Gibson Kalamazoo Guitar Serial Numbers

A Gibson Kalamazoo KG-2A Electric Guitar.

Guitar by Gibson, Inc., Kalamazoo, 1939. Recording King Jumbo Guitar (551 C 1027) model (16″). Serial number EW-1683. Barmeyer Collection, 2007. Note: Click on any image below to see a larger image. The Recording King brand was applied to the stencil-line guitars made by several American manufacturers to be sold.

The Gibson Serial Number Decoder currently supports 6 formats from 4 Factories. For guitars made prior to 1977 use the extended search function. This new function will try to match the serial number against older formats, details required for an exact match are listed in yellow. Prior to 1984 when the Kalamazoo, MI factory was closed, the numbers 001-499 indicated Kalamazoo production. Ranking numbers 500-999 continued to indicate Nashville production through 1989. Since 1989, all Gibson acoustics are built in Bozeman, MT and all Gibson electrics are built in Nashville or Memphis. Enter Serial Number eg. The Gibson Serial Number Decoder currently supports 6 formats from 4 Factories. For guitars made prior to 1977 use the extended search function. This new function will try to match the serial number against older formats. . Kalamazoo numbers were discontinued in 1984. Gibson's F O N System. In the early years Gibson also used Factory Order Numbers (F O N) to track batches of instruments being produced at the time. For information on FON numbers a copy of The Blue Book of Electric Guitars by Zachary R. Fjestad should be obtained.

Logo, located on the headstock.

Kalamazoo is the name for two different lines of instruments produced by Gibson. In both cases Kalamazoo was a budget brand. The first consisted of such instruments as archtop, flat top and lap steel guitars, banjos, and mandolins made between 1933 and 1942, and the second, from 1965 to 1970, had solid-body electric and bass guitars.

First series[edit]

Gibson

The first line of instruments included guitars with bodies between 14' and 16', which in 2009 were worth up to $1800.[1]

Gibson Kalamazoo Guitar Serial Numbers Search

Second series[edit]

The name was revived during the guitar boom of the late 1960s; at the time, guitar manufacturers 'could sell just about anything they could make or lay their hands on'.[2] Gibson already had the Epiphone brand which it used to market more affordable guitars, but Epiphone was already a mid-level brand and Gibson desired something truly cheap. The Kalamazoo brand, whose guitars had bolt-on necks, filled that slot. 'USA' was added to the name on the headstock to set it apart from cheaper, imported guitars.[2]

While the bolt-neck design was already a money saver, Gibson sought cheaper materials as well and found them in MDF (also known as Masonite). Money was also saved on the pickguard (a single sheet of plastic, not laminated) and the (open-back) tuners.[2]

Electric guitars[edit]

The first design, made from 1965 to 1966, was really a copy of the Fender Mustang; the second, made from 1967 to 1969, resembled the Gibson SG. See Kalamazoo KG series shipping figures.[3] Models were the KG-1 (with one single-coilpickup), KG-1A (single-coil pickup and tremolo arm), KG-2 (dual single-coil pickups), and KG-2A (dual single-coil pickups and tremolo). As of 2009, those guitars fetched between $275 and $375.[1] Guitars were built at Gibson's old electronics plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan, not the main Parsons street factory.[4]

Electric bass[edit]

The Kalamazoo Bass was introduced in 1966 and like the guitar model had two body styles resembling the Mustang and the SG. The earlier headstocks were, again, reminiscent of Fender models. Later headstocks bore a resemblance to that of the Gibson Thunderbird bass guitar. Several standard Gibson components were used in the KB, namely a typical EB series humbucker pickup used in many Epiphone basses. Sales were initially good, and during 1966-67 this was by far the best selling bass made at the Gibson plant. Production of the KB ceased in 1969.[citation needed]

Amplifiers[edit]

Simultaneously Gibson produced a line of Kalamazoo amplifiers, marketed primarily as budget model practice amps. The first amp introduced, the Model One, began production in 1965 along with the guitars. It was followed in 1966 by the Model Two. Both used vacuum tubes for preamplification, rectification, and output. Both had roughly a 5W output and a 10' Alnico speaker manufactured by Chicago Telephone Systems (CTS). Both models had volume and tone controls, but Model 2 added a tremolo knob, which set the tremolo frequency or switched it off; there was no tremolo depth control. The circuitry in the Kalamazoo Model Two is similar to the Gibson GA-5T Skylark amplifier of the same time period, as well as the Sano-ette made by Sano Amplifiers of New Jersey.

The last of tube-style Models One and Two were given a brown, wooden look faceplate instead of the previous black panel, and are sometimes referred to as 'brownface Zoo's' by Kalamazoo enthusiasts. Before ceasing production, Chicago Musical Instruments offered a solid state Model Two with a silver face place. [5] These are actually labeled as 'Model Two', but lacking the vintage 'tube' sound, they do not enjoy the same collectible status as the black and brown faced models.

Many today do not consider these models as desirable for use with guitars. However, they are fairly sought after by blues harmonica players for use in amplifying their sound with microphones due to their natural distortion and harmonics. But the relatively small output and the naturally higher frequencies of the EL84 power tubes often lead the Model One and Model Two to be used for studio recording, practice or performance in a smaller setting.

Kalamazoo Model Two amplifier with a modified cabinet built from solid oak.

