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Midtown Kalamazoo Semi-Hollow Electric Guitar
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An elegant looking Jazz box with a thin body, '57 Classic humbuckers and an amazing price.
The original Byrdland guitar”unveiled from Gibson' Kalamazoo, Michigan, factory in 1955”was designed in consultation with two first-call Nashville session players, Billy Byrd and Hank Garland, and it incorporated several œadvancements that the two saw as beneficial to the player of the day. Its fast, slim neck profile and shorter 23-½ scale length were intended to boost soloing speed and ease complex jazz chording, while its thinline hollow body helped to minimize feedback yet retained traditional archtop tone.
The Midtown Kalamazoo offers all these classic Byrdland-inspired features, and tops them off with the elegant looks of the real deal from the mid ™50s. Byrdland-style acrylic pearloid block fingerboard inlays, a multi-bound headstock with œflower pot inlay, multi-ply body binding, gold hardware, and a high-gloss Vintage Sunburst finish in hand-sprayed nitrocellulose lacquer all help to make this an exceptionally classy guitar that represents the zenith of the Midtown line.
In terms of tone, Gibson USA continues Midtown tradition by loading the guitar with an augmented dose of power and versatility. A pair of ™57 Classic pickups present that hallowed PAF warmth and depth in standard mode, while four-conductor wiring allows split-coil sounds via push-pull switching on the tone knobs. Add it up, and the Midtown Kalamazoo is both an elegant celebration of the past achievements of Kalamazoo, and a superbly adaptable performer for today' jazz, rock, blues, or country guitarist.
Body and Neck
Much like the Byrdland guitar of 1955, the Midtown Kalamazoo has a thinline acoustic body made with a Grade-A maple top and a Grade-A mahogany back. Its Grade-A mahogany neck is carved to a fast profile that measures 0.818 at the 1st fret and 0.862 at the 12th, with a 23-½ scale length for enhanced speed and comfort. It' topped with a Grade-A rosewood fingerboard featuring acrylic pearloid block inlays, and crowned by a traditional multi-ply Byrdland headstock with œflower pot inlay. The guitar looks exquisite in a high-gloss Vintage Sunburst finish in hand-sprayed nitrocellulose lacquer.
Pickups and Electronics
Two ™57 Classic humbuckers load the Midtown Kalamazoo with traditional PAF-style depth, richness, and clarity, while equipping it for the needs of today' more demanding guitarist. The four-knob control complement with three-way Switchcraft selector switch retains a classic look, but push-pull switching hidden within each pickups™ individual tone control taps split-coil tones for a wide range of alternative voices, with a reverse-polarity bridge pickup for superior hum rejection in the middle œsingle coil position.
Hardware
Grover locking keystone tuners lead off the Midtown Kalamazoo' elegant gold hardware, which also includes Gibson' legendary tune-o-matic bridge for enhanced solidity and sustain, and a traditional zig-zag trapeze tailpiece. A bound fingerboard, multi-ply body and headstock binding, amber top-hat knobs, and a bound Tortoise pickguard complete this deluxe package.
Case and Coverage
The Midtown Kalamazoo comes protected in a black hardshell case and includes a truss-rod wrench and Gibson USA owner' manual.
Features
- Bound multi-ply body with maple top and f-holes
- Mahogany neck with Byrdland profile
- Pair of '57 Classic humbucking pickups in the neck and bridge positions
- Gold-plated tune-o-matic bridge and 165-style tailpiece
- Grover locking Keystone tuners with 18:1 tuning ratio
Been waiting for a jazzy alternative to the 335? Order today.
Midtown Kalamazoo Semi-Hollow Electric Guitar Specifications:
Body- Top: Maple
- Back: Mahogany
- Body Type: Hollow body
- Binding: 3-ply W/B/W
- Adhesive: Franklin Titebond 50
- Species: Mahogany
- Profile: Byrdland
- Truss Rod: Traditional Adjustable
- Joint Angle: 4 (+/- 15 seconds)
- Adhesive: Franklin Titebond 50
- Joint: Mortise & Tenon
- Adhesive: Franklin Titebond 50
- Joint Angle: Tolerance +/- .005"
- Species: Rosewood
- Frets: 22
- Radius: 12"
- Binding: White
- Nut/E.O.B: 1.695/2.234
- Scale Length: 23-1/2"
- Inlays: Acrylic Perloid Block
- Material: Corian
- Width: 1.695
- Slots: Gibson PLEK System
- Type: SP2
- Logo: Acrylic Gibson & "Flower Pot"
- Truss Rod Cover: Black and White Blank
- Binding: Multi-ply W/B/W/B/W
- Angle: 17 Degrees
- Model: Grover Locking Keystone
- Plating: Gold
- Tuning Ratio: 18:01
- Type: Tune-o-matic
- Plating: Gold
- Type: 165-style
- Plating: Gold
- Knobs: Vintage Amber Top Hat
- Pickguard: Multi-ply Tortise
- Pickup Mounting Rings: Black Plastic
- Control Plate Cover: Black Plastic
- Strings: .009 - .046, Genuine Gibson strings
- Strap Buttons: Aluminum End Pins
- Neck Position: '57 Classic (Alnico II)
- Bridge Position: '57 Classic (Alnico II)
- Potentiometers: 2 Volume Controls, 2 Push/Pull Tone Controls
- Type: 300k Linear Volume, 500k Non-linear Tone
- Coil Wiring: Machine Wound
- Toggle Switch: Three-way Switchcraft with White Plastic Tip
- Output Jack: 1/4" Switchcraft
- Sealer: Nitrocellulose
- Surface Texture: Smooth High Gloss
- Process: 1-1.5 mils
- Type: Hardshell
- Case Exterior: Black
- Free Standard Ground shipping (48 contiguous states, some overweight and Used/Vintage items excluded).
- Orders placed before 3 p.m. ET usually ship the same business day.
Every guitar or bass you purchase from Musician's Friend (electric or acoustic, New or Open Box) includes two years of protection from manufacturer defects.
Our Gear Advisers are available to guide you through your entire shopping experience. Call or Chat for expert advice and to hear the latest deals.