K-Ki Kl-

made

info    updated 22/2/2010

K Country

K Country brand guitars were made by the Kasuga Musical Instruments Mfg Co Ltd, Nagoya Japan.

K Country guitar catalog

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

Images Yahoo 2nd label from 1979

see Kasuga

K Line

current at 2009

Chris Kroenlein builds custom K Line guitars in his workshop in suburban St. Louis, Missouri.

Image courtesy of K-Line

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

K & S Guitars

1991-1999

This entry is essentially the story of George Katechis-Montalvo and Marc Silber that began in the 1970s and discusses K&S, Casa Montalvo and Silber Guitar.  Info is derived from Berkeley Musical Instrument Exchange, and Wayback Machine.

The Berkeley Musical Exchange was established in 1975 in Berkeley, California (current location) by George Katechis Montalvo  George has an extraordinary craft background having worked as a goldsmith, studied Renaissance and Baroque Woodwind construction with Charles Collier in Berkeley and learning the sound board and string technology in association with Steinway new York Concert and Artists Division.

George began importing instruments from Mexico in 1987 under the Montalvo brand.

Marc Silber was a noted guitar historian, restorer, and designer.

Mark joined George in 1990 to form the K&S Guitar Co.  Together they worked with Mexican luthiers, providing better quality timbers and techniques from US to produce a broad range of instruments under the Casa Montalvo, K&S and Silber labels.

The K&S Guitar Company Story from the internet archive.

Specifications and prices from the archive (1997) of the K&S website:

K&S Hawaiian

K&S Ukulele

K&S Steel String Guitars

K&S Mandolins

As of 1 January 1999 K&S split into two companies Berkeley Music and Mark Silber Music.

 Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Acoustic+Guitar/brand/K+&+S+Co.

Image of Silber Charlie Patton model from Wayback Machine:

see Silber, Casa Montalvo

Kakos

1975 to present

Stephen Kakos, classical guitars, Mound, Indiana, USA

Image Cathedral Guitar:

Kalamazoo

1933 - 1970

Kalamazoo guitars and amps were a 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

Images Retrofret, eBay:

Kamico

1947 to ?

Kamico was a part of the Kay-Kraft Musical Instrument Company (which is where the name was derived from) that operated from 1931 to 1968. Kamico brand appeared on lap-steels, amps, mandolin guitars, archtops...

One thread suggested Kay stopped using the Kamico name in 1951 [Source: Ultimate Guitar] but on eBay found one claimed to be 1961.

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

Image Kokomo Music:

see Kay

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 ] Some parts also sold to Micro-Frets [Source: Vintage Guitar Price Guide]

Kapa was the initials of the members of the Veneman family. [Source: Harmony-Central Forum]

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

Images ebay:

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 ]

Kasha

1967-1997

Kasha is a brand of classical guitars built by luthier Richard Schneider (1936-1997) with Dr Michael Kasha, Director, Institute of Molecular Biophysics at Florida State University. [Source: Cybozone]

Notes on Michael Kasha's theories at Vintage Guitar

In Memoriam

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 Kasuga guitar 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 and K Country catalogs http://www.t-shiga.com/sub7-5-1.htm

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

Images courtesy of nicovington 2008 and Yahoo.

The Mellow Tone Guitar label is late 1960s. 1972 labels and a more recent one.

Kata Music

Kata Music.Co.Ltd. China

We mainly produce violin, viola, cello, double bass, guitar, electric instruments, color instruments, wind instruments, bows, bow parts, bow hair, tools and all kinds of accessories.

Our instruments are totally handmade, their craftwork is very meticulous and
we have the world best quality stallion Mongolia/Siberian/Tibet white, black, grey and color bow hairs. [Source: Jessica, Kata Music.Co.Ltd, email 13/9/2009]

Kawai

1960s to

In 1927 Koichi Kawai and associates established the Kawai Musical Instrument Research Laboratory in Hamamatsu, Japan. Koichi Kawai died suddenly in October of 1955 at the age of 70. Succeeding him at the helm was 33-year-old Shigeru Kawai who would lead his family's company into the realm of modern manufacturing. Kawai began producing guitars in the 1960s.

