Don Rickert Musical Instruments™, a division of Wiederholt & Rickert Partners, LLC, focuses on: • Designing and making high-end custom musical instrument creations for customers • Inventing truly ground-breaking musical instruments for international musical instrument design competitions Specifics: • Design and fabrication high-end custom and experimental musical instruments, primarily advanced acoustic, electric and electronic (i.e. synthesizers) bowed string (i.e. violin-type) instruments and guitars. • Dr. Don Rickert is one of the preeminent designers of acoustic, electric and electronic (synthesizers) stringed musical instruments (violins, guitars, mandolins, basses etc.) and internationally-recognized authority on musical instrument design and associate intellectual property issues. • In addition to past and present entries in prestigious musical instrument design competitions, many of Dr. Rickert's custom commissioned instruments are played by well-known recording artists in live performance and on their recordings. Noteworthy Recent Competitions and Shows Include: • 2013 Guthman Musical Instrument Design Competition (semi-finalist, vying for the grand prize in April 2013) • 2012 Guthman Musical Instrument Design Competition (semi-finalist) • 2013 Fellowship of European Luthiers Electric Guitar Design Competition (submissions in progress…judging in June 2013) • IDEA (the IDSA International Design Excellence Award Competition) • Musikmesse Frankfurt (exhibitor)