product types:
- acoustic guitars
- bass guitars
- electric guitars
Information:
Koob Veneman (1923 - 2010) founded the Kapa brand in 1962 - the Kapa name was derived from the intials of his family. Kapa owned music shops (Veneman Music in Silver Spring, Maryland and later in Rockville, Maryland - finally in Springfield, Virginia) before starting to make his own instruments in the period 1962 to 1970. The Kapa guitar factory was located on 46th street Edmonston. Koob was a Dutch immigrant and before emigrating he worked with his father Albert Veneman in the Netherlands where they established the AMKA brand - which had an almost identical logo to Kapa.
Veneman used imported Hofner necks and hardware from Germany on the Kapa guitars. Later models used some Japanese parts. BY 1970 Kapa had stopped making guitars: Mosrite and Micro-frets bought the companys remaining stocks.
6 Comments
Kapa guitars were NOT made in Hyattsville.
Submitted by Mark E. Guy (not verified) on
"Veneman's Music" stores were located in Silver Springs and Rockville, Maryland.
The guitar manufacturing plant was located in (about) the 5200 block of 46th Avenue, in EDMONSTON, Maryland.
I was raised in the 4900 block of 49th avenue of that town (1953 through 1970) and, as a kid, my brothers, buddies and I used to ride our bicycles to the Kapa plant to rummage through the dumpsters. One of my friends, who I'll simply call "O'Dad", built a working bass guitar out of parts he salvaged from the dumpster(s). The funny thing is, he didn't paint the guitar before putting it together because he was entirely unsure that it was going to work. When it turned out to play like a store-bought bass, he was afraid to dis-assemble it so he could paint it. That guitar stayed unfinished- while he played it in two bands- for no less than 5 years. When he finally did paint it, he used spray cans and, as far as I know, had the only bass in the world that was '69 Camaro Blue.
I should have mentioned...
Submitted by Mark E. Guy (not verified) on
The Edmonston post office was in the back of a private home in the 4800 block of 49th avenue. I don't recall the year when it was finally moved from there and our mail was then handled by the Hyattsville post office. (This was before the advent of "Zipcodes").
Another interesting fact is, at that time, 46th avenue was the only unpaved road in Edmonston. Kapa and a fuel-oil company were the only commercial / industrial properties located on that street. All of the other properties on 46th avenue were residential, belonging to the black residents of Edmonston. Black people did not live on any other street in that town until sometime after I left there (for the second time) in 1978.
At any rate, Mister Veneman was not a resident of Edmonston. His (Kapa) mail was probably held for him at the Hyattsville post office, which would explain how it came to pass that Kapa was associated with Hyattsville at all.
Kapa Guitars
Submitted by guitar-list on
Thanks for all the useful information Mark - I have updated the Kapa page with your corrections,
Nathan
Corrections
Submitted by Carrie (not verified) on
The founder of KAPA guitars was named Koob Veneman, not Kope. And the music store he owned was called Veneman Music (not Veneman's Music) - located first in Silver Spring, MD and then later in Rockville, MD and Springfield, VA. Just wanted to set the record straight since he was my grandfather. Thanks!
Kapa Guitars
Submitted by guitar-list on
Thanks Carrie - I've updated the page with the new information
Kapa 12 string tailpiece
Submitted by Edward Baggott (not verified) on
Hello a friend of mine just bought a aria 6 string guitar with 12 string kapa tailpiece I've looked everywhere but can find no information on this tailpiece i actually live in twinbrook md in the neighborhood behind the old rockville store on rockville pike any help you can give us would be greatly appreciated thanks Eddie.