When I was a kid in the early 70's my Elementary school had a bus trip too the Gibson Kalamazoo factory. It was a very cool experience. A complete wood working mill and paint shop in one big old bldg. Very heavy lacquer smell as I remember. The finished product line had incredible guitars. Probably the 2nd biggest influence for me wanting to play guitar. Also of Note many Women worked in this shop at that time.

Back when I did Gibson's advertising, I spent my share of time in this building. Thanks for the memories...

I had the pleasure and privilege of getting a guided tour through the Parsons Street facility in the summer of 1982, I was shown through the original facility in addition to the very large, and more modern, adjoining building, that was built in response to the folk boom of the early 1960s, and exploding demand for acoustic guitars. Now empty, it still had much of the 60s office furniture sitting around, and looked very much like those empty office scenes in the last season of the show "Mad Men". Although Gibson had moved out guitar production to Nashville, Memphis, and other locales by that point, the original Parsons St. facility was still tending to restoration and repair of heritage instruments (saw a lovely old harp guitar there) as well as various carved-top electrics and other one-offs, like the "map guitar". As noted, once Gibson closed the facility down permanently, it was purchased by many of the staff, and became the HQ of Heritage Guitars. I hope that whatever plans are in store for the Parson St. building, the wooden floorboards will be kept intact. Much of the musical history of America resides in the dust sitting in the cracks between those well-worn boards. It just smells like...music. I had originally stopped in to try and buy some parts I needed, one of them was a spring for a Bigsby I had. The gentleman who gave me the tour (they were closed down for inventory at that point, which is why he graciously offered the tour; no machinery in operation, so no insurance risks) told me they didn't have Bigsby parts, but told me the Bigsby factory was just the other side of the highway, and I could probably get the spring there. I quickly motored over to the Bigsby plant, and who should greet me at the door but the great Ted McCarty; the former Gibson President and man overseeing so many of the most iconic Gibson models, until they were bought by Norlin. He too graciously gave me a tour, eagerly pulling boxes off the shelf to show me things like gleaming gold-plated triple palm pedals. He gave me his business card, which I have framed, and keep as a precious memento.

A piece of American history, hopefully it gets renovated back to it's full potential. Great job, enjoyed it John!!

Thank you for making this and preserving the legacy. Just a note, the music was a bit high in the mix (but I love it) it was hard to hear your narrative. I grew up in the area and have been to the plant many times as a young musician.

Thank You for documenting the old Gibson Plant, very cool

Beautiful aerial shots of this legendary old Gibson guitar factory. I hope it will be renovated soon. Excellent smooth piloting and very nice video, John.🤘👏

Between Gibson, heritage and the ghs factory in Battle Creek; sw mi has a wild amount of guitar history!

I was in the building last June. At 3 floors, it was designed to have 2 more floors added later. There are "stairways to nowhere" because of this.

I used to live a couple miles from the factory in Kalamazoo. I've been there a few times, and done some underground utility work there. ✌💀👍🎸🎼🎵🎶🇺🇸

Wonderful history thanks for sharing

Thanks for sharing... Love my Gibson

I have a Kalamazoo Model Two amp made in 1966. In excellent shape and sounds great. Also, a Harmony Comet guitar made in the Heritage guitar plant. Both made in Kalamazoo!

Awesome drone footage and amazing aerial view. Thanks for sharing. 👍👍👍

Awesome bit of history brother. Thanks for sharing. 🎸 🦅🇺🇸

Fascinating short documentary, I hope the old Gibson guitar factory is heritage protected and preserved. Greetings from Australia 🇦🇺.

Save that smokestack! Proud owner of a '71 Gibson 335 since '82.

Thank you.

Good documentary🙂

Well Done! Thanks for sharing!!! 👍👍👍

I wonder if they still have free tours every Wednesday at 1pm ?

Absolutely fascinating

Thank You for this great film from another FLYNN

My friend brought his Gibson guitar in and they repaired the broken Truss rod. They did repairs back in the day. This was back in the '70's. I hope they can bring the building back.

It will be great to have it restored to it original beauty. Buildings back then were so well designed to be both beautiful and functional. Unfortunately odds against it.

I have an old Gibson Kalamazoo arch top made in the 1930’s plays well and holds a tune.

