1930s Kalamazoo KG-14 acoustic, built by Gibson in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Wonderful pre-war small-body acoustic with an incredible amount of character. I’ve owned this guitar for approximately 20 years after finding it at a flea market in Tennessee. At some point after purchasing it, I brought it to a professional luthier in New York City to have it gone through and made playable.

The guitar is currently playable with reasonable action for a vintage instrument of this age. It has the dry, woody, immediate sound these old ladder-braced Kalamazoos are known for and is especially well suited to blues, roots music and fingerstyle playing.

The guitar appears remarkably original to me, including the sunburst finish, firestripe pickguard, bridge, tuners and Kalamazoo hardware, but I am not representing every component as definitively factory original since I have not had it formally authenticated.

Cosmetically, this guitar has extensive genuine play wear and finish loss throughout. The back, sides and neck show substantial wear, checking, scratches and areas where the finish has worn through. Please look carefully at the photographs. I have intentionally photographed the guitar in detail rather than trying to hide any of its age or wear.

Important condition note: There is a small visible crack in the spruce top. It is shown in the photos. I do not know whether this crack was previously cleated or otherwise stabilized internally, so I am selling it with the crack disclosed as-is rather than making assumptions about prior repair work.

The guitar has clearly lived a long musical life and is not a collector-grade museum example. What it is, however, is a beautiful and very cool pre-war, Gibson-built Kalamazoo KG-11 that remains playable roughly 90 years after it was made.

These early Kalamazoos were Gibson’s Depression-era instruments, built in the Kalamazoo factory using simple ladder bracing and lightweight construction. They have developed a following in their own right for their distinctive dry, punchy vintage voice.

I simply don’t play it enough anymore, which is the reason for the sale.

Details:

• Kalamazoo KG-14
• Made by Gibson in Kalamazoo, Michigan
• 1930s
• Original-style sunburst finish
• Solid spruce top
• Mahogany back and sides
• Mahogany neck
• Rosewood fingerboard
• Ladder braced
• Firestripe pickguard
• Kalamazoo headstock logo
• Substantial authentic finish/play wear throughout
• Visible top crack
• Previously serviced by a professional luthier
• Currently playable
• Sold as a vintage instrument with the age, wear and repairs/maintenance expected of an approximately 90-year-old guitar
• No guitar case

Please review all photos carefully. I’m happy to provide additional detailed photographs or measurements for a serious buyer.