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National Style 1 Tricone Roundneck Model Resophonic Guitar (1930), made in Los Angeles, California, serial # S282, German Silver finish, German silver body, mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard, original black hard shell case.

One of the all-time classic-and surely most distinctive-guitar designs of all time, the National "Silver Guitar" or Tricone is currently enjoying renewed respect and popularity. Widely considered the finest acoustic instrument ever created for slide playing, the roundneck "Spanish" Tricone is also an excellent and totally unique-sounding guitar for many other styles of play. The round neck Tricone is considerably rarer then the square neck "Hawaiian" variant and has long been sought after as the ultimate acoustic blues/slide guitar.

This particular Style 1 is from 1930, built at the onset of the Depression when the Tricones were being supplemented by the first of National's newer-and much cheaper- single cone resonator designs. The Style 1 retailed for $125.00 in 1930, a tremendous sum even at the height of the roaring '20's...after this point these fancy german Silver guitars will be produced in ever-smaller numbers as the Doulians, Triolians and Style 0's become National's breadwinning products. This particular Style 1 is an excellent playing guitar suitable for both open-tuned slide and regular Spanish play with the rich sound only a Tricone can produce. The Style 1 with the unengraved body is the 'purest' example of National's Art Deco aesthetic, and mysteriously often seems to be the best sounding as well, although there is no scientific reason why that should be!
 
Overall length is 39 in. (99.1 cm.), 14 in. (35.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 1/4 in. (8.2 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 in. (635 mm.). Width of nut is 1 7/8 in. (48 mm.). All original with the execption of the D string tuner button, which is a hand-tooled metal reproduction. Minor scratches and dings but overall plating is very nice. An extremely good player with a particularly smooth tone. Overall Excellent Condition.

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Prices subject to change without notice.
 

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