What guitars are made in Kalamazoo?
Although the classic Gibson guitar, used by such greats as Prince, Keith Richards, Johnny Cash, and B.B. King, might bring to mind its current Nashville home, the guitar’s roots are actually in the Michigan city of Kalamazoo. Built in 1917, the Gibson Factory there created some of the most iconic guitars ever made.
Are Kalamazoo guitars any good?
These are ladder braced, but very lightly built and very nice guitars for the kind of guitars they are. They are a nice compliment to a more complex x-braced guitar because they are so fundamental. Many people swear by them for blues or ragtime. I have a Kalamazoo arch top and I absolutely love the guitar!
What year did Gibson stop making guitars in Kalamazoo?
1984
The company closed its Kalamazoo factory in 1984 and moved its headquarters to Nashville. That factory was later adopted by former Gibson employees who started Heritage Guitar Inc. to make handmade guitars.
How do you date a Kalamazoo guitar?
The headstock shape is the best dating feature of the guitar, since Kalamazoo serialization does not follow Gibson’s. The top of your headstock tapers up to a point, placing the date of manufacture between 1938 and 1940.
Who makes Kalamazoo guitar?
Gibson
Kalamazoo is the name for two different lines of instruments produced by Gibson. In both cases Kalamazoo was a budget brand.
Does Gibson still make guitars in Kalamazoo?
Kalamazoo, Mich. After Gibson moved all of its production to Nashville in September of 1985, a few Gibson workers decided to stay behind in Kalamazoo and open a guitar company of their own — right in Gibson’s former building. Today, the old Gibson factory at 225 Parsons Street has housed Heritage Guitar Inc.
What kind of instrument is a Kalamazoo?
This guitar was made by Gibson, Inc. in Kalamazoo, Michigan around 1940. The “Kalamazoo” brand of musical instruments including guitars, banjos, mandolins and violins were made from 1934 to 1942.
When did Epiphone leave Kalamazoo?
As used by Ernest Tubb and Loretta Lynn. The Excellente was produced from 1963 to 1969 and a total of 139 examples left the Kalamazoo factory.
Why did Gibson Close Kalamazoo?
James Deurloo, plant manager, said the reason for closing the Kalamazoo plant is purely economic. The company, now owned by Norlin Industries, has a surplus of manufacturing space. Sales have declined dramatically. Gibson sold $20 million worth of instruments in 1982 and only $14 million last year.
Is a Kalamazoo and musical instrument?
The “Kalamazoo” brand of musical instruments including guitars, banjos, mandolins and violins were made from 1934 to 1942. Gibson made a small number of “Kalamazoo” instruments in the 1950s and a decade later, reintroduced the brand with a series of electric guitars and basses, and amplifiers.
When did Kalamazoo make Epiphones?
The Epiphone Spirit and Special were produced in the early 1980s in Kalamazoo.
Where are Epiphones made?
Qingdao
Epiphone guitars are manufactured in Gibson’s Chinese-based Qingdao factory. The majority of Epiphone’s instruments have been made exclusively in this facility since 2004, including their solid-body, hollow-body and acoustic guitars.