National Town & Country Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1958), made in Chicago, natural lacquer finish, original black hard shell case.
A deluxe 1950's solidbody guitar from Valco, the National Town & Country was the second from the top of the line just under the slightly fancier gold-plated Glenwood but with most of the same features.
This guitar has a very striking look with its combination of pinstriped black and white plastic pickguards and clear finish, and manages to seem sophisticated and downhome at the same time! The single-cutaway body is bound on the front with a solid cream plastic backplate, and the black-finished neck and headstock are single bound as well.
Two powerful National single coil pickups (which look very much like humbuckers) are controlled by a 3-way switch and 6 knobs, which are three different tone and volume circuits for bass, PU, Treble PU, and both together. The tone is quite powerful with the typical National/Supro raunch.
This guitar is considerably more upscale than the similar but far more common Supro Dual-Tone, and practically begs to be played while wearing a leopard-print jacket a la J.B. Lenoir. A very cool and rather uncommon 1950's guitar.
Overall length is 38 in. (96.5 cm.), 12 in. (30.5 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.).
Excellent, all original, and very clean overall; some wear to finish on the back of the neck and a repaired crack to the pickguard near, but not through, the jack area are the only significant usage marks on this guitar. Some rubbing to the pickguard printing and a tiny scrape on the upper edge by the binding, otherwise excellent.
