National Town & Country Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1958), made in Chicago, Blonde lacquer finish, maple body and neck, rosewood fingerboard, original brown tolex hard shell case.
This striking and super stylish Populuxe-influenced National solidbodies of the mid-late 1950's came in several variations (most notably the "standard" Town & Country and the fancier Glenwood) but were generally a single overall design. They feature 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 & Country is a fairly fancy guitar, and with the accent on plastics looked very modern at the time. The pickguard is back-painted clear Lucite usually with a raised cream center section that is absent on this guitar. The back of the body is covered in heavy cream celluloid (great for preventing belt buckle wear!) while the headstock is faced in black plastic with a nifty raised chrome logo like a '50's car. The control circuit is relatively complex with a large 3-way master selector lever near the jack and individual tone and volume knobs for each pickup, PLUS the 2-pickup combination making for 6 small knobs lined up on the bass side of the body. This looks daunting sounding but in action is actually quite versatile and the guitar has a wide range of sound from a sharp twang to some flat-out raunch when pushed. These well-made guitars are some of the 1950's coolest unsung solidbodies; when new they were fairly expensive (CMI sold these alongside Les Paul standards, and not for a whole lot less money!) and stand today as a relative bargain in a vintage solidbody.
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 25 in. (635 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.). Very nice overall-this guitar is complete and original except the upper pickguard section is missing. Some average light wear. One small chip to the back of the headstock. There is a small repaires split on the treble side of the neck, totally solid but visible. With a straighter neck than most, this is a very good player and like all of these '50's Nationals has a rather distinctive raunchy tone when cranked. Includes an original (Les Paul style) brown CMI case with hinge issues. Overall Excellent - Condition.
