Re: Gibson, Tonk & Kalamazoo
Gibson Inc. manufactured instruments under a variety of names, with Kalamazoo being one of the more common -- but there are dozens, a bewildering variety. Here's what the Fox Guitars website lists:
From 1926 through 1970, Gibson guitars made over 40 different brands and over 300 different models of instruments that didn't carry the Gibson name. The vast majority of the "budget brands" were made during The Great Depression. They include names like Bellson, B&S Barrington, Oriole, Cromwell, Kalamazoo, Ambassador, Capital, Carson Robison, Ray Whitley, Andy Sannella, Fascinator, Francis Day & Hunter, Grinnell, Hayden, Kel Kroydon, Martelle, Marshall Special, Henry L. Mason, Mastertone Special, Mitchell Brothers, Old Kraftsman (Spiegel), Montgomery Wards/Recording King, Reznick Radio Special, S.S. Stewart, Trujo & Truett, Washburn, and Werlein Leader. Gibson also supplied many guitar components for National/Valco. Here is the most complete collection of all of the known "budget brands" including descriptions, catalog illustrations, shipping ledgers entries, and photographs of existing instruments. New brands keep popping up all the time with names like Joe C. Sapp, Morris King, Marlin Conrad Studios, Levy-Page, Liberty, B&S Barrington, Pifer, Robinson, Clark, Concentino and Forbes Radio Special that were all recently discovered. It is almost certain that more budget brands have yet to be discovered.
I'd take a slight exception to the idea that these brands were of the same quality as the main-line Gibsons; they were, in many cases, designed to be "budget models," and differed in construction and especially finish and ornamentation. Other "non-Gibson" brands were basically regular Gibson instruments, but labeled to be sold by catalog merchants, or individual dealers -- or even musician/teachers.
The Gibson experts among us (not me!) can usually tell when an instrument's of Gibson origin, even when it's labeled with another name. The practice of "off-labeling" instruments for sale by others -- as well as marketing "budget lines" of instruments, but not using the firm's "premiere" designation, to preserve the "Gibson means quality" image -- was very common, and you'll find a label like "S S Stewart" on a melange of instruments made by a half-dozen firms.
Allen Hopkins
Gibsn: '54 F5 3pt F2 A-N Custm K1 m'cello
Natl Triolian Dobro mando
Victoria b-back Merrill alumnm b-back
H-O mandolinetto
Stradolin Vega banjolin
Sobell'dola Washburn b-back'dola
Eastmn: 615'dola 805 m'cello
Flatiron 3K OM
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