k

manufactured

info    updated 10/10/2008...please email corrections/info

Kalamazoo

1933 - 1970

Gibson budget line ca 1933-1942, 1965-1970

http://www.rru.com/~meo/Guitar/Amps/Kalamazoo/

http://www.blueheartarchive.com/bluesnews/robertjohnson.htm

http://www.fret-dancer.com/viewguitars.php?groupid=31

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibson_Kalamazoo_Electric_Guitar

Kalamazoo guitar catalog

1966 http://www.vintageguitars.org.uk/catalogues.php

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Kalamazoo

1962-1970

Kapa guitars were designed and built by Kope Veneman and Company in Hyattsville, Maryland, USA.  Original guitars were made with German parts. Sold to Mosrite in 1970.  [Source: jazzgitarren ]

Examples http://vintageguitarpro.com/kapagallery.shtml

http://www.popmuzikant.nl/dossiers.php?itemid=1022&catid=58

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Kapa

Karol Custom Guitars

2002 to present

"I made my first electric guitar body in 1978, then started building again once out of school and working full time in the late 80s. Acoustics started in 1999, with it becoming a full time profession in 2002. I have my current shop located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, just outside Toronto.
Early Karol guitars have a sequential number, and most will be signed on the inside of the top as well. These were all built in 2000, 2001 and 2002. In 2003, numbers were assigned by year, then order of completion, ie. 0304 would be the 4th guitar built/finished in 2003. The underside of the top is also signed by me with the year.
Early soundhole labels read Karol Lutherie, while everything post 2002 would have the newer Karol Guitars label with the serial number and my signature on them." [Source: Tony Karol, email 19/7/2008 ]

Kasuga

late 1960s to early 1980s

Kasuga was established in 1935 in Nagoya by Miki Bukichi. Kasuga made guitars, banjos, mandolins, violins and ukeleles. Kasuga started their own brand of guitars in the 1960's and in the 1970's made the Heerby and Ganson brands and partnered with Roland on a guitar synth. Kasuga and Tokai made Conrad guitars in the 1970s.

In the 1980's/1990's they made guitars for Yamaha, Burny/Fernandes and the early Navigators.

Kasuga apparently made some Washburn models around 1988 or so with a serial number starting with a K and they might have also made some Jackson and BC Rich guitars.

They also did BC Rich type copies for the Japanese market with a K on the headstock instead of a B.

Kasuga went out of business in the mid 1990's.  [Source: Tokai forum ]

no serial numbers?

http://www.guitarpool.com/docs/users/soulman/soulman-guitar-misc3.shtml

Search at http://www.vintageguitar.com

http://www.wietsesguitars.nl/pagina9a.html

Kasuga guitar catalogs

Scorpion series http://lngngo1043.nomaki.jp/index.html

1980 acoustic http://www.t-shiga.com/sub7-5-1.htm

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Kasuga

Kawai

Search at http://www.vintageguitar.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawai

http://www.bigredtoybox.com/cgi-bin/toynfo.pl?guitarsindex

Kawai moon http://www.tanabe.tv/top/guitar/KAWAIMOON.html

http://wietsesguitars.nl/page27.html

http://www.myrareguitars.com/eKawai.html

1978 Kawai KS 700 http://www.myrareguitars.com/ekawaiks-700.html

Kawaii mosrite http://ushigomepan.cool.ne.jp/teiscotone/gallery.html

Kawai acoustic guitar catalog 1980 http://www.t-shiga.com/sub7-5-1-49.htm

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Kawai

Y Kawakami Guitars

1997 to present

Yasuke Kawakami, a Japanese luthier making guitars since 1997. Migrated to Vancouver, Canada  in 2002.

"Currently, my serial number is 175.  My serial number doesn't use date or year. I make custom guitars for Ritchie Blackmore." [Source: Yasuke Kawakami, email 4/8/2008 ]

Kawika (Ukeules)

1985 to 2006

"I began making ukuleles (not ukeleles) around 1985 and stopped making them in 2006.  The company name is "Ukuleles by Kawika" not "Kawika Ukeleles".  Kawika is the way David is spelled/pronounced in Hawaiian.

