National El Trovador Resophonic Guitar (1933)
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Item # 11127
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National El Trovador Model Resophonic Guitar (1933), made in Chicago/Los Angeles, serial # H-147, brown lacquer finish, laminated mahogany body, mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, original black hard shell case.
This is an extremely rare variant of the El Trovador, National's first -- and finest -- resonator guitar with a jobbed-out wooden body. The company had built some wood-body Triolians in 1928-9 but were not really set up to work in wood, and quickly switched the model to their more familiar metal construction. Instead of maintaining a wood-body shop of their own, National outsourced to the Kay company of Chicago for necks and bodies that could be fitted out with resonator hardware at the National factory in Los Angeles.
The original 1932-3 Kay-made El Trovadors were quite successful, selling well even at $50 which was not a bargain price in the depths of the Depression. Apparently something around 500 were produced, but a dispute between National and Kay threw a wrench into the program in 1933. National then commissioned Harmony to produce them, as close to the Kay pattern as they could. This guitar is one of those rare Harmony-made El Trovadors.
Produced from late 1933 to early 1934, this Harmony version shows a number of subtly different features. The headstock has a gentle curve to the top, typical of many period Harmony guitars. The F-holes are wider, sitting slightly lower on the body with the small holes in slightly different positions. The body its still made of laminated mahogany, fairly fancy with multiply ivoroid binding around the body, neck and coverplate edge. The standard National tailpiece is fitted in place of Kay's generic trapeze.
The most noticeable difference is a much more elaborate fingerboard inlay pattern of shaped pearl pieces with a large star in the first fret. This Harmony-specific pattern appeared on their own instruments as well and would be re-used on the subsequent Harmony-built National Estralita. Harmony El Trovador serial numbers have a specific "H" prefix, and only about 160 appear to have been manufactured before it was superseded by the a new Harmony-built model, the Estralita. These had a 14 fret neck joint as was becoming common in 1934, but were a less classy instrument overall.
This Harmony-made El Trovador is a higher quality instrument than any of the other sub-contracted National models, a really fine sounding guitar and a really classy National rarity.
Overall length is 39 1/8 in. (99.4 cm.), 14 1/2 in. (36.8 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 in. (10.2 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.).
This is a nicely preserved instrument overall, showing some typical wear. The finish is all original with typical dings dents and scrapes overall, and some picking wear to the top off the front edge of the coverplate. The plating has scuffs and scratches but is still relatively well preserved except one small area on the coverplate is worn through to the brass just below the strings.
The instrument retains all the original hardware including the cone, biscuit, tailpiece and tuners. The neck has been reset and refretted with a new saddle and nut, the original pieces are all in the case pocket. There is one laminate crack on the treble side, running from the turn of the lower bout through the waist area. This has been sealed but is still visible.
The action is set at for the standard part slide/part fretted vintage blues styles commonly employed on these instruments, 3/16" bass and treble. The neck is not perfectly straight (there is some bow on the treble side) but employed in the standard delta or similar hybrid style it performs very well. It even has the original semi-hard case, a very rare find in itself. This is the only one of these Harmony made El Trovadors we have ever seen, quite a resophonic rarity and a great sounding guitar. Overall Very Good + Condition.
This is an extremely rare variant of the El Trovador, National's first -- and finest -- resonator guitar with a jobbed-out wooden body. The company had built some wood-body Triolians in 1928-9 but were not really set up to work in wood, and quickly switched the model to their more familiar metal construction. Instead of maintaining a wood-body shop of their own, National outsourced to the Kay company of Chicago for necks and bodies that could be fitted out with resonator hardware at the National factory in Los Angeles.
The original 1932-3 Kay-made El Trovadors were quite successful, selling well even at $50 which was not a bargain price in the depths of the Depression. Apparently something around 500 were produced, but a dispute between National and Kay threw a wrench into the program in 1933. National then commissioned Harmony to produce them, as close to the Kay pattern as they could. This guitar is one of those rare Harmony-made El Trovadors.
Produced from late 1933 to early 1934, this Harmony version shows a number of subtly different features. The headstock has a gentle curve to the top, typical of many period Harmony guitars. The F-holes are wider, sitting slightly lower on the body with the small holes in slightly different positions. The body its still made of laminated mahogany, fairly fancy with multiply ivoroid binding around the body, neck and coverplate edge. The standard National tailpiece is fitted in place of Kay's generic trapeze.
The most noticeable difference is a much more elaborate fingerboard inlay pattern of shaped pearl pieces with a large star in the first fret. This Harmony-specific pattern appeared on their own instruments as well and would be re-used on the subsequent Harmony-built National Estralita. Harmony El Trovador serial numbers have a specific "H" prefix, and only about 160 appear to have been manufactured before it was superseded by the a new Harmony-built model, the Estralita. These had a 14 fret neck joint as was becoming common in 1934, but were a less classy instrument overall.
This Harmony-made El Trovador is a higher quality instrument than any of the other sub-contracted National models, a really fine sounding guitar and a really classy National rarity.
Overall length is 39 1/8 in. (99.4 cm.), 14 1/2 in. (36.8 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 in. (10.2 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.).
This is a nicely preserved instrument overall, showing some typical wear. The finish is all original with typical dings dents and scrapes overall, and some picking wear to the top off the front edge of the coverplate. The plating has scuffs and scratches but is still relatively well preserved except one small area on the coverplate is worn through to the brass just below the strings.
The instrument retains all the original hardware including the cone, biscuit, tailpiece and tuners. The neck has been reset and refretted with a new saddle and nut, the original pieces are all in the case pocket. There is one laminate crack on the treble side, running from the turn of the lower bout through the waist area. This has been sealed but is still visible.
The action is set at for the standard part slide/part fretted vintage blues styles commonly employed on these instruments, 3/16" bass and treble. The neck is not perfectly straight (there is some bow on the treble side) but employed in the standard delta or similar hybrid style it performs very well. It even has the original semi-hard case, a very rare find in itself. This is the only one of these Harmony made El Trovadors we have ever seen, quite a resophonic rarity and a great sounding guitar. Overall Very Good + Condition.