Dating 89 J-200

[crperry4]

Hey guys looking for some help identifying where a J-200 I just purchased was made. I’ve done the search and got a few different answers (obviously using the same serial number) and also used the decoder on the website but it’s still not quite adding up

serial- 81599003

So my understanding would be June 9, 1989 but the big question is it’s coming back as a Kalamazoo build which I thought shut down in 84 so I’m a bit confused. 
 

Any insight appreciated I’m mainly just curious. Thanks! 

[Buc McMaster]

Yes, Kalamazoo closed in 1984 and Gibson began building acoustics in Bozeman, MT in 1988.............so yours should be a Bozeman build, as I would think the sound hole label would indicate.  Where is the "coming back as a Kalamazoo build" info coming from?

[slimt]

I believe it is  a Bozeman build as well.      

[ksdaddy]

That’s very early. Mine is June 23.

[slimt]

1 hour ago, ksdaddy said:

That’s very early. Mine is June 23.

Were those Mortise or Dove tail?   I remember a well known guitar shop in Missoula having to do a neck set on one in 1993. They had a heck of a time with it  

Edited February 9 by slimt
Spelling

[ksdaddy]

I believe they continued with the 70s style neck joint, whatever it was called, where there was a dovetail AND a paddle type thing, maybe it's called a tenon. They kept using that arrangement until 1992 according to a Gruhn book.

[zombywoof]

These guitars also sported a Fullperplast finish.  I gather it was because that is what the Flatiron plant was set up to shoot before Bozeman went into full operation in 1991. While the Fullerplast is generally seen as tough to work with should the need arise, the rap on those paddle neck joints seemingly depends on what luthier you are talking to.  Some say they were no problem if they needed to be repaired while others claim they were a royal pain in the butt to deal with.  

Edited February 9 by zombywoof

[zombywoof]

4 hours ago, Buc McMaster said:

Yes, Kalamazoo closed in 1984 and Gibson began building acoustics in Bozeman, MT in 1988.............so yours should be a Bozeman build, as I would think the sound hole label would indicate.  Where is the "coming back as a Kalamazoo build" info coming from?

Gibson also built acoustics in Nashville during the interim.  It is possible that whatever parts had been made were shipped from there up to Bozeman during the early years of production.  If so, than assembled in Bozeman might be more accurate.  

[ksdaddy]

2 hours ago, zombywoof said:

Gibson also built acoustics in Nashville during the interim.  It is possible that whatever parts had been made were shipped from there up to Bozeman during the early years of production.  If so, than assembled in Bozeman might be more accurate.  

Lots of sycamore! I think Gibson bought a LOT of sycamore from a tennis racket factory or something. That wood went from Kalamazoo to Nashville to Bozeman until they finally used it all up. 

[zombywoof]

13 hours ago, ksdaddy said:

Lots of sycamore! I think Gibson bought a LOT of sycamore from a tennis racket factory or something. That wood went from Kalamazoo to Nashville to Bozeman until they finally used it all up. 

There is an interview with Ren where he talked about buying and adapting wood bending machinery which had been designed to turn out tennis rackets.

Edited February 10 by zombywoof

[PrairieDog]

22 hours ago, Buc McMaster said:

Yes, Kalamazoo closed in 1984 and Gibson began building acoustics in Bozeman, MT in 1988.............so yours should be a Bozeman build, as I would think the sound hole label would indicate.  Where is the "coming back as a Kalamazoo build" info coming from?

Probably coming from the bit in the guide that says, 499 and under was Kala and over 500 was Nashville, but that was only during the transition, before the move to Bozeman.  It’s seems folks miss that part.