Around 1969, solid state versions of the Models One and Two were issued in very limited numbers. These were renamed Model 3 and Model 4 respectively. These models, while novel in their day, ultimately proved unpopular.

The Kalamazoo Reverb 12 was introduced as a larger, more powerful amplifier, boasting a 12W push-pull tube driven output through a 10' speaker. The Reverb 12 featured a better tremolo circuit than the Model 2, including depth control along with frequency. The tone was managed by individual bass and treble controls as opposed to the single tone control on earlier models, and boasted a spring reverb.

Gibson also produced Kalamazoo bass amplifiers. The tube-driven Bass 30 and Bass 50 were both equipped with a pair of 10' Jensen speakers. These came in different confiurations over time: in one version the speakers were side by side with a flip-out control panel that became flush with the back of the cabinet when not in use; a vertical speaker configuration with a flip out panel; and a vertical configuration with a wood finish slanted panel like the guitar amps. The final models were simply labeled 'Bass' without a number. The last run was apparently solid state instead of tube driven.[6]

In its 1969 album Willy and the Poor Boys, the band Creedence Clearwater Revival's song 'Down on the Corner' tells the story of a street corner band with hodge-podge instruments like a washboard, gut bass and kazoo. Also included is the line: 'Poorboy twangs the rhythm out on his Kalamazoo' a reference to the budget line of guitars that Gibson produced. The song peaked at #3 on the Hot 100 on 20 December 1969.

References[edit]

  1. ^ abGreenwood, Alan; Hembree, Gil (2009). The Official Vintage Guitar Magazine Price Guide. Kalamazoo. Vintage Guitar. pp. 183–84. ISBN9781884883217.
  2. ^ abcWright, Michael. 'Kalamazoo KG-1'. Vintage Guitar. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  3. ^http://www.vintageguitarandbass.com/kalamazoo/KG_shipping.php
  4. ^http://www.vintageguitarandbass.com/kalamazoo/KG.php
  5. ^http://blowsmeaway.com/kalamazoo.html
  6. ^http://www.rru.com/~meo/Guitar/Amps/Kalamazoo/
Gibson kalamazoo guitar serial numbers

External links[edit]

  • Official website of Gibson USA. Accessed on January 6, 2009.
  • Kalamazoo Amp Field Guide. Accessed on October 6, 2011.
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gibson_Kalamazoo&oldid=1003107914'

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Serial

American sunburst acoustic guitar, by Gibson, model L12, serial number Ea 5098, Kalamazoo, circa 1939, the Gibson logo inlaid in mother-of-pearl to the headstock and inset to the fingerboard, the serial number stamped verso to the headstock…

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American sunburst 'Charlie Christian' guitar, by Gibson, model ES150, serial number Eg 8465, Kalamazoo, circa 1939, the Gibson logo inlaid in mother-of-pearl to headstock and serial number stamped to verso…

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American acoustic sunburst guitar, by Gibson, model L5, serial number 93168, Kalamazoo, circa 1936, the Gibson logo inlaid to the headstock, fingerboard inset with mother-of-pearl, model number impressed to the tailpiece, and paper label to interior…

American acoustic guitar with extra set tuners, by Gibson, model L5, serial number 92035, Kalamazoo, circa 1934, the Gibson logo inlaid to headstock, the fingerboard inset with mother-of-pearl, and paper label to interior, 105 cm long

American acoustic sunburst guitar, by Gibson, model L7, serial number 91856, Kalamazoo, circa 1934, the Gibson logo inlaid in mother-of -pearl to head stock and to the fingerboard, mounted with a faux tortoiseshell pick guard, and paper label to interior…

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American acoustic guitar, by Gibson, model L7, serial number a 505, Kalamazoo, circa 1935, the Gibson logo inlaid with mother-of-pearl to the headstock and to the finger board, paper label to interior, 107 cm long

American acoustic guitar, by Gibson, model L1, serial number 31425, Kalamazoo, circa 1916, 'The Gibson' logo inlaid in mother-of-pearl to headstock, patent stamps to tailpiece, pick guard mount, and pick guard, and paper label to interior, 98 cm long

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American flat top tenor guitar, by Gibson, model Tg-25N, serial number 159705, Kalamazoo, circa 1964, the Gibson decal to headstock with the serial number stamped to verso, paper label to interior, 96 cm long

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American pumpkin top mandolin, by Gibson, model A1, serial number 6987, Kalamazoo, circa 1915, painted decal to headstock and impressed mark to tailpiece, paper label to interior, 68 cm long

American mandocello, by Gibson, serial number 2763, circa 1912, inlaid 'The Gibson' to headstock with Fleur de Lis in mother-of-pearl. Paper label to interior, 98 cm long

Australian F hole archtop acoustic guitar, by Stephen Gilchrist, model 18, serial number 94275, circa 1980s, with abalone shell inlaid detailing to the fingerboard and headstock which also bears the 'Gilchrist' logo…

American ukulele, by Gibson, Michigan, circa 1930s, parquetry inlaid around the sound hole. Mother-of-pearl inlay to fingerboard, 53 cm long

American ukulele, by Gibson, style 2 model, Michigan, circa 1930s, stamped Dg-2900 / made in the Us', to the verso of headstock, 53 cm long

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Gibson Kalamazoo Guitar Serial Numbers

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Gibson Kalamazoo Guitar Serial Numbers For Sale

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