Kawai guitars tribute site - best resource available run by Tony Kawai - help him build this site.

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

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

Kawai KS180

The four pick up S180 manufactured after  Kawai acquired Teisco was made famous by Hound dog Taylor.  Also available in 2 (S160 ) and 3 ( S170 ) pick up models, mid to late 60s.

There is a great deal of mis-information about this guitar on the Teisco Twangers site , mainly the assertion  that  it's identical to the Teisco SS4-L .  I own  a couple of each they're nothing alike apart from the fact that they have 4 pick ups and rocker switches. [Source and image courtesy of M Moffatt, email, 18/4/2009]

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 ]

Kawashima

Kawashima handmade guitars Japan.

Images Yahoo Japan.

Kawika (Ukuleles)

1985 to 2006

"I began making ukuleles 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 Kraft 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 ]

Their own budget line was Kamica (see above)

Dating Kay guitars

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

Good Kay resources

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://kingofkays.com/japan.aspx

Kay reference books

50'S Cool Kay Guitars

Examples of Kay guitars

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

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

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

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

1st headstock image courtesy of Chris Rice, Gear Page forum

2nd headstock Retrofret

Kay Bass

http://www.kaybass.com/

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

Kay Kraft

1931-1937

Original brand name of the Kay Musical Instrument Company

http://littlebrotherblues.com/Gear/Kay-Bolt-Ons-1930s/index.html

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

KB

See B for Bebensee

JP Kiefer

1920s

J. P. Kiefer, a luthier from Hamilton, Ohio, USA, was repairing and building instruments (guitars and violins in the early 1900s. 

Images eBay:

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

1930-1940s

In house Gibson budget brand, banjos and guitars. [Source: Gruhn's Guide To Vintage Guitars ]. The brand name was first used on wooden toys including sailboats as GIbson tried to survive the economic down turn of the time. [Source: Acoustic Guitar]

Some source suggest the brand was only around 1930-1933 or 1931-1934 but there are a number of instruments on sites that claim to be be from later periods including 1937 and 1940.

The American Made Banjo Company is currently making banjos under the Kel Kroydon brand,

Frets.com Guitar example

Image Chazroot

Kelday

William C Kelday, luthier, Made in Fintry, Scotland

1994 to present

Michael Keller

1975 to present

Michael J Keller, flat tops, Mandan, North Dakota, USA

Kellett

current at 2010

Kellett guitars - aluminium guitar bodies.

2000 to present

Michael Kelly acoustic, solid and archtops guitars imported Elite Music Brands, Clearwater, Florida

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

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

Image eBay:

Kendrick

1994 to present

Started making amps in 1989 and introduced guitars in 1994. [Source: Vintage Guitar Price Guide]

"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

1961-1969

Japanese guitars imported to USA by Buegeleisen and Jacobsen of New York.  Some made by Guyatone and Teisco. [Source: Vintage Guitar Price Guide]

Mandolins also http://www.emando.com/builders/Kent.htm

Hagstrom association? or separate Kent brand 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

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

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

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

see Goya, Hagstrom

Images eBay: Acoustic label from 1960.

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 ]

Kett Guitars

1997 to present

"I started building guitars in September 1997. I build my guitars in a small shop in Port Perry, Ontario, Canada.
My guitars can be dated by reading the inscription on the treble side of the inside of the top, visible with a mirror.

I build in a small climate controlled shop in Port Perry, Ontario, Canada. I began my craft in 1997 with a guitar building course, taught by master guitar maker Sergei de Jonge. During the course I built two guitars, and fell in love with guitar making in the process. I was then fortunate enough to apprentice with Sergei for over three years. Since then, I have made my home in a beautiful, artistic part of Port Perry, where I continue to build fine Classical & Steelstring guitars." [Source: Mark Kett Handmade Guitars, email 5/3/2008]

Shiro Kiboto

1970s

Classical guitars made in Japan.

