Kalamazoo Sport Model KG 3/4 Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1941), ser. #4539G-14, chipboard case.

Kalamazoo Sport Model KG 3/4 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1941), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 4539G-14, sunburst top, dark back and sides finish, mahogany back, sides and neck; spruce top, rosewood fingerboard, chipboard case. The "Sport Model' is a delightful little 3/4 guitar, a relatively late addition to Gibson's budget Kalamazoo line available from 1937-41. Built on the body pattern of 1920s TG-1 tenor guitar, the just over 12" wide "Sport" is a dainty tight-waisted design compared to the more familiar and rather stumpy body of the far more common Kalamazoo KG-11. The neck on this example is fairly slim with a rounder more comfortable profile than the typical 1930s "V". The Gibson-profile peghead is fitted with early Kluson strip tuners and is adorned with the standard Kalamazoo silkscreen logo.The top "sports" a typically lighter late-'30s style wide sunburst, with single binding on the edge and sound hole rim and a small firestripe celluloid pickguard below. The sound is bright and tight; this is a cool little blues picker and would make a great high-strung "Nashville" tuned guitar. While originally intended primarily for young students, this is still very nicely made. It is fully the equal of other Kalamazoo instruments, and represents an unusual value in a pre-WWII "travel guitar" with full Gibson appointments. A fairly rare small-body Gibson and dare we say an awfully cute little guitar.Overall length is 36 3/8 in. (92.4 cm.), 12 5/8 in. (32.1 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 7/8 in. (9.8 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 23 in. (584 mm.). Width of nut is 1 9/16 in. (40 mm.). This is a nice clean "Sport" overall, especially well preserved for a pre-WWII guitar with one notable repair. The finish shows some light wear but is still shiny, with small dings, scrapes and dents but no heavy wear spots, except one deep ding on the back down by the endpin. There is a small patched area on the curve of the upper side above the endpin; it looks like a small hole or bash mark was filled with wood putty or something similar long ago. This was touched up a bit and is not overly conspicuous; the rest of the finish is all original. There is one very small crack nearby on the side and another small one on the lower back, solidly sealed up. The original bridge has been lowered just a bit; the saddle is quite low but the action is very playable; this is a very short scale guitar. The original frets show some very light wear. Overall this is one of the nicer examples of this diminutive shop favorite we have had, with a fairly chunky sound for such a small instrument. It is still complete in the nicely preserved original chipboard case. Excellent + Condition.