National Reso-Phonic Resophonic Guitar (1958)
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Item # 9116
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National Reso-Phonic Model Resophonic Guitar (1958), made in Chicago, grey pearloid finish, hardwood body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, black gig bag case.
One of the National company's oddest fretted experiments (and that's saying something!), the 1950s Reso-Phonic model is essentially a solid body resonator guitar, which functions solely as an acoustic instrument despite looking like it really ought to be electrified! The 1930s style resonator cone is set into a small solid wood body covered in grey/green pearloid, with a second coverplate on the back to allow some sound to escape.
There is a plastic pickguard covering the upper half of the body decorated with pinstripes, a script "RESO-PHONIC", and a metal plate National shield logo. The bolt-on neck is a very short scale, similar to the one used on the company's budget Supro student guitars and has a National logo sticker on the headstock. The instrument is not as loud as the company's pre-war resonator guitars but has a very distinctive tone, perhaps best described as somewhat like an original 1930s National already recorded onto a 78 RPM record! Odd, endearing, and one of our dark-horse favorite eccentricities; a great trashy blues machine if there ever was one.
Overall length is 34 in. (86.4 cm.), 12 1/4 in. (31.1 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 22 in. (559 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This is a nicely original guitar, with some general wear but unaltered and -- as these go -- quite a good player. There is scuffing and corrosion on the metal areas, most notably on the tailpiece and some of the coverplate. The pearloid on the body is quite solid with only a few minor dinks in it. The neck finish has dings and dents most notably to the headstock top edge. The frets are very clean with only very light wear. The pickguard stenciling also unusually intact with none of the usual rubbed-away spots. Overall this is one of the nicer of these we have had, a super friendly little oddball...some say the perfect couch guitar! It sort of sounds like you're playing through a tiny amp that follows you around! Excellent - Condition.
One of the National company's oddest fretted experiments (and that's saying something!), the 1950s Reso-Phonic model is essentially a solid body resonator guitar, which functions solely as an acoustic instrument despite looking like it really ought to be electrified! The 1930s style resonator cone is set into a small solid wood body covered in grey/green pearloid, with a second coverplate on the back to allow some sound to escape.
There is a plastic pickguard covering the upper half of the body decorated with pinstripes, a script "RESO-PHONIC", and a metal plate National shield logo. The bolt-on neck is a very short scale, similar to the one used on the company's budget Supro student guitars and has a National logo sticker on the headstock. The instrument is not as loud as the company's pre-war resonator guitars but has a very distinctive tone, perhaps best described as somewhat like an original 1930s National already recorded onto a 78 RPM record! Odd, endearing, and one of our dark-horse favorite eccentricities; a great trashy blues machine if there ever was one.
Overall length is 34 in. (86.4 cm.), 12 1/4 in. (31.1 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 22 in. (559 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This is a nicely original guitar, with some general wear but unaltered and -- as these go -- quite a good player. There is scuffing and corrosion on the metal areas, most notably on the tailpiece and some of the coverplate. The pearloid on the body is quite solid with only a few minor dinks in it. The neck finish has dings and dents most notably to the headstock top edge. The frets are very clean with only very light wear. The pickguard stenciling also unusually intact with none of the usual rubbed-away spots. Overall this is one of the nicer of these we have had, a super friendly little oddball...some say the perfect couch guitar! It sort of sounds like you're playing through a tiny amp that follows you around! Excellent - Condition.