Incredible and Rare 1928 Vintage National Tricone. (Guitar Story #15)

This vintage 1928 National Tricone is a piece of history.
Made as a deluxe model before the Style 4 model the Acanthus leaf design is probably Nationals fanciest guitar apart from the few custom engraved guitars made as one offs.
Via Chris Steinhauer, Mark Makin, Snakehips, Don Young and National Resophonic this guitar has survived the decades!
Such a rare, fine and incredible vintage guitar.
If you like Lap slide, Dobro, Steel, Blues or Hawaiian guitar this is as good as it gets.
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Cone Comparison Video - • Vintage vs New Resonat...
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Personal links;
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Thanks for looking!

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Support us by clicking the description above and... 🎯Put something in the tip jar. 🎯Subscribe to the mailing list. 🎯Find us on other social media. Thanks all! ❤️❤️❤️

[@waynewarrington1632]

That guitar is absolutely beautiful the sound is magnificent

[@TheWashboardResonators]

🎼❤️🎼

[@chrishartz2397]

I lived in San Luis Obispo for 30 years…knew Don Young…and knew Blue Note Music very well….your guitar is a treasure…god only knows what it would cost today…🎶🎶🎶🎶

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Good you know the links to this. If I’m honest it’s not cheap but it’s only cost about the same relatively over 30 years.

[@HomeOfTone]

This thing is something else 😍

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Top shelf unit!! 🤪

[@daveguitarnowski4402]

SWEEEEEET acquisition! What a great looking/sounding instrument! Good for you.

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Thanks!!

[@nationalduo4945]

Great story !

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Thanks!

[@propboss]

Lovely guitar!

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Thanks! In total agreement!!

[@chrismartin7370]

If I did jealousy I'd be jealous of you having this! But I don't so I'm happy for you. Its stunning.

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Don’t be jealous ever! It’s a cracking instrument and inspires music. Just like your old Rusty Duolian!

[@MrDotneck]

What a beauty - happy for you - enjoy it in good health! 😃

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Thanks! You too!!

[@MrDotneck]

@@TheWashboardResonators 😀❤

[@dreandro458]

Very cool guitar!

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Yes indeed!! 🎯🎯🎯

[@mikefullerton832]

Hello from Ottawa. You are such a lucky fellow to have such wonderful instruments. Your enthusiasm at owning the new square neck projected strongly throughout the video. I’m looking forward to seeing and hearing you play a tune or two. Last June I bought a Reso Rocket WB and I really understand what you said in the video about how upping the standard in the instrument you own/play increases the desire to learn and practice more. This tendency, in my case, is tempered by the occasional feeling of discouragement. Yes, the ups and downs of learning, and having as you said, a first world problem. Cheers. Mike F.

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Thanks. I love all of them differently but it is love! This particular guitar is an absolute babe though! If it’s out on a stand I constantly look at it! I’m really into practice right now. Can’t do enough TBH and I’ve found that discouragement is part of it. If you create a vision that is more compelling than the difficulty it’s easy to keep pulling through. I find working on new tunes or new bits in existing tunes that are beyond my capabilities is the best way to keep energised. You’ll do something one day that you wouldn’t normally be able to and then you sense you’re getting better. That is the fuel for sitting for hours working something out that is hard. Have a repertoire (be it 5 songs for your personal enjoyment or 100 songs to play 200 times a year professionally) and always be adding new songs or adding new inversions, licks, tunings, rhythmical variety, solo parts etc to the old tunes. If that ‘set list’ improves every year then you’re winning. There’s a great ‘John Cleese on creativity’ lecture on KZbin. It applies to practice too. Make time, get rid of distractions, when it’s not happening just walk away. It’s fine.

[@BadTemperJoe]

It's nice to see and hear a wonderful guitar like this gets played a lot.

[@TheWashboardResonators]

It’s well loved!

[@ente-6355]

❤

[@TheWashboardResonators]

🎼❤️🎼

[@eclecticexplorer7828]

I have seen National Tricones before, but mostly the modern version. The engraving on this one is amazing! What a prize to have in your collection!

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Thanks! It’s a rare and thing of beauty for sure! 🎯

[@heymrguitarman7637]

Man if you decide to let people pay to visit and get a National story from you then count me in. My humble style O does me proud but it's great to see someone with such a wonderful collection in the same city as me. Well done sir

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Leeds has such a good resonator history because of Steve Phillips / Mark Knopfler etc. Style 0’s rule!! I gig mine loads! Not sure if ever charge to coke to the house but videos like this help the few people that like these to connect!

[@dfrost8084]

Gorgeous instrument and beautiful backstory. It’s great your keeping Chris’s memory alive. Keep the great music coming.

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Thanks! I’m very lucky and we’re only custodians. This guitar was 53 years old when I was born. The people and places it must have seen can’t be imagined. It’s nice we can use them then allow the next person. Chris lives on as do we all in different ways!!

