Official Luthiers Forum!

My copy of Kalamazoo Gals arrived from Amazon and it's being boxed up and sent to my friend John Thomas, the author this week. John is going to sign it and likely write a note to me and then I'm going to lay on my sofa and read it

After that it will live on my coffee table next to Kellerman's With Strings Attached and a first edition of The Beauty of the Burst.

I liked the cover colors too sun bursting the book cover so I took of a pic of my 50 year old Gibson 175 to highlight how they captured the burst colors pretty well on the book cover.

This is the story of how when WWII happened the men of Kalamazoo, Michigan went off to war and the women had to step up and produce the guitars at the Gibson plant. It's also the story of some of the finest instruments ever produced by Gibson, the "Banner" guitars that are light, tight and responsive. We had one in the shop last week and John Thomas owns one that he performs with.

On this Mother's Day it's also the story of how women were more than capable of producing some of the finest instruments to ever come out of Kalamazoo.

Looking forward to reading it. I'm a fan of the original Gibson back in the day.

Happy Mother's Day everyone.

Wonderful book! I know you'll enjoy it!

Some years ago I bought the book. I corresponded with Mr. Thomas and he sent me an autographed bookplate, a gesture I very much appreciated. After I read the book I bought Lauren Sheehan's cd wherein she used a different banner Gibson for each beautiful song. And wife and I made a road trip from Connecticut to Ashevile, North Carolina, to hear Sheehan in a live performance. There were four of us in the audience! I'd have traveled twice as far to hear her.

The book covers the ladies at Gibson with great respect and appreciation, and John beautifully wove the Gibson story into the history of the times. Serious, sensitive, and thoughtful social history. He done good!

I'm pleased to see continuing references to Mr. Thomas and his work. Anybody who reads it comes away wiser for the experience.

_________________
Peter Havriluk

Thanks Matthew and Peter much appreciated.