1936 Kalamazoo KG11 – £1849

NEW ARRIVAL  The Kalamazoo KG11 is the lesser known cousin of the KG14. Visually it’s very different with a squat dreadnought body shape, and tonally it’s less bluesy but more versatile. It still has all the classic Gibson built depression era Kalamazoo traits, lightly built, ladder braced, and less ornamentation. Once in the shadow of the KG14, it’s now gaining a bigger following from players who don’t want to be pigeonholed into the Robert Johnson bracket, but still want that raw 30’s vibe. This example is from 1936, and in good condition for it’s age – with several repaired cracks – and very unusually an original natural finish. Tonally it has the ladder braced bite, although the attack isn’t too harsh, with strong mids and a very balanced overall sound. The playability is very comfortable with a chunky V profile neck, and Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard. It’s a great example of a historically important guitar, at a price where you don’t have to feel too precious about gigging it. The guitar comes in a non original hard case.