National Duolian Resophonic Guitar (1932)
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Item # 6761
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National Duolian Model Resophonic Guitar (1932), made in Los Angeles, serial # C-5051, "Frosted Duco" finish, steel body, mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard, original black hard shell case.
This early 12-fret "C" series Duolian hails from 1932, the deepest period of the Great Depression when instruments had to be built and sold as inexpensively as possible for their makers to stay in business. The Duolian was introduced in 1930 as the least expensive metal-body resonator National guitar; offered at $32.50 with a thin-gauge steel body and minimal appointments the model may well have enabled the company to survive the early 1930's. The steel body has a crystalline silver/green baked-on enamel finish the company called "Frosted Duco" and the first style "flat cut" F-holes. The natural-finish 12-fret mahogany neck is topped with a squared-off slotted headstock with the "National Duolian" logo stamped into the face with the serial number hand-impressed along the top edge. Tuners are the simplest flat-plate Waverly strip units with celluloid buttons. Despite (or perhaps because of) the guitar's status as an economy model, the Duolian is considered one of the classic Blues guitars of all time, and remains unsurpassed for an "authentic" slide and fingerpicked tone. This is an exceptionally fine-playing example, both cleaner and more original than most…truly "Blues approved"!
Overall length is 38 3/4 in. (98.4 cm.), 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 in. (635 mm.). Width of nut is 1 13/16 in. (46 mm.). This Duolian is a nice clean guitar overall; it has been recently restored for optimum playability but otherwise unaltered. There is some typical wear to the "Frosted Duco" finish, mostly just small areas rubbed down to the steel on the handrest, coverplate and top edge arm contact area of the lower bout. The neck has been reset and a new replica fingerboard expertly installed using the original celluliod dots. The inexpensive dyed wood fingerboards used on many of these Nationals are prone to crumbling with age and impossible to effectively refret; this one now has an actual ebony board with new frets in the original style. The all-important cone, biscuit and everything else is original. With the recent work performed this is an excellent player and one of the best sounding of this model we have had with a big booming tone well-rounded and plenty of volume. Includes the original semi-hard case in passably functional condition. Excellent Condition.
This early 12-fret "C" series Duolian hails from 1932, the deepest period of the Great Depression when instruments had to be built and sold as inexpensively as possible for their makers to stay in business. The Duolian was introduced in 1930 as the least expensive metal-body resonator National guitar; offered at $32.50 with a thin-gauge steel body and minimal appointments the model may well have enabled the company to survive the early 1930's. The steel body has a crystalline silver/green baked-on enamel finish the company called "Frosted Duco" and the first style "flat cut" F-holes. The natural-finish 12-fret mahogany neck is topped with a squared-off slotted headstock with the "National Duolian" logo stamped into the face with the serial number hand-impressed along the top edge. Tuners are the simplest flat-plate Waverly strip units with celluloid buttons. Despite (or perhaps because of) the guitar's status as an economy model, the Duolian is considered one of the classic Blues guitars of all time, and remains unsurpassed for an "authentic" slide and fingerpicked tone. This is an exceptionally fine-playing example, both cleaner and more original than most…truly "Blues approved"!
Overall length is 38 3/4 in. (98.4 cm.), 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 in. (635 mm.). Width of nut is 1 13/16 in. (46 mm.). This Duolian is a nice clean guitar overall; it has been recently restored for optimum playability but otherwise unaltered. There is some typical wear to the "Frosted Duco" finish, mostly just small areas rubbed down to the steel on the handrest, coverplate and top edge arm contact area of the lower bout. The neck has been reset and a new replica fingerboard expertly installed using the original celluliod dots. The inexpensive dyed wood fingerboards used on many of these Nationals are prone to crumbling with age and impossible to effectively refret; this one now has an actual ebony board with new frets in the original style. The all-important cone, biscuit and everything else is original. With the recent work performed this is an excellent player and one of the best sounding of this model we have had with a big booming tone well-rounded and plenty of volume. Includes the original semi-hard case in passably functional condition. Excellent Condition.