Brilliant. All the best from 🇬🇧

Fascinating story 👌

Awesome job!!!

Great new logo buddy. Holy crap the shot of that building is epic.

I need to get my guitar restored

Love the documentary. Some constructive criticism, I had to turn on the closed caption as I could not hear you over the music. It's always tricky to drop music bed enough to create the mood and hear the narrator. My students do this thinking it is low enough until they replay the video and then have to go back and drop music even lower. I tell them to drop it lower than you think you need it.... and love the Deer garden comment. 🤣🤣🤣 (beer) Nicely done. It felt very 1970's- 80's ish!!!!

Very nice 👍

Well played, well played ✌🏻 loved it.

Nice upload 👌 👍

I visited the original building in 2008 or 2009. It was like stepping back in time. Back in the 60's, I bought a new Gibson ES-335. When I visited Heritage, they claimed that two or three people from Gibson were still working there and probably partially built my guitar. They claimed the same guy was still working in the paint booth. I found that totally amazing. And I'm not sure if they're still there, but ProCo Sound was on the back side of the building. I bought a ProCo guitar cord back in 1972 and still have it to this day. Only one end of it had to be repaired once in all those years.😊

Very nice flight video! John. You're a natural at narrating.

I just decoded the serial number on my Les Paul. It's a Wednesday guitar, made on September 14th, 1983 in Nashville. I was hoping I got one of the last from Kalamazoo, but no. Still, I'll never get rid of my Les Paul that I bought brand new with my own hard-earned money back in '84 as a 20 year old kid.

just wild to think in 2024 four of my Les Pauls were built in this facility ,, and my SG Jr crazy

Nice fly 🤝😎

An Absolutely great video , love the background music 🎵🎶🎸 the railroad line at the side added to the affect , if only walls could talk , my Les Paul standard is 1981 were would this have made because all I know about it is that I bought it from Ray Mellors music store in Boston England in 1982 for the pricely sum of 840 pounds 🎸🇬🇧

Very nice, "rockuementary" John!

it would be good to see this place restored and some 20th century music history preserved.....at the mo it looks very sad.

Hope they can restore it to something like the Ford Piquette Plant in Detroit.

Very interesting ... Left for more modern premises

I went thereover 30 years ago, the building was red then and was looking really dilapidated. Heritage was in the basement at the time, JP Moats gave me a quickie tour. Not a great area of town as I remember.

This is amazing! I’m a Gibson fan, (own 4 of them ) A LP standard, 2 specials and an SG standard 😂 this is awesome man!

There is a walled off room in the basement full of 50’s guitars.

They should have stayed in Michigan!

I don't know if it's just my phone, but the "background" music is much louder than your voiceover making it very hard to hear the story.

I worked in a woodshop factory with a paint shop for 12 years. We made caskets. Not as groovy as guitars.

You would think they would clean up the front windows to make it look less abandonded.

I have an old Kalamazoo Archtop that was made in this factory. I think?

Greed does not care about history. God forbid they turn this into a sneaker Warehouse. Please can someone save this building 🙏

How do you expect anyone to hear your voice over the music?!!

That would make a Great Bar, and look at all the factories to supply a Lunch/after work Crowd.

time marches on

I was Born in Kalamazoo

Own an Epiphone Texan built there in 1965.

Nice video. Maybe lower the music a bit so I can hear your narration better. Good luck with your YT channel

Who's playing the music?

For being a historic landmark it sure isn't being taken care of... But let's see what the renovation does. I live only about 20 mins or so from here.

She sure looks like she needs some love.

One big problem they have with putting anything there is that's one of the worse neighborhoods in Kalamazoo. The entire area is overrun with drug dealers, gangs and homeless. I'd be surprised if Hard Rock ever manages to do anything there considering the area and the recent financial problems with Hard Rock themselves.

great subject but, the music and narrator are competing for the same space.

Maybe if they started building guitars there again the quality would get back to what it used to be!!!😂😂😂

The balance between the guitar background and voice-over make it hard to understand the narrative. Music is too loud. Thanks for the video though. I enjoyed it.

IF Gibson had any sense, they would resurrect the thing in Kalamazoo

I'd rather it fade into history than become a Hard Rock🤮

No mention of Heritage Guitars…?!?

What a waste = should have been renovated!

Dig them blues bro 🎸