1966 Kalamazoo Bass KB-1 Vintage Short Scale Bass Guitar Cardinal Red EB-0 w/ohc

Up for sale, a 1966 Kalamazoo Bass model KB-1 in excellent condition and in perfect working order with a Cardinal Red nitro lacquer finish. As Gibson's reaction to Fender's popular Mustang and Musicmaster instruments, the USA-made Kalamazoo Bass takes the "Mudbucker" pickup found on Gibson's EB-O and pairs it with a bolt-on maple neck and Masonite body. A genuine vintage Gibson instrument through and through, the Kalamazoo name is derived from the city in which Gibson's factory was located. With plenty of thick, warm thump, this KB-1 is a first year model, strung with 45-100 roundwound strings and weighing in at 8lbs 12oz.

The maple neck has a slender C shaped profile, with light wear down to the bare maple through the nitro gloss on the fretboard edges behind frets 1-4. The thick rosewood fretboard retains the original medium jumbo frets which have been leveled and crowned and show zero wear. The scale length is 30 1/2" and the nut has been upgraded with a hand-carved piece of bone measuring 1 11/16" in width. The face of the headstock has the original string retainer as well as the "Kalamazoo - USA" logo branded in the maple. The original tuners are intact as well, and the back of the headstock has two tiny extra screw holes as well for an unknown purpose.

The original electronics work as intended, with Gibson's giant chrome covered Mudbucker pickup wired to original Centralab pots which date to late 1966. The original bridge, knobs, and mahogany finger rest are also intact. Cosmetically, the bass shows light wear around the back edges of the body down to the white primer coat beneath the Cardinal Red, along with some scattered minor dings and expected finish scuffs on the bass as a whole.

This bass is professionally setup and an uncommon Cardinal Red example from the first year of a production run that lasted only a couple short years with this body style.

The original form-fit chipboard case is included.