Gibson Kalamazoo Award Model and Super V CES

1978 Gibson Quality / Prestige / Innovation catalog, page 20. This page details two brand new models for late 1978, the exceptionally fine Kalamazoo Award Model and the Super V CES. The Kalamazoo Award was highly ornate, with a carved spruce top, abalone inlays and gold-plated hardware. In January 1979 it had a list price of $2849... making the also very very fine Super V CES seem cheap by comparison at $1899. Like some other very special models (the Johnny Smith, for example) the Kalamazoo Award has a floating pickup attached to the base of the neck rather than the guitars top - as not to interfere with the natural vibrations of the top when played. This was the first of only two catalog appearances - it took pride of place as the first model listed in the 1980 Gibson Guitars brochure.

The Super V CES is a amalgamation of two better known guitars, taking the slightly smaller body of the L-5 CES and adding the neck of the Super 400 with split block inlays and split diamond headstock inlay - so still with a carved spruce top and gold hardware. Note the Gibson 'Instant Adjustment' jazz tailpiece.