T RASH OR TREASURE
BLUE BOOK PUBLICATIONS
Kalamazoo KG- 14
Dear Trash or Treasure,
Please find attached pictures of my
Kalamazoo guitar. The guitar is a flat top
and the stamp on the back of the headstock is FK-220. Could you please estimate
the value and provide some information on
this guitar? Thanks!
David Thompson in Jonesborough, TN
Hey, David, thanks for the question!
1924 and 1948, and he is probably best-
businessman, and he didn’t have any prior
musical background when he came to work
-
tive as the legendary Ted McCarty (presi-
-
ups and amplifiers were all developed with
Hart as president.
produce something cheaper in order to
started building children’s toys and other
wooden items to keep their employees
working. Toy making became very suc-
by early 1934, they were back to building
instruments full time again. However, Hart
also realized that a budget line of instruments was vital to survival. In 1934, Hart
introduced the Kalamazoo brand of budget
instruments that was named after the city
Kalamazoo instruments came in a variety of
configurations including acoustic flattops,
acoustic archtops, electric Hawaiians, mandolins, and banjos. Although Kalamazoo
several factors that make them different
from one another. Kalamazoo instruments
and other cheaper appointments. Most
notably, Kalamazoo lacked an adjustable
truss rod that has become an important
feature in guitar construction these days.
Regardless of these features, Kalamazoo
instruments were very well-built.
Unfortunately, Kalamazoo instruments often
do not have the model name or number
stamped anywhere on the guitar, making
identification difficult. Kalamazoo only produced two variations of flat top acoustics, so
it is a fairly easy process of elimination. Your
-
a spruce top, mahogany back and sides, a
round soundhole with white binding, tortoise
top body binding, a mahogany neck, rose-
Kalamazoo KG- 14
wood fingerboard, a rosewood bridge, and a
firestripe pickguard. The other Kalamazoo is
shoulders and a square-topped headstock.
tenor configurations.
The headstock shape is the best dating feature of the guitar, since Kalamazoo serializa-
your headstock tapers up to a point, placing
the date of manufacture between 1938 and
1940. According to your pictures the guitar
has been used extensively, and although it
is in perfectly fine playing condition, it is still
considered “Average” by the Blue Book of
Acoustic Guitars grading system. Currently,
this guitar is valued between $550 and $700
in the used marketplace.
decreased production on guitars and focused
on other manufacturing projects to aid in the
war, which is also when the Kalamazoo brand
as another budget brand in 1965 to keep up
with the guitar boom of the 1960s. However,
these Kalamazoos were mainly solidbody
electrics and basses, along with a few guitar
amplifiers. Kalamazoo was retired forever in
-
Kalamazoo instruments were budget brand
instruments in the 1930s and 1940s, and
today they are only worth a fraction of their
so affordable, many players purchased these
guitars and played them a lot. I’ve encountered several Kalamazoo guitars that need
work. Whether it is a cracked body, twisted
neck, or high action, very few of these guitars are in mint condition today. If you are
Kalamazoo is certainly an affordable option.
The Kalamazoo line may be trash to some
high-end collectors, but it sure is a treasure in
many others’ eyes!
Sources: Gibson Guitars, 100 Years of an
American Icon by Walter Carter, Gruhn’s
Guide to Vintage Guitars
and Walter Carter, and Gibson Amplifiers
1933-2008 – 75 Years of the Gold Tone by
Wallace Marx, Jr.
Zachary R. Fjestad
Zachary is the author of the Blue Book of Acoustic
Guitars, Blue Book of Electric Guitars, and the Blue
Book of Guitar Amplifiers.
Questions can be submitted to:
Blue Book Publications
Attn: Guitar Trash or Treasure
8009 34th Ave. S. Ste #175
Minneapolis, MN 55425
800-877-4867
bluebookinc.com
guitars@bluebookinc.com
