1935 Kalamazoo KG-11

The Gibson-made Kalamazoo KG-11 was a budget-priced small body guitar in its day. Nearly 90 years later many players have come to love the strong and clear mid-range presence that these little ladder-braced guitars offer. They are exceptionally loud and focused, have lots of punch, and don’t suffer from the tightness that plagues many post-war ladder-braced models.

This example is all that and more and has a richness and thickness to single-notes that most X-braced guitars can’t compete with.

Ladder-braced red spruce top, mahogany back, sides, and neck, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, single-bound top and firestripe pickguard. Original finish throughout, original tuners and nut, frets, and bridge pins. The neck has been reset, and the guitar plays nicely on largely unworn frets with a full-height bone saddle and 4-7 64ths action. The guitar’s only crack is on the back and has been cleated, All braces are tight and untouched, and there is a very thin maple cap reinforcing the pin holes in the original spruce bridge plate. The original lacquered bridge is unaltered. .

The neck has a Deep V carve and a nut width of 1-3/4”. The string spread at the bridge is 2-3/8, and the scale is 24.75”.

If you’re looking for the best tone for your buck, a KG-11 is more often than not the best way to go.

With original chipboard case