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1978 Gibson Kalamazoo Award

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Serial #: 71308055, label hand signed: Wilbur Fuller, June 21st, 1978

Finish: original blonde finish, varnish type

Body size at lower bout: 17" Body depth: 3" Scale length: 25 1/2" Nut width: 1 11/16"'

Materials: Handcarved bookmatched solid spruce top; highly figured AAAA quilted maple back and sides; 5 piece tiger flame neck with walnut centerstripes; solid ebony fingerboard with high color abalone block fingerboard inlay; abalone "eagle and branch" peghead with prewar thin script Gibson logo; deluxe 9-ply body binding, 5-ply peghead and fingerboard binding, 3 ply back binding, triple bound f-holes, bone nut; pearl "block and wedges" inlay on back of peghead.

Hardware: 100% original hardware includes gold tailpiece with ebony insert inlaid with abalone eagle in flight; solid ebony bridge with abalone inlay in base; gold Kluson Sealfast tuners; gold floating Gibson BJB humbucking pickup with mini-jack mounted to pickguard; quintuple-bound burled maple pickguard with abalone "eagle and branch" inlay; original engraved truss rod cover with "Kalamazoo Award" logo.

Notes: In 1978, top Gibson craftsman Wilbur Fuller persuaded company brass to let him produce the first completely tap-tuned archtop in company history. While the tops and backs of the previous Citation models had been separately tuned, Fuller took it a step further, and meticulously tuned the individual braces of the soundboard as well. The resulting instrument, christened the Kalamazoo Award, was a presentation grade acoustic archtop built to the highest standards of custom handcrafted luthiery. Like the Citation, the Award was produced with an x-braced top, and extravagantly figured AAAA quilted maple, rarer and more costly than the curly variety, and hand rubbed in traditional varnish. A high-skill, labor intensive process used in violin making, varnishes are lighter in application than conventional lacquer finishes, and were revived exclusively for these models by Gibson for the first time since the mid 1920's. More ornate than the Citation, the Kalamazoo Award's "eagle in flight" motif was hand inlaid in rainbow abalone, making it the most richly appointed archtop the firm had produced to that time.

The original Kalamazoo Award was built for six years only, making it one of the rarest of Gibson archtops as well. This pristine example is one of only six Kalamazoo Award models built that first year, and one of just 17 for whom available production records exist. A lovingly maintained instrument in museum quality condition, this guitar has 100% original finish, hardware and case, and shows no evidence of playwear. The honey blonde varnish finish is beautifully ambered over the years, over the AAAA quilted maple back and sides, and the meticulously handcarved bookmatched spruce soundboard. The abalone inlay is executed with exquisite care, and even the pickup notch is inset with 5-ply binding. The gentle D neck profile is slim and inviting, with smooth low action over a fresh high-precision setup. The voice of the X-braced hand carved top is notably deep, woody and resonant, and is faithfully amplified by the original Gibson BJB floating humbucker.

An outstanding example of Gibson's very best, this breathtaking instrument combines exceptional tone, playability and collectibility in one memorable guitar. One only: call now.

Setup: Trussrod tension and neck relief adjusted; bridge height adjusted; bridge compensation set; string slots at nut and bridge inspected and recut as necessary; bridge wheels and tuners lubricated; fingerboard and bridge oiled; body and neck cleaned and hand polished. This instrument is strung with medium gauge nickel flatwound strings (.013-.056). The guitar will accommodate lighter or heavier gauge strings, according to preference. String action is set at 4/64" to 5/64" at the 12th fret, with moderate relief for acoustic playing with medium strings. The action may be lowered or raised to your requirements with the adjustable bridge.

Case: Original deluxe black arched Gibson-logo plush lined hardshell case.