Cromwell G2 1935 | $2250 | (v2320) Cromwell was another in-house 'budget brand' by Gibson, initiated in 1935. The budget-brands were offered to 'jobbers' who would then resell them to stores who couldn't otherwise get the Gibson branded instruments. This arrangement allowed Gibson to produce more inexpensive guitars to be sold through a wider dealer network in order to survive the depression. This model is the Cromwell G2, essentially a Kalamazoo KG14, which is essentially a Gibson L00 without a truss rod and X-braces. Paul Fox, in his book The Other Brands of Gibson, calls the G2 flattop "...quite rare and few exist making them more valuable." According to Fox, the archtops were the most popular models in the Cromwell line allowing few flattops in the market today. As an added historical bonus, this example sports the bright yellow Grossman Music Co. Cleveland OH label.
The FON 1410 is listed as "1935 Cromwell G2" in Spann's Guide to Gibson, dating this one as among the earliest of Cromwell's produced in Kalamazoo. As is often the case with catalogs, the period description differs a bit from the specs of this particular guitar. Dimensions are essentially that of an L00, but lacking the truss rod and X-bracing. Fox reports the fingerboard as "rosewood with a white center stripe". This example lacks the white center stripe. He also lists the "Slanted 'roof peak' peg head with steciled logo." This early example has the same square headstock shape as a typical L00. The top is spruce, with the top, back and sound hole bound in white celluloid, and features a 'firestripe' pickguard. The back and sides are mahogany. The neck is mahogany with a Brazilian rosewood fingerboard, and carved in a very soft 'V'. The head stock is painted black with the CROMWELL logo stenciled in white. The bridge is Brazilian rosewood and the nut ebony.
The body measures 14 3/4" across the lower bout. Scale length is 25". The neck measures 1 3/4" across at the nut, and string spacing is 2 3/8" at the saddle.
The guitar is in overall very good, mostly original condition. It came to us with replaced bridge pins, an added strap button and an extra strap button hole, few glued braces and repaired back cracks, and the finish removed from the back. We recently reset the neck, stained and finished the back, leveled and dressed the frets, and installed a new saddle. Action is set at 6 & 7/64".
This is an interesting guitar historically, in mostly original condition and a great player for country blues and old time music. Comes with a soft case.
Check out the sound clip!
The FON 1410 is listed as "1935 Cromwell G2" in Spann's Guide to Gibson, dating this one as among the earliest of Cromwell's produced in Kalamazoo. As is often the case with catalogs, the period description differs a bit from the specs of this particular guitar. Dimensions are essentially that of an L00, but lacking the truss rod and X-bracing. Fox reports the fingerboard as "rosewood with a white center stripe". This example lacks the white center stripe. He also lists the "Slanted 'roof peak' peg head with steciled logo." This early example has the same square headstock shape as a typical L00. The top is spruce, with the top, back and sound hole bound in white celluloid, and features a 'firestripe' pickguard. The back and sides are mahogany. The neck is mahogany with a Brazilian rosewood fingerboard, and carved in a very soft 'V'. The head stock is painted black with the CROMWELL logo stenciled in white. The bridge is Brazilian rosewood and the nut ebony.
The body measures 14 3/4" across the lower bout. Scale length is 25". The neck measures 1 3/4" across at the nut, and string spacing is 2 3/8" at the saddle.
The guitar is in overall very good, mostly original condition. It came to us with replaced bridge pins, an added strap button and an extra strap button hole, few glued braces and repaired back cracks, and the finish removed from the back. We recently reset the neck, stained and finished the back, leveled and dressed the frets, and installed a new saddle. Action is set at 6 & 7/64".
This is an interesting guitar historically, in mostly original condition and a great player for country blues and old time music. Comes with a soft case.
Check out the sound clip!