Gibson L-5 Fans - How is the Kalamazoo Award Considered?

**deacon Mark** · 07-20-2020, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by jazzkritter

I noticed his website doesn’t seem to indicate he’s an archtop specialist, which is my convoluted way of me saying do check out Larry Wexler. Although I don’t know him personally there are few better than Larry. (I had a mutual friend with Stan Jay whom Larry worked for at Mandolin Bro’s so I worked with Stan.)
Stan probably forgot more about archtops than any of us know, and Larry was there learning, so definitely recommend you have a chat.
Hey anybody remember Stan’s crazy catalogs?
And good luck with your quest znerken!

Well I knew Stan a bit and he sold me my D'angelico New Yorker 1937 back in about 1982. Glad I bought it and still have it. For the record I know Larry much better and on a more personal note. He is a fantastic guitarist too and one of the best players I know who is also a dealer. Larry can hold his own playing the guitar and to me that also is why is is such a great resource and wealth if information.

If I had spare money his 1963 Johnny Smith he has for sale nowI would buy right now. For sure they will never make another Johnny Smith GIbson and it was made within about 8 years of the Guitar pattern it came from Johnny;s 17 inch Dangelico New Yorker. THe OP might do real well to save the extra coin and buy this Gibson. Then you still have over $3000 to spend on something else

**jazzkritter** · 07-20-2020, 04:02 PM

Good comments sir and agree anyone with that $ to spend right now should have a great pick of the litter.
A box of all of Mandolin Bros catalogs has got to be big and weight a half ton)))
We had no idea back then how lucky we were close by them and 48th street, or that it would all disappear.

**vinnyv1k** · 07-21-2020, 05:22 PM

I bought a brand new L5P/BJB with warranty from Wildwood for $7K. It was VSB though.

**Woody Sound** · 07-22-2020, 11:38 AM

Originally Posted by Greentone

The finest Gibson acoustic guitar I ever played was a 1980 blonde KA. It was way above any L5 or Super 400 I had ever played.

Truly an acoustic archtop for the ages.

Makes ya wonder, WHY? Did they put more effort into carving it differently?

**ManfredS400** · 03-04-2021, 09:46 AM

Just joined the forum, so my comment might be outdated while typing it ...
Spending such an enormous sum for a "working" guitar - you still intend to take it to gigs? - sounds a bit strange to me. Personally, I am always looking at the value that I get for a given price. I own - and regularly play - three Gibson models (ES175, L-5, S-400), all of them are "gigable" but of different sound characteritics. The smallest and cheapest one offering the lowest sound quality - but still good enough for pure jobs of accompaniment. The L-5 is my favorite, I bought it as brand new in 2017 and it's the perfect instrument for any stage, for a more acoustic sound I'm using the S-400. None of the big ships cost me more than 10k, and I can be sure they could be re-sold any time without financial loss.
So why buy a Kalamazoo Award Gibson at twice the price? For sure, these instruments are the best sounding Gibson archtops - ideally suited for collectors and players. But if your priority is playing gigs and sessions I'd leave this precious piece of craftmanship at home and take a solid workhorse to your gigs.

**citizenk74** · 03-07-2021, 09:59 PM

**Hammertone** · 03-08-2021, 02:15 AM

Originally Posted by GTRMan

Its less an L5 and more in the Johnny Smith architecture, or Citation..

The Kalamazoo Award has a different body size, different rim depth and different f-holes than the L-5C.
It had the dimensions of a Johnny Smith / Citation, with a 25 1/2" scale length.

Originally Posted by Danny W.

My KA was probably the most acoustic archtop I've owned, but it was nothing like an L-5, except for being similar in size. It's not "an L-5 with bling."

Originally Posted by Marty Grass

Only a few Gibson employees worked on them. They used the best woods. The tops and backs were carefully tuned. The braces also got a lot of attention.
My impression is that they were the sort of guitar that was put in a glass display case and only occasionally taken out to show others and to play a little.
Some would claim that it is the ultimate Gibson guitar. But in reality those who built the Citations and Awards argued among themselves about the builds. No one tuned and braced the same. ...

Originally Posted by Greentone

The finest Gibson acoustic guitar I ever played was a 1980 blonde KA. It was way above any L5 or Super 400 I had ever played....

