1960's Jackson Guldan Cittern - 10 Strings in B Tuning - Fifths Tuning

      Jackson Guldan Musical Co was based in Columbus, Ohio - made a whole lot of violins and some very well constructed parlor sized guitars that had a unique neck setup.  The neck angle can be adjusted anytime by turning an inset screw at the neckjoint. With that adjustable neck, a 24" scale and trapeze tailpiece it makes it a good choice for a cittern or octave mandolin conversion.

Original English cittern tuning was BB-GG-DD-EE, for which there is very little sheet music available nowadays. I've seen some, but it did not help me any in my playing. I treated it as an "Open B" and recorded a couple of samples for the album to Red Town White Town. Here's one, just highlight and Google it.

Por Paulina Cittern Solo - Youtube

I really like the sound of this instrument in the key of B, but BGDE tuning is somewhat limiting to say the least, so I decided to tune it in fifths instead, like a violin or mandolin, but start it off at B2, or 123.4 Hz, just one step down from a mandola.

Check out the entire album on Youtube, Spotify, Apple music, etc.

Banjo Cittern - The Music of Red Town White Town

    I've put on new locking tuners, a new tailpiece, new bone nut and modified the bridge. The string height at the 12th fret is set at 1/8" bass side - 3/32" treble side, and it plays well there up and down the fingerboard.

    Tuned to play in B- F#- C#- G# -- The string pairings are:

39-14 23-09-09 13-13 08-08-08

     Again, the tuning is in fifths, like a violin. If you've played tenor guitar or mandocello then chording this is like cake to pick up. -- If you ever gave up on a mandocello this one is a lot easier to handle - especially that bass pair.
    The acoustic quality is outstanding. Push it hard on rhythm and it hangs with any dreadnought - and the sustain just goes on and on at the end of a note.

Ships in a new padded gig bag.

Length                              -                36"
Scale                                 -               24 1/4"
Lower bout                    -                  13"
Upper bout                      -                9 3/8"

Nut            -             1 13/16"
Weight     -              4.5 lbs