1933 Kalamazoo (Gibson) KG-11 Flattop Guitar

Overview: I bought this KG-11 off of a local fellow -- and it definitely needed going-through -- but it's come out of surgery looking great and playing like a champ. It's a first year of production model (1933) and has the "dark brown" sunburst with a small dot in the middle that you only really get on first-year builds. These early KG-11s are also built a little lighter and have slightly-lighter bracing, making them sound a bit warmer and sweeter than later versions which tend to be a little more punchy and snappy, instead.

Tone: It's warm, woody, and sweet with a nice, balanced voice. These make superb fingerpickers but will flatpick old-time backup easy-peasy as well.

Feel: It has a bigger, V-shaped neck and a fretboard that's very flat (~20" radius) compared to later (~10" radius) Kalamazoos. I think this version is just one-step removed from instruments made in the same year that feature totally flat fretboards made of ebonized maple rather than the rosewood that's on this one.

Interesting features: As noted, it has the cool "brown" sunburst look, no pickguard, flatter board radius, and some other design elements that don't occur in later KG-11s. The biggest odditiy is that it has an upper bout with no ladder brace on the top. Instead, the neckblock is shaped like a hefty triangle and the idea was that its extra length would suffice in keeping the instrument stable without the need for a ladder brace up there. Unfortunately, it's a terrible idea, and almost all of these early models have some sort of cave-in going on at the top in that area. This one certainly had a bunch of it (which I've ameliorated).

Repairs included: It's had a neck reset (reglued and double-bolted internally as the joint was sloppy), rosewood "extension" patch-braces installed that butt-up against the sides of the neckblock and run past the soundhole to keep the upper bout stable, and some seam repairs -- all of that done by myself. Jose then gave it a level/dress of the frets, cut and fit a new bone saddle, fit some new pins, reglued a few loose back-brace ends, and set it up. It plays spot-on, is stable in service, and has plenty of saddle for future action adjustments.

• Weight: 3 lbs 1 oz
• Scale length: 24 3/4"
• Nut width: 1 11/16"
• Neck shape: medium-bigger V
• Board radius: 20"
• Body width: 14 1/2"
• Body depth: 4 1/8"
• 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, 38w, 28w, 22w, 15, 11
• Truss rod: nope
• Neck relief: straight
• Fret style: low/small

Condition notes: I've installed some "buttress" braces that run from the sides of the neckblock, around the soundholes, and then terminate at the first ladder brace below the soundhole. These add the rigidity this early neckblock design lacks and makes the instrument nice and stable. Those braces, two hidden bolt-reinforcements for the dovetail joint (fit at the neckblock), the saddle, the nut, and the pins are all the non-original equipment. The rest is stock to the guitar. There's a fair amount of small-level finish wear and tear all over the instrument -- weather-checking everywhere, light scuffs and scratches here and there throughout, and general "dulling" of the finish as it's aged. The frets started off low and small and after a level/dress of the frets they're still low and small but it plays nicely. There's an old repaired hairline crack in the sides near the endpin.

It comes with: Sorry, no case.

Consignor tag: JW