National Aristocrat Model Arch Top Hollow Body Electric Guitar, c. 1950, made in Chicago, natural lacquer finish, Laminated maple body, mahogany neck, black tolex hard shell case.
A very attractive and high-grade blonde National archtop electric, built with a Gibson-made ES-300 body. This guitar features a regular magnetic pickup in the neck position, and a very early version of the "Silver Sound" built-in bridge pickup that looks like a piece of 1940's radio equipment. All hardware is gold-plated, and with multiple bindings on body, head, and neck, and fancy pearl inlaid "National" shield logo in headstock, this is a striking instrument. Controls are a volume and a blend, complete with original non-matching knobs.
This interesting guitar is a result of the intertwining of Gibson and National/Valco with the CMI (Chicago Musical Instrument) empire in the 1940's and 50's. As the National company didn't have a high-grade wood shop, a deal was struck that they would purchase Gibson-made bodies "in the white" (unfinished) for some of their better instruments and fit them out with National necks and hardware. This ES-300 body carries the Gibson factory order number 3365-2, dating it to 1950.
The Aristocrat is the fanciest guitar resulting from that connection, and a fine if eccentric instrument in its own right.
Overall length is 42 1/2 in. (108 cm.), 17 1/16 in. (43.3 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 1/2 in. (8.9 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.).
Generally well-preserved; body finish is very clean with only light wear, and neck finish has noticeable chipping. Original tuners appear to have been replaced long ago with late 1950's "patent pending" gold Grover Rotomatics; hardware otherwise original. Gold plating worn on tailpiece, otherwise still strong overall.
One small spot of celluloid deterioration has begun on upper corner of pickguard. Plays well and has a very interesting sound, much 'funkier' than most large archtops. This guitar has an early-style jack requiring a special "Anphenol" connector on the cord.
