1920s Jackson Guldan 4/4 Violin

Jackson Guldan instruments were made in Columbus, Ohio and are mostly evident in violin-family form. They're well-made instruments and tend to be very sturdy and flashy in looks but generally have a tonal quality running the gamut from student-level to mid-range. This one is a little fancier than normal and is arguably "lower-mid-range" in tone, feel, and cut. It's about on par with a decent quality German import from the same time. The cut is essentially 4/4 but like other Guldans it's just slightly smaller in body-length than your average import 4/4 -- maybe something like a 7/8? The scale is still 12 7/8 to 13" however, depending on how you set your bridge.

When this came in the shop I knew as soon as I saw the instrument that it was a Guldan as they have a distinctive look. I bought it on the spot and did a bit of work to it: one seam repair, a soundpost set, bridge reshape, and setup with John Pearse "Mezzo" Dominant-copy strings for that vintage gut-style sound. It's got a clean, clear voice that's balanced across the tonal range. These fiddles are built tough enough to take steel-core strings just fine, too, and so work well for those who prefer them. This is setup for fiddling and has a quick, easy feel.

Th condition is overall pretty good, save that there's "mouse chew" at the treble f-hole's bottom, a bit of chipping-out at the bass f-hole edge, and some finish deterioration due to rosin deposits on the top at the fingerboard extension's end. There's also a repaired hairline crack to the treble shoulder's side.

The pegs are well-fit and turn smoothly. Note that the fittings are ebony but the fingerboard itself is stained maple.

Here's that "mouse chew."

The back and sides have gorgeous-looking flamed maple.

The neck is nice, too.

Here's the retailer's branding decal.

There's one repaired hairline crack on this shoulder.

I replaced the tailgut with a modern nylon "tailgut" instead.

A beat-up old hard case comes with the violin, though the handle is detached.