£2,099.00
Taxes included.
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Discover a piece of guitar history: this Kalamazoo KG‑14 from 1936, one of the iconic small‑bodied flat‑tops produced under the Gibson umbrella during the Great Depression. Built for affordability, but with a surprisingly honest tone and resilient build, this guitar offers vintage character, “Dust‑Bowl” mojo, and a simple, loud, woody voice that vintage folk, blues and roots players adore.
The KG-14 is famously known as one of only two guitars ever confirmed to have been owned by blues legend Robert Johnson, contributing to its iconic status in American music history.
Ideal as a collector’s piece or a working player, perfect for finger‑style blues and mellow rhythm playing.
The guitar shows signs of an old, successful repair to the neck heel. Pictures under a black light are available upon request. Otherwise it remains in original condition, still having the original tuners, ebony nut and rosewood bridge. The tuners function very well despite their age. These are often replaced as they seize up over time.
Inside the guitar, the neck block is stamped with a 'B' Factory Order Number (FON) dating the guitar to 1936.
The guitar plays well from frets 1 - 7 so fretting chords is easy. However, the previous owner filed slots in the saddle to reduce the action. The action is still measuring high and in my opinion needs a neck reset. I am happy to have this done at no cost but want to give its next owner the choice as some folks prefer guitars of this age remain untouched. If you decide to purchase it, the choice is yours.
Specification Details
Year 1938 (circa late 1930s) based on headstock and construction style
Body Type / Size Small-bodied flat-top; lower bout ≈ 14¾″ (14 ¾″), comparable in size to a Gibson L-00
Body Depth ≈ 4⅜″ at end‑pin block
Scale Length ~ 24¾″ (approx. 629 mm)
Nut Width ~ 1¾″ (≈ 44 mm)
Neck Profile Typical 1930s-style “V” shaped mahogany neck — thicker and robust, built for string tension without a truss rod
Bracing Ladder‑braced spruce top
Top Wood Solid spruce
Back & Sides Solid mahogany
Fingerboard Rosewood board with simple dot markers
Bridge Rosewood
Tuners Original open-back tuners (often Kluson-style or similar period hardware)
Truss Rod None