[@dfrost8084]

We’ll said. I feel the same about my old guitars. Just taking care of them for the next generation. As I’m playing them I often wonder how many people have played them how many gigs, party’s and lonely nights they’ve seen with their former custodians. Cheers 🍻

[@ortrudsteinhauer8359]

Thank you for this video, Martin. You obviously love this guitar as much as Chris did, and it is easy to tell why!

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Hello! It’s a beautiful thing. A true work of art! It’s nice to remember Chris through these too! Enjoy the word games! ❤️🎼❤️

[@xtratacos2731]

What a great instrument, sounds awesome. Great backstory as well. Great video !

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Thanks! It’s great when you have history too!!

[@sebastopolblues]

Congratulations for be luckiest enough to get this gem, squareneck triplates are the finest instrument ever made...and they litteraly teach you how to play them, they feed your inspiration; once you beggan to play you can spend hours of delight just to hear them singin'. (Your bridge saddle looks very high, as you know it modifies the presure on the old cones, the strings should looks paralel from the board to get the seewtness and the fullest sound; that's how they was designed originaly)

[@TheWashboardResonators]

It’s been looked over by a few resonator experts who say it’s good! It is indeed an incredible instrument. Ludicrously rich sounding!!

[@lilchucktheonemanskifflema2214]

Nice one Sir!

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Thanks bud!

[@brianmckinley6177]

Great video and story. There are really no adequate words to describe all the things a guitar like this brings with it. You’ll create music differently with this one. Have fun!

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Thanks! As you know more than anyone. These things have stories in them and inspire!

[@snakehips81]

Hi Martyn - I believe the metal well is German Silver. My 1931 roundneck Style 1 Tricone, and a 1937 Style 3 squareneck Tricone, that I used to own both had steel wells (a magnet stuck to them). A magnet did not stick to that Acanthus tricone's well. So, that means it's either German Silver, like the rest of the guitar, or another metal eg. brass. However, I don't think National started using brass for any part of their guitars at that point - but maybe soon after, they used brass for making their own tailpieces (but they also used steel for that, AND I've even had a brass Style O with a German Silver coverplate AND tailpiece !!). I think maybe soon after this guitar, they switched to steel for the resonator wells in Tricones (my theory, anyway !). So, I think it's highly likely that German Silver was used for the resonator well - which probably is a reason for it's fat tone & loud, almost screaming harmonics. The chap in California that I bought it from (then 81yrs old) hoped his kids would be interested in it and his other guitars - but none of them took up music, let alone guitar - so he was sad to be selling his guitars - he just wanted this guitar to be loved. I felt I would do that - but over some years realised I'm just not good enough as a lap-style player to keep owning it ! This chap took it to the National Resophonic factory to have a small seam separation (under the tailpiece bend area) re-soldered - before sending it to me. NRP checked it over and did a "set-up" - although I'm doubtful they had to do very much. All the best !

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Interesting point about the wells. My 30 Tricone has a different sound and the well appears different from this!

[@snakehips81]

@@TheWashboardResonators - the well on that Acanthus guitar was not very flat - and without string pressure, the cones did not sit perfectly on the well - there were some gaps at the base of the cones. I felt it was the reason why the guitar did not sound as good, with the original cones. I felt the NRP hot-rod cones radically improved the tone & volume of the guitar - but I included the original cones when I sold it to the guy you bought it from (or did I just sell it with the original cones - I can't remember now !!). I wonder if perhaps soldering the German Silver well to the guitar body was causing minor distortions to a well that was supposed to be dead flat ? Maybe they tried steel for the well and found it stayed perfectly flat - and as it still sounded good, they decided to stick with a steel well ? I wonder what metal is used for the wells in the brass Style 35's & Style 97's ? And also the M3 tricones ??? I bet they are all steel though ! ??

[@BobPerrone]

Beautiful instrument!

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Agreed! Thanks!! 🎼🎯🎼

[@tomo.3678]

Wow!! That guitar is a stunner, Martyn!! Looks n sounds beautiful! I think National Resophonic re-released it as a Style 5 a few years ago as one step above the Style 4 Chrysanthemum. Not sure if it's still available. Well done and informative vid, as always! 😎✌🏻🎶👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻☘️

[@TheWashboardResonators]

I didn’t know they’d brought them out again! Interesting… need to check for that!! Thanks!! 🎯🎯🎯

[@dawdawes]

What a super sound Martyn. Very nice, now a question. When are you moving into your manner so you have room to store them all 😉😁 wishing you , Jack and all the family's a very happy Christmas. Love from Lancashire, Dave and Sammie x

[@TheWashboardResonators]

It’s a beautiful guitar. All the best!!

[@majorscope]

I nearly bought a national steel in london in the sixties. The guy bought it new i think in america. He was selling it because of ill health. It was £90-00!! in a beautiful case.

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Wonderful! So many have great histories!! Get one bought now!!

[@ymejia19]

🪄🎶

[@TheWashboardResonators]

🎼🎯🎼

[@toledoohio2285]

I suppose now you just need to learn to play it.

[@TheWashboardResonators]

I gig it sometimes on suitable songs at shows with 100+ ticket payers in attendance.