 I have probably made about 700 instruments total but those made in the time period 1998-2006 would be my best quality ones.  Near the end of my instrument making career, my instruments were selling for ~$3000.  All my instruments have one of my business cards glued to the back on the inside of the instrument.  Each instrument also has the top, back and the inside of the heel block initialed and dated with its time of completion.  I made several hundred soprano ukuleles when we lived in Houston, TX and Arlington,VA before moving to Hilo where I still live. [Source: David C Hurd, Hilo, Hawaii, USA, email 19/7/2008 ]

Kay

1930s to 1960s

Kay was founded in 1890 as the Groehsl Company. The name was changed to Stromberg-Voisinet in 1921. They made the Mayflower line of guitars, banjos and mandolins. In 1930 they began the Kay-kraft line, named after Henry Kay Kuhrmeyer (company secretary-treasurer). In 1931 the company was renamed Kay when Henry became President of the firm. Henry sold the company in 1955 to Sid Katz, former manager of Harmony's service department. Katz sold the company to the Seeburg Jukebox Company in 1965. In 1967 the company was sold again, to Valco, makers of National, Dobro and Supro. By 1969 the company closed.

Other brands they are associated with are: Airline and Sherwood for Montgomery Wards, Old Kraftsman guitars for Spiegel, Silvertone for Sears.
[Source: Banjo Hangout forum ]

http://www.provide.net/~cfh/other.html

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Guitar-General-649/Kay-Guitars.htm

http://www.minegitarer.com/vintageguitars.htm

http://www.vintagesilvertones.com/gallery.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kay_guitar_company

http://sebastian.virtuozzo.co.nz/gitbox/wiki/index.php/KayGuitars

http://visionloss.blogspot.com/2007/09/kay-acoustic-guitar-story.html

http://www.bigredtoybox.com/cgi-bin/toynfo.pl?guitarsindex

http://vintageguitarpro.com/kaykraft.shtml

http://kingofkays.com/japan.aspx

Examples

http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Museum/museum.html

Kay Les Paul, Kay hollowbody http://www.wietsesguitars.nl/pagina5.html

Kay K48 (1957-51) http://www.vintagearchtop.com/kay_k48.htm

Kay Solo King K4102 http://www.myrareguitars.com/eKay.html

1965 Kay K350 Titan I  http://www.myrareguitars.com/ekaytitank350.html

Valco Truetone Search at http://www.vintageguitar.com

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Kay

See Valco

Kay Bass

http://www.kaybass.com/

http://www.gollihur.com/kkbass/kaymodels.html

KB

See B for Bebensee

http://www.wietsesguitars.nl/pagina5.html

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Keiper+Guitars

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/reviews/electric_guitars/keiper/index.html

Kel Kroydon

1930-1933

In house Gibson budget brand, banjos and guitars. [Source: Gruhn's Guide to Vintage Guitars, 2nd Ed]

Kelday

William C Kelday, luthier, Made in Fintry, Scotland

1994 to present

All my classical guitars have the date of manufacture handwritten and signed on the label which is visible through the soundhole. I keep a book with small descriptions of every guitar I make. I can usually identify a guitar if someone gives me the date on the label. I have most of the original owners names as well." [Source: Dan Kellaway, email 30/3/2008]

http://www.guitarplayer.com/article/michael-kelly-valor/jul-06/21628

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Michael+Kelly

Kendrick

1994 to present

"We don't do serial numbers the way most people do. Since our guitars are custom made, we let the customer choose his own serial number. Most of the time, it ends up looking like a vanity license plate. UR2COOL, I8DBBQ, 2COOL4U, etc.' [source: Mr G Weber,  Kendrick, email 29/1/2007]

Search at http://www.vintageguitar.com

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Kendrick

Sugita Kenji

Kent

http://www.hagstrom.org.uk/history.htm

http://www.hagstrom.org.uk/visstory/visitorsallthe-hs.htm

Search at http://www.vintageguitar.com

Kent 742 http://www.myrareguitars.com/kentstory.html

Kent short scale bass http://www.myrareguitars.com/robergekent.html

Kent guitar catalogs 1965 - 1970 have to send $ for hi-res

http://www.geocities.com/kentking_2000/TheFabulousKentFrontPage.html?1009187334370

