National Duolian Resophonic Guitar (1936)
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Item # 7352
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National Duolian Model Resophonic Guitar (1936), made in Chicago, Frosted Duco finish, steel body, poplar neck with rosewood fingerboard, black chipboard case.
A very nice all original 14-fret Duolian, a good player with a particularly powerful sound. By the time this guitar was made National had merged with Dobro and relocated in Chicago, having forsaken sunny Los Angeles to be closer to the heart of the music industry. These later Midwest-made Duolians have a shorter body with rolled in F-holes, somewhat sturdier than earlier versions. The finish is a light grey-green version of the "Frosted Duco' enamel the Duolian carried from birth, with a cool almost geometric pattern on the back.
The big chunky neck has a deep "soft V" profile and it is topped with a solid headstock in place of the old slot-head variety. It also mounts a genuine rosewood fingerboard, a big improvement over the older "ebonized" boards of the early 1930's. These 14-fret Nationals tend towards a powerful and punchy tone, a bit less sweet and "reverby" than the earlier 12-fret examples. This one is an excellent player for both slide and standard styles and is one of the better sounding we have heard.
Overall length is 37 3/4 in. (95.9 cm.), 14 1/8 in. (35.9 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 25 in. (635 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.). Overall this is a nice example with some typical playwear but a great sound. The body finish is worn down to the metal along the edges-it looks as if it was either painted or taped along the top rim at some point, and then that was removed. The remaining finish still has a great look, with some other wear spots but good color overall. The coverplate shows a wear patch through the enamel finish where the player's fingers have worn it away-very typical for this model. The neck finish has dings and dents all along its length but still feels good. The headstock decal shows some typical loss.
The neck has been reset and the fingerboard planed and refretted, resulting in excellent playability. This is a big-sounding Duolian with a punchy blues-approved tone and plenty of good vibe. Includes a Gibson-branded HSC from the 1990's. Very Good + Condition.
A very nice all original 14-fret Duolian, a good player with a particularly powerful sound. By the time this guitar was made National had merged with Dobro and relocated in Chicago, having forsaken sunny Los Angeles to be closer to the heart of the music industry. These later Midwest-made Duolians have a shorter body with rolled in F-holes, somewhat sturdier than earlier versions. The finish is a light grey-green version of the "Frosted Duco' enamel the Duolian carried from birth, with a cool almost geometric pattern on the back.
The big chunky neck has a deep "soft V" profile and it is topped with a solid headstock in place of the old slot-head variety. It also mounts a genuine rosewood fingerboard, a big improvement over the older "ebonized" boards of the early 1930's. These 14-fret Nationals tend towards a powerful and punchy tone, a bit less sweet and "reverby" than the earlier 12-fret examples. This one is an excellent player for both slide and standard styles and is one of the better sounding we have heard.
Overall length is 37 3/4 in. (95.9 cm.), 14 1/8 in. (35.9 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 25 in. (635 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.). Overall this is a nice example with some typical playwear but a great sound. The body finish is worn down to the metal along the edges-it looks as if it was either painted or taped along the top rim at some point, and then that was removed. The remaining finish still has a great look, with some other wear spots but good color overall. The coverplate shows a wear patch through the enamel finish where the player's fingers have worn it away-very typical for this model. The neck finish has dings and dents all along its length but still feels good. The headstock decal shows some typical loss.
The neck has been reset and the fingerboard planed and refretted, resulting in excellent playability. This is a big-sounding Duolian with a punchy blues-approved tone and plenty of good vibe. Includes a Gibson-branded HSC from the 1990's. Very Good + Condition.