1935 Kalamazoo (Gibson) KG-11 Flattop Guitar

Another KG-11! This one's a little earlier than the last one I posted and has an A-suffix factory order number placing it at 1935. Post-work, this thing plays like a champ and has a mellower, more-sustained voice than the average KG-11. There's plenty of scratching and wear and tear on this guitar, but it benefits from a fresh refret that gives it a bit more of a modern feel.

As usual, the top is solid spruce and ladder braced while the back and sides are solid "Honduran mahogany" per the catalog descriptions. The bridge and fretboard are Brazilian rosewood.

Kalamazoo guitars were built by Gibson mostly during the depression and were their "second line" offering. They're built well and are quality instruments but the bracing changes (ladder vs. x on the flattops) and lack of truss rods make them a bit different sound-wise and the necks are a little bigger compared to Gibsons because of that.

Repairs included: neck reset, board plane and refret (jumbos), side dots install, new bone saddle, new repro tuners (StewMac Golden Age), mild seam repairs, setup.

Top wood: solid spruce

Back & sides wood: solid mahogany

Bracing type: ladder

Bridge: rosewood

Fretboard: rosewood

Neck wood: mahogany

Action height at 12th fret: 3/32” bass 1/16” treble (fast, spot-on)
String gauges: 52w, 40w, 30w, 22w, 16, 12

Neck shape: medium-big V

Board radius: ~10"

Truss rod: none

Neck relief: straight

Fret style: jumbo

Scale length: 24 7/8"

Nut width: 1 3/4"

Body width: 14 3/4"

Body depth: 4 1/8"

Weight: 3 lb 3 oz

Condition notes: it's scratched-up all-over but crack-free save for a couple of small, tight (repaired) hairline cracks on the upper-bout sides. The tuners, frets, side dots, and saddle are replacements but everything else is original.