National Duolian Resophonic Guitar (1932)
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National Duolian Model Resophonic Guitar (1932), made in Los Angeles, serial # C4813, grey/green crinkle enamel finish, steel body, mahogany neck with ebonized fingerboard, black hard shell case.
This beautiful National Duolian hails from 1932, the worst period of the Great Depression. This model was National's least expensive resonator at the time and reduced the single cone guitar down to its most basic elements. The thin-gauge stamped steel body has a striking crystalline silver/green body finish, something nobody has ever been able to really accurately re-create. The 12-fret mahogany neck has a dyed maple "ebonized" fingerboard and a squared off, slotted headstock. The "National Duolian" logo is stamped into the face of the headstock with the "C-series" serial number die-stamped on the top edge.
These $32.50 Duolians sold in fairly large numbers in the early/mid 1930s and may well have enabled the company to survive the hard times of the worst of the depression. The model was popular with period blues and hillbilly musicians, offering an unbeatable combination of value, durability and volume. While they are generally considered as the perfect Delta-style blues instrument, the Duolian is just a great-sounding guitar for any flavor of blues and many styles beyond. Good ones seem thinner on the ground these days 90 years along; this is easily one of the nicer examples we have had in some time; nicely original and also a good player with a powerful sound.
Overall length is 39 3/4 in. (101 cm.), 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 1/8 in. (7.9 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 in. (635 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.).
This Duolian is a superb and only comparatively lightly worn example of this often heavily played-in instrument, showing some typical minor wear but no heavy abuse. The body finish has some scratches and dings but is only really worn down to the metal on the edges, mostly the back edge and still has a great look. The coverplate is relatively free of typical chipping to the enamel and has one spot worn through the surface beneath the strings from finger action. The neck finish shows wear down to the wood in the lower positions and on the sides, with some light dings and dents but none of the typical heavy capo marks.
The instrument remains all original including the cone, biscuit and saddle, tuners, and tailpiece. The small-wire frets appear original and in good-playing condition, re-crowned in the lower positions with little subsequent wear. The ebonized maple fingerboard has some light divoting in the lower positions but none of the common dryness cracks and is completely solid. The neck does not appear to have reset (if so it was an exceptionally neat job) with a original maple saddle and the action is excellent for blues styles mixing fingers and slide and standard playing styles as well. For the blues purist this is a powerful-voiced instrument, as good-sounding a single cone National as we have had in some time. Includes an old but later period HSC. Overall Very Good + Condition.
This beautiful National Duolian hails from 1932, the worst period of the Great Depression. This model was National's least expensive resonator at the time and reduced the single cone guitar down to its most basic elements. The thin-gauge stamped steel body has a striking crystalline silver/green body finish, something nobody has ever been able to really accurately re-create. The 12-fret mahogany neck has a dyed maple "ebonized" fingerboard and a squared off, slotted headstock. The "National Duolian" logo is stamped into the face of the headstock with the "C-series" serial number die-stamped on the top edge.
These $32.50 Duolians sold in fairly large numbers in the early/mid 1930s and may well have enabled the company to survive the hard times of the worst of the depression. The model was popular with period blues and hillbilly musicians, offering an unbeatable combination of value, durability and volume. While they are generally considered as the perfect Delta-style blues instrument, the Duolian is just a great-sounding guitar for any flavor of blues and many styles beyond. Good ones seem thinner on the ground these days 90 years along; this is easily one of the nicer examples we have had in some time; nicely original and also a good player with a powerful sound.
Overall length is 39 3/4 in. (101 cm.), 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 1/8 in. (7.9 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 in. (635 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.).
This Duolian is a superb and only comparatively lightly worn example of this often heavily played-in instrument, showing some typical minor wear but no heavy abuse. The body finish has some scratches and dings but is only really worn down to the metal on the edges, mostly the back edge and still has a great look. The coverplate is relatively free of typical chipping to the enamel and has one spot worn through the surface beneath the strings from finger action. The neck finish shows wear down to the wood in the lower positions and on the sides, with some light dings and dents but none of the typical heavy capo marks.
The instrument remains all original including the cone, biscuit and saddle, tuners, and tailpiece. The small-wire frets appear original and in good-playing condition, re-crowned in the lower positions with little subsequent wear. The ebonized maple fingerboard has some light divoting in the lower positions but none of the common dryness cracks and is completely solid. The neck does not appear to have reset (if so it was an exceptionally neat job) with a original maple saddle and the action is excellent for blues styles mixing fingers and slide and standard playing styles as well. For the blues purist this is a powerful-voiced instrument, as good-sounding a single cone National as we have had in some time. Includes an old but later period HSC. Overall Very Good + Condition.