{"product_id":"national-model-1104-town-country-solid-body-electric-guitar-1958-13535","title":"National Model 1104 Town \u0026 Country Solid Body Electric Guitar (1958)","description":"National Model 1104 Town \u0026amp; Country Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1958), made in Chicago, serial # X74695, natural lacquer finish, maple body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, period soft shell case. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe striking and super stylish Populuxe-influenced National solidbodies of the mid-late 1950's came in several cosmetic variations but were generally a single basic design. This is the \"standard\" Town \u0026amp; Country model, one step down from the fancier Glenwood cosmetically but essentially the same instrument. It features a flat-topped solid but heavily routed maple body, the unique metal-cored \"stylist\" adjustable-pitch neck and 2 powerful Valco pickups. With ivory celluloid body and neck binding and fancy block fingerboard inlay the Town \u0026amp; Country is a fairly fancy guitar, and with the accent on plastics looked very modern at the time. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe large pickguard covering much of the face is back-painted clear Lucite with a raised cream center section, all decorated with pinstriping. The back of the body is completely covered in heavy cream celluloid (great for preventing belt buckle wear!) while the headstock is faced in black plastic with a dressed-away edge and an nifty raised chrome logo like a '50's car. The bolted-on \"Stylist\" neck has a deep, roundish profile shading to a soft \"V\" in the lower positions. It is built of maple around an aluminum core and the angle to the body is adjustable at the heel via hex bolts hidden under a cream plastic heel plate. An adjustable floating wooden bridge (with the saddle compensated for an UN-wound G string) and generic tailpiece complete the hardware. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe twin-pickup control circuit looks more complex than it really is with a large 3-way rotary selector lever near the jack and individual tone and volume knobs for each pickup, PLUS the 2-pickup combination making for 6 small knobs neatly lined up on the bass side of the body. This may look a bit daunting but in action is actually quite versatile and the guitar has a wide range of sound from a sharp twang to some flat-out deep crunchy raunch when pushed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThese well-made guitars are some of the 1950's coolest unsung solidbodies; although often considered \"Cheap Thrill\" guitars now when new they were fairly expensive. CMI, National and Gibson's distributor at the time sold these alongside Les Pauls and not for a whole lot less money! The Town \u0026amp; Country was sort-of equivalent to a Les Paul standard, listing at $199.50 in 1957; The $48.00 extra to have bought a gold-topped Les Paul instead would have paid off handsomely today but at the time the instruments competed for the same market. Today this model stands as a relative bargain in a 1950s vintage solidbody, a fine playing and hot sounding electric waiting to be rediscovered.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eOverall length is 38 3\/4 in. (98.4 cm.), 13 3\/4 in. (34.9 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3\/4 in. (4.4 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 1\/2 in. (622 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11\/16 in. (43 mm.). \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis 65+ year old National remains in very nice condition overall, complete and all original. It shows some average light wear, most notably loss to the painted-on pinstriping on the upper pickguard. The original natural lacquer finish on the body has some broad checking and appears a bit \"smoked\" with a lightly ambered hue and small dings, dents and chips. The beveled edge of the headstock face has some minor discoloration. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe nut is slightly mis-fit so may not be original, though it looks old. All else is original to the instrument. Structurally the guitar is excellent, with a straighter neck than many and only lightly worn original frets making for a very good player. Like all of these '50's Nationals the 1104 has a rather distinctive raunchy tone when cranked, especially suitable for rootsier blues or slide stylings. It includes a period possibly original chipboard case. Overall Excellent - Condition.","brand":"National","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46853708546188,"sku":"13535","price":2450.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0672\/8702\/3756\/files\/01_1bfa17e2-9283-4329-b370-f722859a54a8.jpg?v=1774344035","url":"https:\/\/retrofret.com\/products\/national-model-1104-town-country-solid-body-electric-guitar-1958-13535","provider":"RetroFret","version":"1.0","type":"link"}