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This Kalamazoo KG-14 is brimming with Dust Bowl tones and vintage mojo
Take a closer look at a stunning late-1930s example of the flat-top acoustic model made famous by Robert Johnson.
Recently under the hammer courtesy of our friends at Gardiner Houlgate Guitar Auctions in Corsham, UK, this late-1930s Kalamazoo acoustic fetched a healthy £1,922 including fees at the June 2019 sale.
Manufactured at the iconic 225 Parsons St address in Kalamazoo, Michigan – the birthplace of many of the greatest acoustic and electric instruments in history – budget guitars such as the KG-14 were Gibson’s answer to Depression-era economics that saw wooden toys being manufactured on the factory production line simply to keep the workers in employment.
Of all the Kalamazoo-branded instruments, the KG-14 probably has the most allure thanks to its association with Robert Johnson. And although this particular guitar has undergone some major surgery in its lifetime – not least being reworked internally with X bracing – it’s still brimming with Dust Bowl tones and vintage mojo.
Hear this KG-14 in action below:
For more info on the next Gardiner Houlgate guitar auction, head over to guitar-auctions.co.uk.