Kalamazoo Girls

[Billyboygretsch]

Monday night radio 2 23rd June 22.00 Should be very interesting

[Billyboygretsch]

Found this picture of the original Gibson Kalamazoo factory.. Not very interesting but I suppose not many factories look appealing. Nashville showroom is nice though. Went there about 4 years ago.

[Billyboygretsch]

Here is the picture of the girls which they referred to in the program. Interesting story

[Billyboygretsch]

Just checked out google earth. 225 Parsons Street Kalamazoo. Still there with Gibson still on the chimney.

[JimN]

Great photos (and a great programme - currently copying it to a wav from iPlayer).

I know it will never be a popular thing to say here, but Gibsons (I have nine of them) are THE BEST guitars, bar none.

Notes on the recording: that's Stardust by Charlie Christian (Benny Goodman Sextet) at about 12:00.

[Billyboygretsch]

http://guitarkadia.com/emon/blog/the-st ... azoo-gals/
This is a good link for much more info and sound clips and the album recordings

[Billyboygretsch]

Jim do any of your Gibsons have "only a Gibson is good enough" on the headstock ! If they made 24000 during the war just think of the value nowadays. Interesting why Gibson in denial of it all

[JimN]

Jim do any of your Gibsons have "only a Gibson is good enough" on the headstock ! If they made 24000 during the war just think of the value nowadays. Interesting why Gibson in denial of it all

Gibson don't deny it at all. That's just the (rather far-fetched) made-up hook on which the programme was based. To be honest, the programme probably wouldn't have even been made but for that claim. Gibson have never said that they didn't make guitars during the war, and their shipping ledgers make that clear. Gibson seem to have come in for a lot of - frankly, left-wing - criticism and attacks over the last few years. I'm finding it hard not to see the programme's slant as another manifestation of that.

Gibson did explain to potential customers during wartime (in advertising) that supplies of certain of their products might well be limited - and they were. Chiefly, I'd say, the archtops which were always their flagship items - and especially their electric guitars fitted with the Charlie Christian pickup, which are well-known to have more or less dried up at the time because of the difficulty of getting the constituent metals.

Many USA companies- not only Gibson - were affected by materials rationing during WW2, and many, including guitar makers, turned their attention to production of war-related items or components. Leo Fender has recounted how he was prevented by material rationing from developing his amplifier and guitar range until after hostilities had ended.

No, I don't have a Gibson with the wartime "banner" ("Only A Gibson Is Good Enough"), but Bruce Welch used to have one (it can be seen in the film "The Young Ones"), and I've certainly seen quite a few of them for sale, though mainly in the United States. They are not uncommon.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/29785641@N07/14312141418/in/photostream/

That was the headstock of a 1943 Gibson L50 archtop, by the way. No neck binding and only dots for fretmarkers.

[GoldenStreet]

My ambition has long been to own a 'banner' Southern Jumbo (a fancier J-45, really, as used by Woody Guthrie), but realistically somewhat beyond my pocket, I fear, even if I could find an example. As far as I know, none of the various reissue versions (with the original teardrop pickguard) has featured the banner styling.

Bill

[GoldenStreet]

My ideal Gibson acoustic... various versions were produced with bound and unbound fingerboards.

http://www.dirtandseeds.com/my-gibson-s ... -by-women/

Bill