hurricane hugo Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 This was all over my radio today - the story of the "Kalamazoo Gals," the women who worked at Gibson's K-zoo factory during WW II, building guitars at a time when companies like Gibson were supposed to solely be manufacturing things for the war effort: http://michiganradio.org/post/best-gibson-guitars-were-made-kalamazoo-gals ...any other cool guitar history stories you come across, post 'em here. http://blip.fm/invite/WorkRelease Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryz Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 They should have called them Rosie's and had a rose inlaid on the headstocks. Women filled in for the men in just about all US factories in WWII not just those riveting airplanes together...cool picture of the Gibson babes! Take care, Larryz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitefang Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 How about that "Gibson" logo over the door? I always wondered why and when they changed the "G". I prefer that older look. I also wonder WHAT war effort product Gibson could have possibly switched to. I mean, right below the Kalamazoo Gals story was a blurb about the bombers built at the old Willow Run(MI) plant, which was once a Ford plant, but later known as the GM "Hydramatic" transmission plant. Then later, just "Willow Run". My wife worked there for a spell. It's closed down now, and the neighboring YANKEE AIR FORCE aircraft museum is lobbying GM to buy part of the plant for it's museum. Many other auto plants in the area switched to war effort during this time, like the Cadillac main plant that I used to work in built tanks during the war. My Grandmother used to be a welder there. Other Ford, GM and Chrysler plants built tanks and planes and other military vehicles in wartime. But for them, the switch-over was relatively easy. Just can't figure out what the military would have a GUITAR plant build for wartime. Whitefang I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryz Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 Bayonet handles, 45 cal. Thompson and 45 cal. pistol grips, M1 and M1A rifle stocks, leather straps, ammo boxes and crates, little gears, screws, pegs, wire, etc...anything made out of wood... Take care, Larryz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 I believe that there were lots of wooden components in many airplanes at the time, as well. The US Air Force did a serious study on the properties and qualities of various types of wood for airplane structures, including data on the strength and durability and stiffness to weight/density ratio of Douglas Fir- which, it turns out, can make very cool quarter-sawn guitar necks... Gibson had a real handle on wood grain-orientation as applied to stiffness and durability in guitar-necks/headstocks; such experience and know-how almost surely would have gone far for military applications in WWII... Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEHpicker Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 I would think they could make decent airplane props which were mostly all laminated wood back then. SEHpicker The further a society drifts from truth the more it will hate those who speak it." George Orwell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitefang Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 Well, DUH!( 'Fang slaps his head "V-8" style!) I thought during wartime that fighter and bomber props were made of metal, but I'm not sure so it could have been. Rifle stocks makes sense, though. Thanks for the input. Whitefang I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannyalcatraz Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 If Gibson was doing their own pickup manufacture, many of those components- epecially the wire & the magnets- could have been used in the manufacture of other electronic components. Or these. Sturgeon's 2nd Law, a.k.a. Sturgeon's Revelation: âNinety percent of everything is crapâ My FLMS- Murphy's Music in Irving, Tx http://murphysmusictx.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02R96 Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Very cool story. Dan "I hate what I've become, trying to escape who I am..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitefang Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 LOL Danny. I can envision some military bigwig hitting the roof saying, "Gibson sent us WHAT???" Whitefang I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haywired2 Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 I would think they could make decent airplane props which were mostly all laminated wood back then. I don't want to hyjack the thread, but I flew in helicopters that had wooden blades designed by Charlie Kaman of Ovation guitars. The only problem with them was it rained a lot in South East Asia an we had to set them down when it rained. LOL!!!!!! http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/03/business/03kaman.html?_r=0 http://www.pjsinnam.com/VN_History/Images/Kaman_Rotor_Tips/H43%20DaNang.jpg Les Paul Studio Deluxe, '74 Guild S100, '64 Strat, JCM 900 Combo, Peavey Classic 30 1x12, Peavey Classic 30 Head, CBG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbqbob Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 Cool! As a WWII buff and a guitar player, I love stuff like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haywired2 Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 Cool! As a WWII buff and a guitar player, I love stuff like this. I never thought about it at the time, but I look at it now and wonder how the damn thing flew Les Paul Studio Deluxe, '74 Guild S100, '64 Strat, JCM 900 Combo, Peavey Classic 30 1x12, Peavey Classic 30 Head, CBG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryz Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 They had problems with wooden rifle stocks in Viet Nam as well and thus it was part of the reason they switched from M14's to M16's with plastic stocks. Take care, Larryz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Geoff Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 I believe that there were lots of wooden components in many airplanes at the time, as well. The US Air Force did a serious study on the properties and qualities of various types of wood for airplane structures, including data on the strength and durability and stiffness to weight/density ratio of Douglas Fir- which, it turns out, can make very cool quarter-sawn guitar necks... Gibson had a real handle on wood grain-orientation as applied to stiffness and durability in guitar-necks/headstocks; such experience and know-how almost surely would have gone far for military applications in WWII... You guys never heard of the WWII fighter bomber - The DeHaviland Mosquito (AKA The Wooden Wonder - also the German TA154)? Made mainly of plywood and only possible due to the perfection of Epoxy Glue, it was a truly amazing plane that achieved some truly amazing exploits. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Mosquito http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Mosquito_operational_history http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/dehavillandmosquito.cfm http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafbramptonwyton/history/dehavilandmosquito.cfm http://www.mossie.org/Mosquito.html Enjoy! G. "When the power of love overcomes the love of power the World will know Peace": Jimi Hendrix http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=738517&content=music The Geoff - blame Caevan!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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