❌SOLD❌ Gibson Kel Kroydon KK1 Steel String Guitar Natural, 1931

The Gibson Kel Kroydon line appeared in late 1929 as Gibson sought to make inroads into lower price brackets, but without reducing the value of the Gibson name. The line was discontinued in late 1932 or early 1933.

The initial Gibson Kel Kroydon line consisted of two guitar models, two banjos, and two mandolins – plus a set of wooden toys, such as sailboats.

The Kel Kroydon guitars are very similar to the Gibson L-2 models, but with reduced decoration, no truss rod, and lighter builds. The build quality is quite good, but the woods are thin. That lightness makes these guitars very lively and resonant, and the surviving models are highly valued. Like other Gibson models, the Kel Kroydon is built with Spruce for the top and bracing, Mahogany for the sides and back, and Rosewood for the fingerboard and bridge. The bridge plate is Maple.

Here we have a Gibson Kel Kroydon KK1 guitar, built likely during early 1931 or perhaps late 1930 and with an X braced top. It has a FON or Factory Order Number of 9890. As a FON describes a batch, not a single instrument, it’s very possible and indeed expected that a number of examples will have the same FON. It is known that FON 9956 was built in late 1931. so these were 69 batches apart.

While the guitar seems complete, the original small ‘Kel Kroydon by Gibson’ paper label is gone, and if this model had the ‘Parrot’ stencils on the top – those have long since left the nest.

This guitar is largely original, and the finish shows significant wear from decades of use. Fret and fingerboard wear are light, suggesting that this has been re-fretted. That’s great, because it means this guitar is very playable as it is! It is very lively, with lots of representation throughout the spectrum. The bottom end is surprisingly full for a small guitar like this.

A non-original hard shell case is included.