Having played a few of them, I think the original Kalamazoo Award guitars were head and shoulders above the other fully carved 17" archtops of the day that Gibson produced. I can't speak to the reissue discussed above, but IIRC it has the same dimensions and scale as the recent Gibson Legrand.

FWIW, the Heritage Golden Eagle is based on the Kalamazoo Award, not the L-5.

**Marty Grass** · 03-08-2021, 10:17 AM

Originally Posted by Danny W.

Attachment 74151

Call me shallow but I love the looks of this guitar. If it plays well and sounds great, those are pluses.

**laap45** · 10-03-2021, 12:26 PM

What happened in the end?

QUOTE=znerken;1048735]Seller keeps saying it is worth the price, so I guess there will be no deal. I offered him 13 000 USD, which I actually think would be a good deal for him.[/QUOTE]

**tomvwash** · 05-19-2025, 10:12 PM

Originally Posted by laap45

What happened in the end?

QUOTE=znerken;1048735]Seller keeps saying it is worth the price, so I guess there will be no deal. I offered him 13 000 USD, which I actually think would be a good deal for him.

[/QUOTE]

Nice thread on this, which I came to after seeing Johnny Mac's KA listed again. The OP's original post reference is still listed...7-8 years later now? Not budging on price.

**Marty Grass** · 05-20-2025, 07:40 AM

The KA is a collectible. There are few and no more will be made.

I have touched a couple. They are stunning and extremely carefully made.

**Gitfiddler** · 05-20-2025, 12:45 PM

Originally Posted by Hammertone

The Kalamazoo Award has a different body size, different rim depth and different f-holes than the L-5C.
It had the dimensions of a Johnny Smith / Citation, with a 25 1/2" scale length.

Having played a few of them, I think the original Kalamazoo Award guitars were head and shoulders above the other fully carved 17" archtops of the day that Gibson produced. I can't speak to the reissue discussed above, but IIRC it has the same dimensions and scale as the recent Gibson Legrand.

FWIW, the Heritage Golden Eagle is based on the Kalamazoo Award, not the L-5.

I never knew that the Heritage Golden Eagle was based on the Gibson K.A. Your side-by-side image of these two magnificent archtops appears to confirm same, however.

For further comparison I've attached a photo of my '93 Golden Eagle. I did not order it, but it must have been a custom build with high quality quilt maple back and sides. Also the spruce top is a very tight grain, likely an upgrade as well. Best of all it has a loud, beautiful acoustic voice.

**tomvwash** · 05-20-2025, 12:56 PM

Originally Posted by Gitfiddler

I never knew that the Heritage Golden Eagle was based on the Gibson K.A. Your side-by-side image of these two magnificent archtops appears to confirm same, however.

For further comparison I've attached a photo of my '93 Golden Eagle. I did not order it, but it must have been a custom build with high quality quilt maple back and sides. Also the spruce top is a very tight grain, likely an upgrade as well. Best of all it has a loud, beautiful acoustic voice.

I did not realize this either. The GE is really on the level of a KA?

**Rickco** · 05-20-2025, 01:05 PM

Originally Posted by Gitfiddler

I never knew that the Heritage Golden Eagle was based on the Gibson K.A. Your side-by-side image of these two magnificent archtops appears to confirm same, however.

For further comparison I've attached a photo of my '93 Golden Eagle. I did not order it, but it must have been a custom build with high quality quilt maple back and sides. Also the spruce top is a very tight grain, likely an upgrade as well. Best of all it has a loud, beautiful acoustic voice.

I have a '97 GE same thing beautifully acoustic I heard it played next to a Gib JS and pre war L5, What I dont get about the KA is how you play it without scratching the pickguard. It comes down to taste and expectation, the GE put my Gib l5/JS itch to bed. My Epi prewars however can only be matched by a similar Gibby, and if its beauty ones looking for the Deluxe and Emperor from that era were spectacular and can be found for far less than KA.

**Hammertone** · 05-20-2025, 01:23 PM

Five years on, I hope the OP sorted out a nice guitar. Given that he was in Australia, and trying before buying was not in the cards, I hope he had a generous return window and got something he liked.

Another fun image to chew on - a Legrand next to a GE Custom that was made by Pete Farmer for NAMM @2018, and sat on the Heritage website's custom guitars for sale page for a few years before being sold: