We will be integrating www.JonWhiddon.com with Adventurous Muse starting today. We have owned www.JonWhiddon.com as an independent enterprise for several years. Its public manifestation is a web site that sells high-quality prints of the late folk artist, Jon Whiddon, very well-known in the the Folk/Outsider Art community (an very missed after his untimely passing). Jon was the brother of Alycen Whiddon, who runs our marketing and training initiatives. Alycen inherited Jon's business.

We even have a few highly-collectible originals of Jon Whiddon's work. We have waited until the right time to release these pieces for sale.

Today is the end of the ongoing buyers' moratorium on buying musical instruments:

Today the nonsense stops! Today several people from among the many browsers of the Adventurous Muse Store will dare to buy a number of items. We intend for this to be the last day of what has become a stalemate. This is NOT a joke or some kind of trick!

Workshops and Courses

Today we will announce the initial workshops that we will be offering at Wild Rock, our studio/retreat in the North Georgia mountains.

"Viral" Campaign

We have been on Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, YouTube and many other "social networking" sites for a while. Today we are taking things up a few notches. You'll know when you see it. Anyone reading these words can listen to and download MP3s from the first group that we have posted from this site. These are NOT just demos, but actual performances, most of them including one or more of our instruments.

Dr. Joe Vitale (if you don't know who he is, you can Google him) uses the phrase in his email tag lines.

I received an email from Dr. Vitale today. Among other things, he pointed out that, in his words:

"My experience online has taught me that most people don't take action...as most people don't really want what they say they want."

It appears that this may be the case with the musical instrument business. Not just our business, but in general. We are very tied into a large network of musical instrument makers and small shops and we are ALL having the same problem...lots of people browsing, lots of abandoned shopping carts, but nobody buying. This is quite discouraging to those of us who work 14-16 hour days, 7 days a week to keep our businesses going until those who are ready to dare something worthy come out of hiding.

If you are really interested in what we work so hard to design and make, but you don't like the price, be daring and take some action like contacting us with a counter-proposal (don@donrickertdesign.com).

Do it soon, as we can''t hold our forever.

Aude aliquid dignum

Don Rickert

• 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.

• 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.

California Deluxe Open Back Banjo by Recording King

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

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

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

Tradesman Banjo Fretless Version

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.

Busy day, but feel free to buy something from the Adventurous Muse Store, because we have lot of bills to pay today as well :-)

Two models (both really nice, but one is nicer)

The $600 Purchase Free Seat

On purchases from the Adventurous Muse Store of $600 or more (not counting shipping) you get a

It is a simple two pound, three legged structure that will hold 275 pounds. Collapses down to a package and wraps with an integrated Velcro strap.

Sit comfortably on the 11" wide saddle style stool seat. No more scratching your guitar or bruising your bowing arm in a cheap HEAVY chair from the grocery store. This portable seat is also perfect for golf tournaments, hiking, camping, hunting, the everywhere chair!

• Compact, convenient, comfortable portable seat
• Folds in two seconds
• Rubber-tipped non-skid legs
• Heavy 3/4" tubular steel frame, 1.0 mm thick
• Powder coated durable finish
• Saltwater resistant finish
• 275 lb. capacity
• 600 Denier polyester PVC backed for durability
• Height 18" -- Seat Dimensions 12” x 12” x 12"
• Folded dimensions -- 24 1/2" x 3 1/2"
• 2 lb. unit weight
• Bar tacked and double stitched throughout

The $1100 Purchase Free Seat

On purchases from the Adventurous Muse Store of $1100 or more (not counting shipping) you get a  FREE GCI PackSeat Portable Stool, pictured here.

The GCI Outdoor PackSeat™ weighs in at only 26 ounces. Lighter than all of it's competition, the PackSeat™ folds into a real small package with the innovative designed shock-corded legs.

Innovative power pouch attached to bottom legs acts like a snowshoe so that the chair resists sinking into soft terrain such as muc, sand and dirt. This pouch also gives the PackSeat the ability to hold 300lbs, and provides a handy place for storage.

GCI PackSeat Portable Stool

• Super Strong anodized aluminum frame holds up to 300 lbs
• Innovative shock corded legs
• Folds into a neat package with innovative shock corded legs.
• Convenient carry bag
• Weighs in at only 26 ounces, lighter than all of its competition
• Power pouch connected to bottom section of legs for added support and strength
• Black fabric color
• Seat Height 21"
• Seat Dimensions 11" x 12"
• Folded Dimensions: 15" Long x 4" Wide