Savannah, GA, United States
About this listing
1930s Kalamazoo KG-14 acoustic, built by Gibson in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Wonderful pre-war small-body acoustic with an incredible amount of character. I've owned this guitar for approximately 20 years after finding it at a flea market in Tennessee, and I later had a professional luthier in New York City go through it and make it fully playable.
Currently playable with reasonable action for a vintage instrument of this age. It has the dry, woody, immediate sound these old ladder-braced Kalamazoos are known for — especially well suited to blues, roots music and fingerstyle playing.
The guitar appears remarkably original, including the sunburst finish, firestripe pickguard, bridge, tuners and Kalamazoo hardware, but I am not representing every component as definitively factory original since I have not had it formally authenticated.
Cosmetically, this guitar has extensive genuine play wear and finish loss throughout. The back, sides and neck show substantial wear, checking, scratches and areas where the finish has worn through. Please look carefully at the photographs — I have intentionally photographed the guitar in detail rather than trying to hide any of its age or wear.
Important condition note: there is a small visible crack in the spruce top, shown in the photos. I do not know whether this crack was previously cleated or otherwise stabilized internally, so I am selling it with the crack disclosed as-is rather than making assumptions about prior repair work.
This guitar has clearly lived a long musical life and is not a collector-grade museum example. What it is, however, is a beautiful and very cool pre-war, Gibson-built Kalamazoo KG-14 that remains playable roughly 90 years after it was made.
These early Kalamazoos were Gibson's Depression-era instruments, built in the Kalamazoo factory using simple ladder bracing and lightweight construction. They have developed a following in their own right for their distinctive dry, punchy vintage voice.
I simply don't play it enough anymore, which is the reason for the sale.
Details:
Kalamazoo KG-14
Made by Gibson in Kalamazoo, Michigan
1930s
Original-style sunburst finish
Solid spruce top
Mahogany back and sides
Mahogany neck
Rosewood fingerboard
Ladder braced
Firestripe pickguard
Kalamazoo headstock logo
Substantial authentic finish/play wear throughout
Visible top crack
Previously serviced by a professional luthier
Currently playable
Sold as a vintage instrument with the age, wear and repairs/maintenance expected of an approximately 90-year-old guitar
No guitar case
Please review all photos carefully. I'm happy to provide additional detailed photographs or measurements for a serious buyer.
Price$1,695
+ $200 Shipping
