Below is a picture of me with one of my most beloved possessions. The guitar in the picture is a 1940 Gibson Kalamazoo KG14 flat-top acoustic. I've written almost 100 songs on that guitar since my father gave it to me when I was 14 years old. This photo was taken in October of 1996 (when I was 20).

Now... a little something for all the guitar enthusiasts. Due to WWI, followed by the great-depression, THEN followed by WWII, Gibson's strategy was to introduce a line of more *affordable* instruments without compromising quality. As a result this guitar for the "working musician" is about three quarters the size of a standard acoustic guitar and had far less ornamentation then their larger counterparts. Despite the leaner approach, the body still consists of a solid spruce, bookmatched, flat-top bound to mahogany sides and back (unbound). The finish is a dark sunburst (now faded) with a firestrip pickguard. The neck is mahogany with an ebonized maple fingerboard (14 frets clear of body). The style was originally made popular by guitarists like blues legend Robert Johnson and American folk-pop crooner Nick Lucas in the mid-1920's (known as the Gibson L00) . Gibson made the Kalamazoo version of this guitar for retail in department stores (as an entry-level brand), and its dimensions are identical to the L00. The only differences are that the Kalamazoo's top is ladder braced with a steel-reinforced neck (the L00 was X-braced with a truss-rod)and the headstock and pickguard are different in shape.

It actually has a very warm, balanced, tone; but there is a strong mid-rangey edge that cannot be overlooked. I've found this instrument to be ideal for bluegrass, and slide blues (very popular styles of music at the time this guitar was made). You may also notice that my Kalamazoo has a Höfner Medallion trapeze tailpiece (origin unknown) in place of the standard peg-hole bridge. Sometime in the early `70's, the tension from the strings was pulling the saddle off the body and cracking the top. The tailpiece was put in place to more evenly distribute that weight. Since then, the intonation has been perfect and it has accompanied me through many creative flurries, drunken-campfires, studio recordings, and other acoustic romps.

Unfortunately, over 50 years of tension had made itself known on the neck (about time eh?), which decided to try to detach itself from the body (taking parts OF the body with it). This happened in spring-1997. Just recently (May 1999), Winnipeg's master-luthier Bob Grierson took my little Kalamazoo, and restored it to more-than-perfect playing order. Now, after two years of sitting on a guitar stand, it's back in action as my songwriting tool. Just recently, the Gibson custom-shop has re-issued the "00" series (including the deeper-bodied Nick Lucas endorsed model) guitars of the 1930's and are selling them for thousands. Vintage versions of the "00" series now go for about $2000US. Because Kalamazoo was a entry-level brand, they are worth less (which can be attributed to its simpler construction and trim). My guitar has not yet been officially appraised by Gibson USA. To find out MORE about Gibson, go to Gibson USA. If you have any questions, comments or corrections, contact me at nealpinto@yahoo.com.