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Kent

see Goya, Hagstrom

Ken'z

2000 to present

Exotic, art guitars by Ken McLennan in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

"My guitars are more of a hobby, I started making them in about 2000 because I had carpal tunnel syndrome and I was told that electric guitarz are easier to play.  I was looking for a piece of wood big enough for a guitar when I found what is now Gruff one of the goatarz. The rest of them kind of evolved.  I do offer a strat copy elephant for $600 (if you turn a stat upside down you'll find it looks a bit like an elephant mine look a lot like an elephant) I call these ELEkenzterz.  I make them in my basement with a wide assortment of tools." [Source: Ken, email 13/8/2008 ]

"Kinal guitars and basses. Our company started in Oct 1972. The serial number is usually on the front or back of the headstock. We can give a customer the completion date by that number. We have started to put the date of each instrument in the neck pocket. You can see this when the neck is removed. This was started in July 1995. We are a small company with 2 employees including myself. All wood parts are handmade. We go all the operations here." [Source: Mike Kinal, email 5/4/2008] Photo courtesy of Michael Kinal

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Kinal

1988 to present

Please note that Dave King is a builder of exquisite parlor guitars in London, England and is of no relation to me that we are aware of." [Source: David J King, King Basses, email 22/3/2008]

Dave King Acoustics

Reviews http://www.daveking-acoustics.com/fs_reviews.htm

King Brown Hand Crafts

1986 to present

David Brown, builds Bluegrass Mandolins, Violins (Electric and Acoustic), Guitars, Hillcrest, Queensland, Australia

Kingslight

1980 to present

"I made my first guitar in 1980 and built 5 total under my own name in the early 80's --stopped building for a while and then started up again in 2002 with #6 (or K-6) and have been full time building since then.
 

I put a label in the guitar with date "born"  (strings put on first time), type of guitar, my signature and sometimes what woods it's made of.   Also it gets a serial  "K" number  which is just the number in order in which it was built.  I'm up to K-43.  I always sign the guitar on the underside of the top too just below the
bridge plate... with my name, date (just before the box is closed up) and the K number." [Source: John Kingslight, Portage, Michigan, USA, email 18/7/2008 ]

Kingston

1965-

Jack Westheimer applied the Kingston brand to electric and acoustic guitars from 1965. Most of the electrics were made by Kawai.  Korean models from the 70s.  [Source: Vintage Guitars ]

The following site claims Kingston is a Harmony Brand but in light of the above??? http://harmony.demont.net/brands.php

http://www.vintaxe.com/guitars_japanese.htm

see Cort, Cortez

BC Kingston

Prince Edward Island ,Canada

Kinkade Guitars

1976 to present

UK

Kinman

Before producing the best noise cancelling pickups for strats Chris Kinman was a guitar maker.  In the early 1980s Chris produced the Blueprint series based on 60s strats.

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Kinman

Kinnaird

John Kinnaird, North Carolina, USA

Stephen Kinnaird

Kinscherff Guitars

1990 to present

Jamie Kinscherff, Texas, USA

http://www.musikkeller.com/d/kist.html

http://www.acmerecords.com/pkequipment.php

Edward Klein

2001 to present

"I am a designer and constructor of nylon and steel string guitars working from a studio located in Ontario, Canada. I began serializing my instruments in 2001. The first two numbers after my initials EK in the serial number refer to the year, followed by the sequential number built in that year. For example, EK0703 refers to the third guitar produced in 2007, and EK0803 the third in 2008. This information is located on the label and also stamped into the upper bout block within view looking through the soundhole." [Edward Klein, Luthier, email 10/4/2008]

Steve Klein

1976 to present

Klein guitars 1976 to present. Steve Klein is based in Sonama north of San Fransisco. Since 1995
[Source: Illustrated Directory of Guitars By Ray Bonds

Klesh

2000 to present

"Klesh Custom Guitars began in 2004 when Shane Klesh graduated from Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery in Phoenix, AZ. Klesh has travelled the country apprenticing with many exceptional luthiers including Michael Tobias, Chris Hofschneider and Kelly Butler. The Klesh custom guitar shop currently is in Hazleton, Pennsylvania.

