Kalamazoo Senior KTG-11 Flat Top Tenor Guitar (1934)
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Item #6982
Kalamazoo Senior KTG-11 Model Flat Top Tenor Guitar (1934), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, sunburst top, dark back and sides finish, mahogany back, sides and neck, spruce top, rosewood fingerboard, period chipboard case.
This is not only a cool and fairly rare pre-war Gibson-made tenor guitar, but is has a great story with it as well. The Kalamazoo "Senior" was a designation used only in 1933-4; other than that stenciled on the headstock this is a standard KTG tenor guitar, basically the Model KG-11 with a 4-string neck. The tenor versions were not built in nearly as great numbers as the 6-string Kalamazoos, and don't turn up often today. This is a very lightly built, ladder braced guitar with a snappy tone with plenty of volume.
This is a also well-traveled instrument, with a WWII provenance written right on the original case! It belonged to a fellow named Howard T. Schaeffer, who was a T-5 Corporal in the Army Air Corps. The case lid is marked in red paint "Bunky Schaeffer, ETO 43-44-? Towson MD" -at least we think it's "Bunky"; it's hard to be sure because it's partially covered by taped-on mailing labels which detail the next part of the story. According to a hand-written card taped inside, Cpl. Schaeffer had to leave his guitar behind when his unit-the 850th Air Engineering Squadron-moved on. The cards detail a shipment back to his father in the US, along with some other possessions. While this guitar played only the tiniest part in the grand story, it's cool-and kind of humbling-to think of the history this little tenor has survived through.
Overall length is 36 in. (91.4 cm.), 14 13/16 in. (37.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 in. (10.2 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 23 in. (584 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/16 in. (30 mm.). Considering it's interesting history this guitar remains in surprisingly good condition, with some average finish wear but no cracks or other structural issues. There are no alterations except the bridge has been lowered slightly, and of course the added stickers when new! The most noticeable wear is a well-strummed over area on the top just below the fingerboard. The frets show some wear in the first position, above that they look nearly unplayed. The guitar plays fine, with a bright punchy sound. A neat piece of both guitar and WWII history, and still a good-playing instrument. Excellent - Condition.
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This is not only a cool and fairly rare pre-war Gibson-made tenor guitar, but is has a great story with it as well. The Kalamazoo "Senior" was a designation used only in 1933-4; other than that stenciled on the headstock this is a standard KTG tenor guitar, basically the Model KG-11 with a 4-string neck. The tenor versions were not built in nearly as great numbers as the 6-string Kalamazoos, and don't turn up often today. This is a very lightly built, ladder braced guitar with a snappy tone with plenty of volume.
This is a also well-traveled instrument, with a WWII provenance written right on the original case! It belonged to a fellow named Howard T. Schaeffer, who was a T-5 Corporal in the Army Air Corps. The case lid is marked in red paint "Bunky Schaeffer, ETO 43-44-? Towson MD" -at least we think it's "Bunky"; it's hard to be sure because it's partially covered by taped-on mailing labels which detail the next part of the story. According to a hand-written card taped inside, Cpl. Schaeffer had to leave his guitar behind when his unit-the 850th Air Engineering Squadron-moved on. The cards detail a shipment back to his father in the US, along with some other possessions. While this guitar played only the tiniest part in the grand story, it's cool-and kind of humbling-to think of the history this little tenor has survived through.
Overall length is 36 in. (91.4 cm.), 14 13/16 in. (37.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 in. (10.2 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 23 in. (584 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/16 in. (30 mm.). Considering it's interesting history this guitar remains in surprisingly good condition, with some average finish wear but no cracks or other structural issues. There are no alterations except the bridge has been lowered slightly, and of course the added stickers when new! The most noticeable wear is a well-strummed over area on the top just below the fingerboard. The frets show some wear in the first position, above that they look nearly unplayed. The guitar plays fine, with a bright punchy sound. A neat piece of both guitar and WWII history, and still a good-playing instrument. Excellent - Condition.