Kalamazoo archtop?

[Jinder]

I've recently been offered a 1947 Kalamazoo archtop in great original condition for around £600 ($1200). Is this worth leaping upon? My bandmate Simon has a fantastic '57 Hofner archtop which I am very envious of. I would love something similar, and the K/zoo would seem to be a great comparable instrument. Any advice from all would be welcome :-)

[Hoss]

Well, I wouldn't use the verb 'leap' . More like 'mosey'. Mosey on up to it and give her a sniff.

 

Kalamazoos are fun, but I've yet to play one that I'd relish as a real instrument. There's usually something weird going on with the neck. I believe for the money you're talking about, you can find a better instrument. If you're interested in archtops, there's lots of those 30 -40's era archtops that are in the same quality sphere as the Kalamazoo for $300 -$800 dollars. (You could actually get an old Gibson for what you're looking at spending!)

 

Of course, the one you have a shot at might be the exception, and just wonderful and all that. So I'd mosey on over and see what's what. ('amble' is also a good word.... )

[ballcorner]

Kalamazoo was Gibson's second-string manufacturer of student guitars. If the guitar looks, feels and plays like $1200 to you - go for it and enjoy the guitar - but I would be surprised to find a Kalamazoo going for millions a hundred years from now.

 

The cachet of a 1947 guitar when your band mate is playing a "vintage" Hoffner is truly easy to understand. But, take the Kalamazoo into a music shop and compare it with other new or used guitars in the same price range and decide then if you feel it measures up. In my own experience, guitar pickups made before the late 1950s pose some real challenges for live shows and recording, so I would seek a lease agreement for a month with the current owner to make sure the guitar is going to work for you. Sometimes, this kind of arrangement works out for both parties - the seller gets perhaps an extra 100 dollars for the lease and you get time to make sure it is the guitar you need to work with.

[ksdaddy]

I worked on one a couple years ago. It was a smaller bodied archtop like an L-30, 14" or so at the lower bout. The Gibson version would have had a carved top or at the very least a solid spruce top.... (dunno if Gibson ever pressed any tops on their cheaper guitars or not...) This one, being a Kalamazoo, was "all Gibson" except for the top. The top was likely manufactured by one of the Chicago companies, and had tell-tale f-holes that were rounded and almost a caricature of real Gibson f-holes. For an example look at the many thousands of Harmony and Kay archtops made from about 1940 to 1970! This shouldn't come as any big shock, as Gibson made bodies for National, etc.

 

Overall it was a good guitar. Sounded good, had the big vee neck like a 30s Gibson, etc. I know they made others as well and I think they made one that was much closer to the L50 in size. I guess my only caution would be that being a Kalamazoo it might not have an adjustable truss rod. Fine if all's well, but if not, you don't have much choice in the relief of the neck.... take it or leave it (or have it heat pressed I suppose.

 

$1200 would buy a good L50 here in the US (and that's too much in my opinion).

[Jinder]

Thanks for the info guys. I've yet to mosey over and have a sniff, but I will at some point. My band are likely to be touring the States within the next year so I may wait it out and see if I can pick up a nice vintage ES125 or L50 whilst I'm over there :-)

[TommyK]

The Kalamazoo was indeed Gibson's 'more affordable' line. Remember too, Harmony made half the guitars in the world at one time. I've also read that Harmony made guitar parts for other guitar manufacurers. Chicago, where Harmony was based is just a hop skip and a jump to Kalamazoo. Did they make pressed arch tops for Gibson??? possibly.

 

Remember too that the 'vintage' Höffner that Paul McCartney selected when tapped to play the bassist was not chosen because it was an outstanding instrument. He bought it because it was easily adapted for LH play and it was used and... CHEAP. Höffners of that era were analogous to Harmony guitars in the states. "Best guitar you can buy for the money you'll spend." Once The Beatles made the viola bass famous, the Höffner family decided to cash in on the notoriety and make more upscale guitars.

 

Having said that.. This 'vintage K'zoo may sound just as good as your bandmate's 'vintage' Höffner.

 

Is it worth $1200.00?.. not likely. Depending on condition, I'd take off one of those zeros, possibly two. That's what I'd be willing to spend on an arch top Harmony... if I were in the market... which I am. There might be another hunnert in it because of it's tie-in with Gibson... which it ain't ... but I probably wouldn't spend it the extra 'C' note.

[jefleppard]

i know nothing of this topic. but, jinder, i did check out your myspace and really enjoyed your music. one of the great 'happy accidents' of these type of forums is the stuff that enriches you while you're looking for something else. thanks.

[Jinder]

Thanks CH!! I'm glad you took the time to listen and enjoyed what you heard. I will check out your Myspace asap, for some reason Myspace seems to be having a fit today and won't co-operate!