1935 Cromwell G-4 (Gibson Kalamazoo KG-32) Archtop Guitar

While bearing a Cromwell brand at the headstock, this guitar is basically a Gibson-made Kalamazoo KG-32 model with a different stencil. It's early in the game for a K'zoo, too, as it dates to '35 per its factory order number and has the Gibson-style pickguard bracket and fancier tailpiece vs. the later models with cheaper parts.

Like the KG-32 models, it's got solid spruce (press-arched) over solid mahogany back and sides. The neck is mahogany and the fretboard and bridge are rosewood. This instrument is entirely original save the tuners (StewMac repros) and the endpin. It has only one crack that I've found and it's a 1 1/2" one at the top of the bass-side f-hole... and I've cleated it. No biggie!

Work was simple and after finishing this guitar plays nice and has a great, choppy, midsy, chunky voice that suits old-time thumping and jazz/blues chord-chopping perfectly. Fingerpickers who like metal picks can pull a decent "Mother Maybelle" out of it, too. I'm always a fan of K'zoo-style archtops and it helps that they just look so dang cool, too.

Repairs included: fret level/dress, crack repair/cleat at bass f-hole on top, reglue of one back brace, cleaning, compensation added to bridge, setup, etc...

Top wood: solid spruce

Back & sides wood: solid mahogany

Bracing type: tonebar/hybrid ladder

Bridge: rosewood adjustable

Fretboard: rosewood

Neck wood: mahogany

Action height at 12th fret: 3/32” bass 1/16” treble (fast, spot-on)
String gauges: 54w, 40w, 30w, 22w, 16, 12

Neck shape: bigger C/soft V

Board radius: ~10"

Neck relief: very tiny relief when tuned-up (~1/64" treble side, bass straight)

Fret style: low/small

Scale length: 24 7/8"

Nut width: 1 3/4"

Body width: 16"

Body depth: 3 1/4" + arching

Weight: 4 lbs 4 oz

Condition notes: it has scratches and usewear easily evident throughout. There's one small crack repair on the top that's frankly hard to see. The bridge was recut a little lower in the past and I cleaned-up its look and compensated it -- there's still adjustment room up/down left on the saddle, so no issues there. The tuners are new StewMac repros as the old ones were a mixed set and not very functional. Everything is original to the guitar save tuners and endpin. The frets are a little lower at the nut and at the 14th fret than the middle of the neck. It plays bang-on fast as-is (clearly I'm playing it without issue in the video) but folks who are sensitive to that might want to have me refret it. Heck, the skinny/low vintage Gibson stock is its own thing, for sure. I suggest no heavier than 54w-12 gauges on these instruments.