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1929 Gibson Kel Kroydon KK1
Incredibly, this example has survived 94 years without ANY cracks or braces coming loose. The guitar is completely repair-free but for a clean reset, a replacement saddle, and a slight reshaping of the bridge top. The top shows only minor deflection behind the bridge, which is to be expected on a guitar this lightly made. It features an export label visible through the soundhole, and a Made in USA stamp on the back of the headstock, suggesting that the guitar was shipped to Canada when completed. Interestingly, all three of the 9496 FON guitars we’ve handled have been export models like this one.
Set-up with custom-gauged 11-47 PB steel strings, this guitar offers a cavernous low-frequency rumble that underlies every note. It has an incredibly rich and full-bodied voice that is in full bloom with the extra-light string gauges we’ve chosen, and it doesn’t require heavier strings to come alive as a more robustly built guitar would. It’s a dark, resonant, and overtone rich guitar that is truly beguiling and certainly inspiring.
Set up and fret dressing by our shop. The neck has a full depth C carve that’s remarkably comfortable. The nut width measures 1-3/4”, the depth at the 1st fret is .921”, the scale is 24.75” and the string spread at the bridge is 2-3/8”. String action is currently set at 4.5-5.5 64ths at the 12th fret with correct relief. The original frets play very cleanly when played fingerstyle or lightly strummed.
