2024 Kopp Custom K-185

2024 Kevin Kopp K-185, SN: 0857624

Kevin Kopp, a builder based in Bozeman, Montana, creates guitars inspired by another manufacturer, also based in Bozeman, Montana. The inspiration for this model, the K-185 Custom comes from the J-185, a smaller jumbo size guitar introduced in 1951. The body shape and size, with a 16” lower bout, made its debut on yet another guitar, the Recording King Carson J Robison Model K. These were lower priced ladder braced guitars without an adjustable truss rod made only around 1940 at the Gibson factory in Kalamazoo Michigan. Therefore, the model designation K-185 ties up the development history quite nicely! 

This K-185 is at once flashy and understated. The top is Torrefied Master Grade Adirondack under a hand rubbed sunburst. The back and sides are highly figured Brazilian Rosewood. The neck is Honduran Mahogany and it joins the body at the 14th fret with a scale length of 24 ¾.” The headstock features an oxbow profile at the top and flared sides. The headplate is a dark piece of figured Brazilian with a Torch inlay inspired by yet another builder of high end guitars, C. F. Martin. It works! The Torch inlay is echoed nicely by the contours of the headstock silhouette. Gold open back Waverly tuners complete the headstock. 

The ebony fingerboard is bound and otherwise unadorned with side dot markers at the third, fifth, seventh, ninth, twelfth and fifteenth frets with a total of nineteen frets. The neck has a depth of 27/32” at the first fret and ⅞” at the ninth fret. The nut width is 1 ¾” and the spacing at the bridge is 2 ¼.” The bridge is made with a very dark, but nicely quartered piece of Brazilian rosewood. The body is bound in cream binding on the top and back to match the fingerboard binding. The purfling is four ply on the top and two ply on the back, both with alternating black-white. The rosette has two rings, a center ring in creme and an outer ring of seven ply black-white bound by a pair of cream rings. 

Kopp guitars are known for their excellent low “E,”  deep without being boomy or woofy. The low mids are really impressive and there is great note separation while leaving room for plenty of rich overtones over the whole range.