Kalamazoo Oriole KGN-12 Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1940)
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Item # 6228
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Kalamazoo Oriole KGN-12 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1940), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 1231F, natural lacquer finish, maple back and sides, spruce top; mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, black hard shell case.
The early 1940's Kalamazoo Oriole series was intended as a more deluxe version of Gibson's signature budget instruments, and to that end were built of somewhat flashier standard than the "standard" Kalamazoo instruments. The back and sides are made of fancy burl maple veneer, the binding is tortoise celluloid and there is a gold-logo "Oriole" decal with a colored bird image on the headstock. The neck is a very comfortable round "C" profile, unlike the hard "V" commonly encountered on earlier Kalamazoo guitars. The "Orioles" were only in production for a fairly brief period just before WWII and are much rarer-and in some ways prettier-than the common 1930's Kalamazoo flat tops.
Overall length is 40 in. (101.6 cm.), 14 3/4 in. (37.5 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 3/8 in. (11.1 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.). A lovely example overall; all original except for later (1950's) openback Waverly tuners and new bridgepins and endpin. The finish has some checking overall and there is one notable scrape on the top on the upper treble bout, other than that only some minor dings and scrapes. The top has two old sealed and cleated grain cracks, off the soundhole edge just above the low E string and one in the typical spot on the top edge of the pickguard. The bridge has been cleanly lowered slightly. This is a very nice player and one of the nicest sounding of these we have had. Includes a recent HSC. Excellent - Condition.
The early 1940's Kalamazoo Oriole series was intended as a more deluxe version of Gibson's signature budget instruments, and to that end were built of somewhat flashier standard than the "standard" Kalamazoo instruments. The back and sides are made of fancy burl maple veneer, the binding is tortoise celluloid and there is a gold-logo "Oriole" decal with a colored bird image on the headstock. The neck is a very comfortable round "C" profile, unlike the hard "V" commonly encountered on earlier Kalamazoo guitars. The "Orioles" were only in production for a fairly brief period just before WWII and are much rarer-and in some ways prettier-than the common 1930's Kalamazoo flat tops.
Overall length is 40 in. (101.6 cm.), 14 3/4 in. (37.5 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 3/8 in. (11.1 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.). A lovely example overall; all original except for later (1950's) openback Waverly tuners and new bridgepins and endpin. The finish has some checking overall and there is one notable scrape on the top on the upper treble bout, other than that only some minor dings and scrapes. The top has two old sealed and cleated grain cracks, off the soundhole edge just above the low E string and one in the typical spot on the top edge of the pickguard. The bridge has been cleanly lowered slightly. This is a very nice player and one of the nicest sounding of these we have had. Includes a recent HSC. Excellent - Condition.