Jordan Electric Violins

This guy is awesome! His shop is modest in his garage. He is an excellent craftsman. Took my daughter subpar violin that she received as a gift for Christmas to have set up at another store in Concord. Went to a concert and was borrowed by an advance student and found out it was poorly set up. Took it to John and he fixed and adjusted it to sound and play a 100% better than what it ever was. I learned a valuable lesson… buy quality even for your kids nothing from China. It had a Pinging sound when played and only go to John for your string instruments. He’s been in the business for over 30 years. He really loves what he does and it shows in his work. Reasonably priced too.

EXCELLENT quality and attention to detail. Everything passes John’s eye and approval. I love it.
I used to go to John years ago for guitar work, then I was told he was backing off guitar work and focusing on Violins. So, I stopped.
I then (20 years later) was researching pick ups for my Taylor acoustic and the recommended John as an authorized dealer.
I called… and got right on it, welcoming my request.
So happy he is doing guitar work. Electric guitars are one thing, but acoustic work is another. One needs to respect the build, structure, tone, and over-​all finish. John has amazing detail with all.

John is amazing. I have never bought one of his electric instruments (although i hope to someday!), but have purchased several bows and a violin from him and have had him do numerous repairs over the years. John treats every customer with respect and always gives you his full attention, whether you are making an expensive purchase or a relatively cheap one. This is what I really enjoy most about John. I have never experienced ANY pressure to buy or to «upgrade» to something out of my price range. I have always had a rather small budget to work with, but I have never been treated poorly because of that (which I can’t say for some other shops).
John also does excellent repair work. After many years of schlepping my violin back and forth every day to college, it had gotten a few chips on the lower bout. John repaired these and matched the new varnish perfectly with the existing finish. Also, at one point I broke an expensive bow in an unusual way and I was devastated, believing it could never be fixed. John came through that time too, not only restoring the bow so that there was no difference in balance or tone, but also reinforcing the break with carbon fiber to ensure that it would never break again. I don’t recommend going ANYWHERE else for repair work., John is the best and will never overcharge you, and you will always receive top-​notch work as well as service.

Jordan is the best! I have had John work on several of my instruments over the course of several years, and he’s always attentive and he really knows what he’s doing!

So I’m not normally big on writing reviews that read like advertising copy but I can’t help myself on this one. I just got back from Concord after going out to meet John and talk about what kind of instrument would best suit me and I’m more excited then I’ve ever been before about an instrument. Seriously.
John Jordan is a master craftsman in the best possible sense of the words. He’s been building and selling custom electric Violins, Violas, Cello’s and stand-​up bass’s in Concord for over 30 years out of his garage and his instruments have found their way into the hands of musicians all over the world. There are a dozen or so authorized dealers around the country selling Jordan Electric violins, but if you want something special your best bet is to make the trip out to Concord and talk to the man himself.
John also stocks a wide selection of traditional acoustic instruments and bows.
Now when I say «out of his Garage» I mean that literally, Jordan Electric Violins is based out of his garage workshop in a residential neighborhood. He builds the instruments by hand and is best known for his 5, 6, and 7 string violins. He said the biggest he’s ever done is a 9-​string violin, but most people opt for 4 – 6 strings.
Now there are a lot of amazing things about John’s work but for me the standouts include:
1: He uses FSC certified (read: sustainably harvested) wood for all his instruments and hand selects the wood himself individually paying careful attention to the grain, density, and other characteristics of the wood.
2: the fact that the spacing between strings is the same as on a traditional 4-​string instead of being cramped like many violins with additional strings He’s able to do this because he builds the fingerboards by hand, custom for each instrument. By contrast, Yamaha and other big corporate manufacturer’s use a chopped-​down Viola fingerboard that creates a pinch at the top. It’s more cost effective for them but the result is a less playable instrument. This is one area where working with a local craftsman really pays off.
3: Instead of using wooden pegs he uses geared tuners, similar to what you might use on an electric guitar but sized specifically for violin. Those tuners are all set on the shoulder-​end of the instrument which brings the weight in closer and reduces neck and shoulder fatigue.
4. The instruments *feel right* and he can work with you to make sure you walk away with something that is ergonomically built and tuned specifically to the you.
5: His violins are gorgeous. That’s important.
6. John is a really exceptionally nice guy and a pleasure to talk to and work with. And that’s important when you’re getting a custom instrument made.
If you play Violin, Viola, Cello, or standup Bass and you have any interest at all in an electric instrument give John a call and come out to his workshop. It will be time well spent, I promise.