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1930 Kel Kroydon KK1
Like most of the super-lightly braced Kel Kroydons, this example has a full thickness fretboard and a deep, round neck carve. The neck depth through the first fret is .923”, and the nut measures 1-3/4”, so you can expect a neck that fills your hand well. It’s not huge like many Banner-era necks are, but is beefy and comfortably round.
This Kel Kroydon is crack-free and light on repairs. The only modification of note is a replacement bridge plate which is dimensioned akin to most any other 1930s Gibson’s bridge plate; the original it replaced would have been the thickness of a business card and all but useless from a structural perspective. While not original, a properly sized replacement bridge plate renders this guitar much more structurally sound for the long term. Check out this KK1 in Mark’s recent ”Friday Facts at Folkway” video.
Neck reset, new aged saddle, fret dress, set-up, and a few cleanly glued brace ends care of our shop. We’ve set up this guitar with custom gauged 11-47 strings at pitch. It would sound great downtuned a whole step (to D Std) and strung with 11-52s as well. Playability is excellent on unworn frets with an action of 5-6 64ths.
The guitar shows light playwear by the soundhole and on the back of the neck, and slight top deflection in front of the bridge as is the norm with such lightly built Gibsons. The aged bone saddle and black Antique Acoustic bridge pins are new, the balance of the guitar’s hardware and finish are original. Made in USA stamp on the headstock and export label on the guitar’s back visible through the soundhole.
1-3/4” nut, 2-3/8” saddle, 24.75” scale. 2.6 lbs light.
With modern hardshell case.
