"KB" and SP Gerdin, some unique Swedish guitar builders

Between about 1890-1920, very special guitars were manufactured in southern Sweden. Little has been known about the two builders, but their instruments pop up every now and then. Recently bought a "KB" at an auction and did a little research on these particular guitar makers.

All "KB" have extremely ornate stands, even Gerdin had them on many guitars but not all. The head was also decorated with a hole cut out for hanging. The fact that the fingerboard was already strung with "fan frets", different scales for different strings and longer bass strings, is indeed surprising. There is also a brass bar between the neck and bottom block and an odd narrow center stick inside at the seam between the bottom halves. The bottom could sometimes be very sculpted and always curved. In addition to the extreme stable, his guitars always have nice burning stamps inside where the year and so on. dates available!

Who this "KB" was, there was very little on the net about. But after a long talk with Hans Lind in Gothenburg, new and exciting information emerged. The builder's name is Karl Blomqvist. He was a cabinetmaker and his father a fine carpenter. They had their manufacturing and operations in their farm Svalefjäll Härja near Tidaholm. Karl lived 1859 – 1928. It is estimated that he made around 500 guitars. Most likely it is Karl who made the finely carved stables, he probably sold ready-cut stables to Gerdin who was contemporary. As far as I know, he worked alone in his workshop and made the guitars himself, perhaps with the help of his father. Knows "KB" with dates from 1897 to 1921.

SP Gerdin was called Sven Petter Gerdin and lived 1849-1927. He had his business in Åmål 1888-1912 with several employees. In addition, strings were made, in a secret machine indeed. The string spinner has been preserved and is exhibited at "Åmål's Industrial Museum CW Thorstenson's Mechanical Workshop" among other historical industrial objects connected to Åmål. The Gerdin guitars usually have a round logo stamped in blue ink inside, often almost illegible. Have had a few Gerdins in the workshop and they all had the same simple dovetail attachment of the neck to the body. Instead of a V-shaped wedge, the wedge was a few cm narrow and completely straight. When loosening the neck, it must be pulled up all the way before it comes loose. Gerdin made many different models from simple parlor guitars to harp guitars with "KB" bars. Got hold of a fun article about Gerdin published in Örnäsposten in 2015.

20 Comments

  1. Bought a "KB" a number of years ago and have long searched for information on who was behind this fantastic work. I was happy to find this information. I bought the guitar, which is dated 28/5 1896, at an auction for my wife's grandfather and grandmother at the farm Åslida in Härja. Her grandmother had received the guitar as a birthday present from her husband. I had an idea that the guitar was built somewhere in Västergötland but not exactly where and by whom.
    Have also wondered why it never shows up old musical instruments in eg SVT / the antique round for evaluation. Are there no experts in the field or is there no value in old musical instruments?

  2. Sure there is value in old guitars, it's on the way up. But so far it's four figures at most on "antique" guitars like yours. Maybe not so exciting TV. Knowledge of Swedish-made guitars is increasing and there is more and more to be found online. TV programs are also made, the Levin documentary from a few years ago is an example. Just the KB and Gerdin guitars, there hasn't been much information about at all, but with a little help I have found most of the information that is in print 🙂

  3. Thank you so much. We have searched for KB for years. My wife is Swedish and inherited the guitar from her Grandmother (from Halland). We have it here in England. We had it restored by a local luthier and he was so interested he put it on his website.... Scroll down to 'Swedish Guitar'…
    https://www.art-robb.co.uk/19cgtr.html
    Thanks again and best wishes from,

    Chris and Ingela Jacob

  4. Hi
    My mother's grandfather was SP Gerdin. I have the lute, which has been written about a lot. Also has a Gerdin guitar, which is made by SP's son in Säfle (so not SP Gerdin). If anyone has an SP Gerdin guitar, I'm interested.
    / Jonas Björkquist

    • Hello!
      I have a KB guitar, the exact same model as the one pictured above from 1921, which I would consider selling for the right price. It is overall in good playable condition, but is missing some mother of pearl inlay and has a new saddle. It also has the classic crack on the underside of the cover, as well as a similar crack on the back, can't remember if they were glued when the guitar was handed in a bunch of years ago.
      /J

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