1931 Kel Kroydon KK-1

FON 13. Kel Kroydon was one of Gibson’s first off-branded instrument lines, and its logo graced the headstocks of flat-top guitars, banjos, and A-style mandolins between 1930 and 1932. The effects of the Great Depression were beginning to be felt, and instrument sales were sagging. Gibson offered the Kel Kroydon branded instruments at significantly lower prices than their Gibson branded equivalents to encourage sales; but apart from their lack of adjustable truss-rods the Kel Kroydens were otherwise identical in build.

The KK-1’s body is interchangeable with the fancier Argentine Grey L-2, but with simple white top binding and single-ring rosette inplace of the L-2’s gold sparkle and multi-ring rosette. The L-2 is a very rare model; and, for this reason, Kel Kroydens have become a highly sought after alternative. These are some of the most singularly fine sounding flat tops Gibson ever manufactured.

Extremely lightly built, the KK-1’s braces are razor-thin and unscalloped. Its bridge plate is thin and tiny, and its bridge is as small as was practical. Most Kels and L-2’s show some amount of top deflection thanks to their light build, and this guitar is no exception to this norm. There is subtle sinkage on the treble side of the soundhole thanks to a brace that had become loose years ago and stayed that way until the guitar found its way to our repairshop. The balance of the top shows a healthy arch, without any sinkage infront of the bridge. The neck is very modern in feel, with a round carve and low-oval feel. The original fingerboards on many 1930-32 Gibsons are very thin, which adds to the small feel of the neck on this guitar. The whole package weighs in at 2-3/4” pounds – about half a pound lighter than an L-00 built in the late 1930’s.

The guitar plays very well, thanks to set-up work done here at Folkway. Its has a number of repaired top cracks; all of which appear to have been fixed at the factory prior to finish; a fingerbrace and backbrace appear to have been replaced as part of this factory repair. A few of the top cracks had opened over time and have subsequently been reglued; and a few braces have been reglued. A crack along the side of the fingerboard was repaired in our shop, along with a pair of long back cracks. All the cracks are now structurally up to snuff and cleanly and evenly fixed. No finish work was done. There are a few older repairs to note as well; a small side puncture/dent near the bottom of the guitar appears to have been repaired when the guitar was young, and there is a fine crack through the endpin hole that has also been nicely repaired and reinforced. Original nut, bridge, finish and frets. One replaced bridge pin, older changed tuners. It’s a remarkable sounding guitar – sweet and round – and very old-timey in what it offers. We have it strung with John Pearse 12-53 Phosphor over Silk, and highly recommend these strings with any pre 1932 Gibson flat top.

With newer hardshell case

educed - was $2995

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