"We don't know anything about this, it was my husbands dads and we're moving house.;...$50! Out of all the Facebook Marketplace bargains I have scoured my city to acquire this has got to take the cake, a 1930's Kalamazoo KG-31 archtop! What are the odds?
While its filthy and been kept in who knows what less than ideal storage conditions its completely intact save for some minor lifting of the biding on the fretboard. No cracks, splits, loss of bonding of the glue. I've stripped it and gently cleaned it with a damp microfibre cloth. only so far. No rattles, tuners are smooth, neck is straight, the only foreseeable problem is the first three frets have well worn in string divots. The rosewood fretboard is so worn in around the top three strings it looks scalloped.
My restoration work shall continue and I shall keep you all posted. I'm going to take a clay bar to it and maybe some California Gold cleaning wax to the finish to protect it more than anything. Its hanging on the wall in my loungeroom and I can't stop admiring its curved top and angled headstock. I've never owned a guitar just for show I am determined to see what tune she will hold. To be continued.
