NEW Fat Strad 8vb Octave Violin by D. Rickert Musical Instruments

The Fat Strad 8VB Octave Violin by D. Rickert Musical Instruments is 

available NOW at the new Don Rickert Musician Shop.

Summary: This is the very latest entry to D. Rickert Musical Instruments' long history of making incredible purpose-built (made to be an octave violin or fiddle...not a conversion of a regular instrument) violins and fiddles. The new Fat Strad 8vb is, as the name implies based on the Fat Strad body, which has proven to be more versitile than we ever imagined. 

Note: The Fat Strad 8vb Octave Violin is so acoustically powerful, it can even handle octave viola (chin cello) strings, including a low C "chin cello" string; however it is designed for octave VIOLIN strings and that stringing is our strong recommendation. The peg box is a bit small for the extremely large octave viola strings. Further, we feel that an octave G string is the optimal low end for the instrument; in other words, an octave viola (chin cello) C is a bit weak. This is why we have other larger instruments designed for octave viola strings.

It is your choice whether or not you choose to accept our advice. In any case, it is going to set up and strung with SuperSensitive Sensicore Octave Violin Strings when we ship it to you!

General Information

The Fat Strad 8vb Octave Violin has a 14” long body and a 13” playable scale...same as a violin, fiddle or small viola. The ribs are approximately 37mm rather than the 29mm to 30mm more typical of an instrument this size. Overall, the Fat Srad 8vb Octave Violin will feel quite familar to a violinist or fiddler.

Neck width

The neck where it meets to the nut is about 27mm; which we have found to be optimal for a 4 string octave violin or fiddle.

The Varnish

Golden amber brown oil varnish with artful tasteful "antinque" treatment

Structural Design of the Fat Strad 8vb Octave Violin

The Fat Strad 8vb Octave Violin is both slightly wider in the middle and lower bouts and “thicker” (37mm vs. 29mm ribs) than a regular violin or small viola. It is also more extremely arched top and has new bass bar design (closer to a viola than a violin), which dramatically enhances the responsiveness of lower-pitched strings. 

With its wider girth (8.5” lower bout rather than the standard 8”), higher arching and wider ribs (sides), the Fat Strad 8vb Octave Violin has approximately 27+ more cubic inches of internal air space than a standard violin or small viola. The greater air volume, combined with the new bass bar, is the instrument that two kinds of players have been seeking a lower-voiced instrument acoustically rather than electronically.

Why the Fat Strad 8vb Octave Violin?

• Not super expensive
• Looks like a traditional fiddle or violin
• The loudest of all of our purpose-built octave violins
• Can be delivered guickly (usually about 3 weeks)