Image eBay:

Kid's guitars are Japanese made copies of Gibson, Fender and Zemaitis. Very high quality. [Source: Guitars Japan]

Tim Kill

Tim Kill Custom handcrafted guitars are made Cockatoo, in the foothills of the Dandenong Mountains, Victoria, Australia

Kimberly

1969-1973

Kimberly guitars were made by Kawai, the company that produces primarily pianos today. They were imported by Limmco Inc. which was owned by Bob Seidman and distributed through the Lafayette Company catalog. They first appeared in 1969 and probably disappeared by 1973 since almost all Japanese manufactures were focusing on producing copy guitars by then. [Source: Vintaxe] Kawai owned Teisco factory.

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

Images eBay:

"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

1980 to present

Premium acoustic and resonators made by Dave King, Reading, Bekshire, United Kingdom

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

Kingslight guitars Portage, Michigan (from 1980-1983 Taos, new Mexico)

"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

1958-1978

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 ] Note: In the Vintage Guitar Price Guide it says 1958-1967.

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

images Kingston guitar headstocks and serial number eBay:

BC Kingston

Prince Edward Island ,Canada

Kinkade Guitars

1976 to present

"Manufacture started 1976.

They are made one at a time by hand, to commission usually, in my workshop 18 Clevedon Tarrace, Kingsdown, Bristol BS6 5TX, England UK.

On the label inisde each guitar is handwritten

Model name eg Kingsdown

Serial No: eg 385

Year of manufacture eg 1999

and signed by the maker, mostly me - Jonny Kinkead. Signature reads W.J. Kinkead in a 'scrawl'.

Some guitars prior to 1987 were made and signed by my brother Simon Kinkead." [Source: Jonny Kinkead, email 16/10/2008]

Kinman

1980s

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

Images Kinman LA Rock guitar from ebay 2009 with the following text:

"Custom built rare one off Kinman LA ROCK PRO 2. It features an American red alder body, rock maple neck with Indian rosewood fretboard and 22 medium jumbo frets, genuine schaller floyd rose tailpiece, a Di Marzio super 3 in the bridge and two Kinman genuine single coil pickups in the neck and middle positions. Kinman also fitted a passive noise cancelling system to these pickups (I think he dubbed it the humbuster). In my opinion, it is superior to the later noise cancelling pickups as you retain genuine single coil tone.
The body is about 7/8th size to a normal S style guiar body. It's lightweight and a real rock monster. The tone runs from funky to screaming.
The bridge pup is high gain heaven.

Kinnaird

John Kinnaird, North Carolina, USA

Image eBay

Stephen Kinnaird

Kinscherff Guitars

1990 to present

Jamie Kinscherff makes acoustic guitars, Austin, Texas, USA

Kirchner Guitars

current

A luthier from a small coastal town in Australia building one beautiful guitar at a time.

Kiso

This Kiso Guitar appears to be different to Kiso Suzuki.  Labels state: Kiso Guitar, Nippon Gengakki I.U LTD, Kiso Fukushima, Japan.

I have seen 3 examples with this label on web - two archtops and a classical.

Image eBay:

Kiso Suzuki

Kiso Suzuki is the name of a now-defunct guitar company from the Kisofukushima region of Japan. [Source and best resource for this brand KisoSuzuki Blogspot]

Here is an interesting statement from Guitarsite:

"Kiso Suzuki is old name of company, now we call "Suzuki Violin". There is Nagoya City Aichi pref. Japan. this company is making a violin, a cello, a viola, a contrabass, and mandolin etc... but it's NOT making and repairing a guitar. Because there are no workperson to make a guitar and there are no drawing. This is why a guitar printed "kiso suzuki" or "Three S" is very rare.
Suzuki was built by Mr.Suzuki Masakichi. May be Suzuki made guitars till first stage of the 80s (it means all Suzuki guitar is senior than me). Suzuki sometime made a guitar as OEM (ex. HILLBILLY, Tomson, Sonoro, Watson, Kansas, ƒ^ƒPƒnƒ‹(Takeharu)).
In Japan, many people uses Suzuki guitar, but it's minor than Yamaha, Yairi or Morris. Suzuki guitar's Model No. means price of it. For example, W-300 is 30000 yen, AE-25 is 25000 yen.(1 dollar is about 110 yen. But during then to now, inflation was occurred in Japan. "

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Kiso+Suzuki+Violin+Company

Images eBay:

1970s

Kl-

K continued