National Sears/Roebuck Duolian Model Resophonic Guitar (1931), made in Los Angeles, Frosted Duco crystaline paint finish, steel body, mahogany neck, original black hard shell case.
This guitar is a fairly rare National, sold not by the company's usual jobbers but directly to the public by the country's greatest catalog merchant Sears, Roebuck & Co. In the most severe year of the great Depression, any sale was a good sale and National contracted with Sears to manufacture these instruments for them at a special price. The guitar is identical to National's lowest-end metalbody instrument, the Duolian, except the coverplate has fewer holes in a simpler pattern and there are no headstock markings except an "R" series (for Roebuck!) serial number and patent marking on the top edge. The neck is natural finish mahogany with an 'ebonized' maple fingerboard and is very deep and chunky with a slight 'V' contour. The fingerboard dots are ivoroid plastic instead of pearl, and the board is unbound. The finish is the standard Duolian green crinkle with a lot of patterning in the paint.
These guitars sold for $29.00 (plus freight!) originally while a regular Duolian retailed in stores at $32.50, and were a great value for Sears' customers. The documented serial numbers suggest that around 600 or so of this model were sold, compared to literally thousands of National-branded Duolians. This guitar is both an interesting rarity and a great-sounding steel body National.
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. (8.2 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 in. (635 mm.). Width of nut is 1 7/8 in. (48 mm.). Well used but still very original and great sounding. General overall finish wear, especially to the back of the neck. There are two extra small holes drilled near the decorative F-holes on either side of the upper bout; the reason is lost to history but at least they harmonize well with the design! There is also a small hole in the bass side of the headstock, near the low E tuner. The tuners, tailpiece, frets and nut are all original, the cone and biscuit appear original as well. The instrument is set up with a medium action and is perfect for delta-style blues playing. Very Good + Condition.
