Workshop: Lefty-ized Kalamazoo KG-11 #2

The buyer who originally bought this KG-11 (see here for the original blog post) sent it back for re-consignment recently. A customer of mine is buying it, but he wanted it converted to a lefty setup so I figured I'd show the results. The bridge has had its saddle slot filled, recut lefty, and then recolored to be more like the original (black-painted) finish would've been. I then leveled/dressed the frets just slightly and set it up with a set of silverplatted-copper-wound gypsy-jazz strings.

I think the result is handsome and this is now the second early-'30s KG-11 I've lefty-ized for a customer. Only these early ones without the pickguards work well for the conversion.

The saddle slot is drop-in for easy action adjustments. The new saddle is bone and compensated.