Dating Klesh Guitars
Serial numbers are stamped into the control cavity ledge and are in Guitar/Day/Month/Year order. For example, 128051108 would be the 128th guitar built by Klesh Guitars, completed on November 05, 2008. The guitar production number is also handwritten (under finish) on the back of each peghead, along with the model and luthier's signature." [Source: Shane Klesh, email 29/7/2008 ]

Images courtesy of Shane Klesh:

Howard Klepper

2001 to present

Berkeley USA

Klira

1887 - 1982

http://meatexz.com/cheesyguitars/langenbahn.html

http://www.fetishguitars.com/index/misc_de.html

http://www.musikkeller.com/d/klira.html

http://www.wietsesguitars.nl/pagina9a.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klira

http://www.vintageaudioberlin.de/vabframe/Gitarre.htm

Klira Brasilia http://www.greenbuddha.de/guitars/index_b.php?mod=brasilia&lang=de

http://www.audiogrid.com/guitar/index.html

Klira Bass http://www.vintagebass.com/thedudepit/showthread.php?t=22760

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Klira

1979 to present

"I started building guitars, mandolins and other stringed instruments in 1979. I've built perhaps 300 instruments in all. My guitars and mandolin all have labels, and the date on the label is the serial number. My Messenger Upright Electric basses have dated labels, but also have a serial number stamped on the metal tailpiece." [Source: John Knutson, email 23/8/2008]

Kohno Guitars

1967 to present

"Our company established in 1967.

The year guitar built is written on a label.

Serial number is stamped at the bottom of the neck inside the body." [Source: M.Sakurai, Kohno Guitar Manufacturing, Toshima-ku Tokyo,Japan]

see Orozco, Matsuoka

Koll Guitars

1986 to present

"I started building guitars in the mid 80's. Maybe 1986. This has been with very few exceptions a one person operation.
My main business is solid and semi solid body electric guitars, but you will find stringed instruments of all sorts with the KOLL name.

Banjos, Ukes, acoustic guitars, mandolins, basses, etc.

There are also lots of traditional carved archtop jazz guitars out there. I still make half a dozen a year.
The serial numbers indicate the year of manufacture. The first two digits are the year, the following are the sequence. 07295, for example would be the 295th guitar, manufactured in '07. There are variations, especially the very early stuff. I'm happy to help date instruments if anyone needs that info.
Cliff Cultreri at Destroy all Guitars is my principal dealer....
[Source: Saul, Koll Guitars, email 24/3/2008]

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Koll

Sam Koontz

1960  - ?

http://vintageguitarpro.com/koontz.shtml

see Eric Schulte, Harptone, Standel

Kopo Lutherie

1988 to present

Fred Pons

Kopo at myspace

Kovacik

1995 to present

I also serialize my guitars and that number is found on the label also. In addition to the neck block label I also sign and date the inside of the top prior to assembling the body. I generally also note who the guitar was built for on the inside of the top along with the signature and date." [Source: Steve Kovacik, Kovacik Guitars and fretted Instrument Repair email 18/3/2008]

Kragenbrink

2001 to present

Made since ", Vandercook Lake Michigan. Date of manufacture is written on the back side of the top. Who it was built for and the date the guitar top was glued down.
eg. Written on guitar somewhere, serial number coding system etc (No serial #)" [Source: Lance Kragenbrink, email 22/7/2008]

Kramer

http://www.tokairegistry.com/tokai-info/guitar-dating.html#kramer

http://www.edromanguitars.com/newsite/guitars/kramer/info.htm

Neck plates http://www.vintagekramer.com/parts2.htm

Headstocks http://www.vintagekramer.com/parts7.htm

http://members.aol.com/TBoling125/story.html

http://www.abalonevintage.com/gp.kramer.htm

http://ericernest.com/gp.kramer.ID.serial.US.htm

http://www.autohobbydigest.com/aluminum_guitars/kramer.html

Kramer Duke http://www.vintageguitar.com

Metal http://www.metalnecks.com/index.php/mID/39