stringed instruments since 1984. Enoch Instruments was formally established in 1990. Kevin's goal is to create an instrument designed for Minstrel stroke and clawhammer playing, embracing the aesthetics of the great banjo makers of the 19th and early 20th century. Kevin's love for the music, as well as his craft, is apparent in the degree of care and precision he puts into every detail of these musical masterpieces. Kevin Enoch has been praised by some of the finest banjo players on Earth: Bruce Molsky, Dirk Powell, Bob Carlin, Rafe Stefanini, Paul Brown, Gerry Milnes, Joe Newberry, and the list goes on...

Second Thoughts About Taking Your 100 Year Old Maggini Replica Violin to a Battle?

The Problem

A quandary that every Civil War reenactor musician has is whether or not to take the Good Instrument or make due with a "junker" when going to a reenactment. Reenactments and lousy whether seemed to be mysteriously linked...could be the times of year when many of the events occur, eh?

Solution

Old Mill Musical Instruments (the Musicians' Sutlery section of the Adventurous Muse Store) has a solution, at least for fiddlers. It is  called the Civil War Reenactor Field Fiddle. This is a fiddle that is meticulously set up for 1860s authenticity but at a budget price (about $340).

At this price, the fiddle is not the finest violin available, but it doesn't sound bad, plays great and you won't mind taking it into the field. It is actually somewhat water-resistant, as it is finished with a linseed oil-based varnish by Old Mill Musical Instruments...we only use certified non-toxic finishing materials. 

It is set up in our Roswell, GA workshop at the old Roswell Mill uniform factory (burned by Gen. W.T. Sherman and rebuilt) with imitation gut strings; however real gut strings are available and IT LOOKS GREAT for reenacting!

We even send you instructions on how to incise (scratch) markings such as your Regimental symbol, tick marks or stars for number of engagements, etc.

If You Want Something a Bit Higher-End...

For about $700, we have the Old Mill Fiddle Set Up Mid-19th Century Style, a high-quality German-made (Christian Benker, made by Hoffner) fiddle set up in the authentic 1860s manner. The Old Mill Fiddle Set Up Mid-19th Century Style comes strung with Corelli synthetic gut strings, regarded by many as the closest thing to real gut on the market.

If You Want to Go with Real Gut Strings

Think twice, as they are a real pain to keep in tune outside of the concert hall, but real gut IS what the CW soldier would have used. The real gut upgrade (Pirastro Passione strings) for either of these fiddles is just over $100.

If Want Something A LOT higher-end

We can do that too, by setting up any of our high-end violins as they would have been set up in the 1860s. But you would not want to take one of these into the field. At least I wouldn't, and I have done some crazy things...for concert use only!

At the high-end, your possibilities are listed below:

Christian Benker Professional Model

Maggini Replica by Calvert/Old Mill (particularly interesting, as Maggini copies were extremely popular in the 19th Century)

Joseph Guarnerius del Gesu 1724 Model Violin by E.H. Roth

Stradivarius model 1718 Violin by E.H. Roth

FREE Reference Circle of 5ths and Modal Fiddle Chords

Another free download from Old Mill Musical Instruments at the Adventurous Muse Store: Using the Circle of 5ths to Construct Modal Chords (for fiddle, octave violin, 5-string fiddle and viola)

About the Free Reference

Chords are composed of three notes: the root note, the 3rd (“flatted” 3rd for minor chords) and the 5th harmony notes. It is the 3rd that makes a chord either major or minor. With the minor form of a chord, the 3rd is “flatted” (played a half-step lower). Chords comprised only of the root note and its 5th are neither major nor minor and are often called “modal” chords.

Modal chords tend to provide, for lack of a better term, an ancient sound. Model chords are particularly well-suited for old Irish and Scottish tunes, as well as American Old-Time tunes.

A very old tool for teaching music theory is the “Circle of 5ths", shown below:

 

Starting with the C note at the top of the circle, moving clockwise, each adjacent note is a 5th harmony (i.e. the 7th fret on a fretted instrument or the harmony relationship between two adjacent strings on a violin, viola or cello in their standard tuning…also the tenor banjo and mandolin).

Without getting into basic music theory, you need to know that:

G# is the same as Ab, F# is the same as Gb, C# the same as Db, D# the same as Eb, and A# the same as Bb.

Now, armed with the Circle of 5ths and the fingerboard charts (included in the reference guide) showing various tunings, you can figure out your own modal chords.

We are going product the Boucher type banjo depicted in "The Banjo Player"

The painting, entitled "The Banjo Player" by the mid-19th Century artist, inventor and fiddler, William Sidney Mount, is interesting on several levels. The first, and more important, is that Mount depicted African Americans in a positive, even heroic manner...not common for an upper class White painter in those days.

Mount even painted Blacks and Whites, while not exactly dancing together, at least hanging out together at a dance...unheard of! In Mount's paintings, Blacks looked like real, often quite handsome, people; not the exaggerated "alien" images often depicted by others. Now William did not paint too many women, but that is a mater of conjecture for another discussion (note: Mount was a "gentleman bachelor"). See, for instance W.S. Mount's:

• Dance of the Haymakers
• The Power of Music
• The Card Players
• The Bone Player (as in the rhythm instrument, the bones)
• The Banjo Player in the Barn
• Rustic Dance After a Sleigh Ride
• Right and Left
• Farmers Nooning
• California News
• Fishing Along the Shore

Now to the topic at hand

We have considering building the first production version of a replica of the banjo depicted in the Banjo Player...others have built replicas, but not for regular production.

Before we invest the time and money in this effort, we need to assess the market. We are not going to add one more survey to an already over-surveyed web. Either by commenting to this post or my emailing me directly, I would really like to know YOUR thoughts on feasibility, who would buy it, pricing and all that stuff. My email is don@donrickertdesign.com

Thanks in advance for your help!

Don Rickert

NEW Civil War Reenactor Field Fiddle

The Civil War Reenactor Field Fiddle is a new inexpensive, but VERY authentic, fiddle for Civil War reenactors who may not want to take a high-priced instrument into the field. See it in the Musicians' Sutlery section of the Adventurous Muse Store.

This is a fiddle that is meticulously set up for authenticity but at a budget price.

At this price, the fiddle is not the finest violin available, but it doesn't sound bad, plays great and you won't mind taking it into the field. It is actually somewhat water-resistant, as it is finished with a linseed oil-based varnish. It is set up in our Roswell, GA workshop with imitation gut strings; however real gut strings are available and IT LOOKS GREAT for reenacting!

We even send you instructions on how to incise (scratch) markings such as your Regimental symbol, tick marks or stars for number of engagements, etc. An actual CW fiddle with incising in the National Museum of Music is pictured here.

Chord Charts for Viola and 5-String Fiddle Coming Today!

Response to the new fiddle chord chart book, put on sale just last night, has been extraordinary.

We have not forgotten our viola playing and 5-string playing friends. Finishing charts for standard tuning and charts for the C-string tuned to D now. Check mid-day at the Adventurous Muse Store.