Amazing America 250: 100 years of hands-on guitar crafting at historic Kalamazoo factory

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Much like the old factory at 225 Parsons Street, the guitar-making process at Heritage Guitar hasn’t changed much since the early 1900’s.

The factory was previously home to Gibson Guitar in Kalamazoo’s northside from 1917-1984. The Kalamazoo-founded company grew rapidly during its decades on Parsons Street, before eventually moving operations to a manufacturing plant in Nashville, Tenn.

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Gibson executive Jim Deurloo and others stayed behind, banding together, and strumming up a plan for a new company on a placemat at a local restaurant.

“This is arguably one of the most famous guitar building locations in the world,” Pete Farmer, Heritage master builder, said…

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