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NO GIBSON content - Dan Erlewine's Iris Guitar (ladder braced Kalamazoo KG-11 copy)


BluesKing777

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41 minutes ago, BluesKing777 said:

 

Have you played an original Kalamazoo KG-11, ZW?:

 

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

Yeah but it has been a very long time.  The only thing I presently own is a Gibson-made Recording King A style mandolin.  Interesting instrument with rope binding around the soundhole.  I believe that feature only appeared for one year but I cannot for the life of me recall what year that was.  It is a total wreck though.

Edited by zombywoof
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2 hours ago, BluesKing777 said:

 

First I heard of them was with some old Roy Bookbinder lesson dvds.....various Zoos , Gibsons and 30s Recording Kings....

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

I used to go see Bookbinder up at the Town Crier Cafe back when he had "Fats" Kaplan on violin with him. 

Gibson, of course, also sold re-badged Kalamazoos to stores other than Montgomery Wards.  I used to own a Capital which Gibson made for Jenkins Music.  When I looked up the FON in Spann's Guide I found it shared the same FON as a Recording King, Cromwell and others so obviously they were all part of the same batch.

Edited by zombywoof
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21 minutes ago, zombywoof said:

I used to go see Bookbinder up at the Town Crier Cafe back when he had "Fats" Kaplan on violin with him. 

Gibson, of course, also sold re-badged Kalamazoos to stores other than Montgomery Wards.  I used to own a Capital which Gibson made for Jenkins Music.  When I looked up the FON in Spann's Guide I found it shared the same FON as a Recording King, Cromwell and others so obviously they were all part of the same batch.

 

On the cover of his twin DVD lesson he has an old Gibson NL but on the video lessons he uses the Nick Lucas Special, an AJ and a Carson J. Robinson Model K (Recording King) etc.

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

Edited by BluesKing777
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34 minutes ago, BluesKing777 said:

 

On the cover of his twin DVD lesson he has an old Gibson NL but on the video lessons he uses the Nick Lucas Special, an AJ and a Carson J. Robinson Model K (Recording King) etc.

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

I do not recall what guitar he was playing the several times I saw him other than a Bacon & Day Senorita which has a some very distinctive bling.  Tony Klassen offers (or at least used to offer) a Bookbinder Signature guitar in his New Era line based on a Wards version of a Nick Lucas Special Roy owns.

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  • 1 month later...

Iris is making boutique builds below manufactured prices.   Super responsive.  High end woods.   I had a DF that was great and I currently have a ND-200 that is a bit too big for me to play comfortably but it’s more responsive than any J-200 I’ve played.  Not sure if it’s going to stick but sounds superb.  Is there still a buy and sell around here?

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Iris ND-200 ordered last week - custom 1.725" nut to match my SJ-200 - Mahogany back & sides with upgrade Adirondack Red Spruce top - bound fretboard - Gotoh SE700-M5 tuners -should look like this one.

qdPMKjHl.jpg

Edited by Brucebubs
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