Nationals guitars - comparing models acoustically

[@TheWashboardResonators]

Nice! Just got the notification for this. Excellent stuff. Funnily enough I got your old Acanthus guitar home today! 🎯

[@snakehips81]

The Acanthus one is a beauty. The old guy in California I bought it from was 81yrs old at the time. When he was packing it up to send to me, he noticed a small seam separation between the top & the sides, either side of the tailpiece, at it’s 90 degree bend. He took it up to National Resophonics - a 2hr drive for him, and he stayed overnight in a hotel while NRP did a seam resolder repair. And he didn’t charge me for it either ! NRP did a great job on the repair. The engraving is fab. I’m not a squareneck player, as you can tell from my KZbin videos playing it and a 1937 Style 3 !!!

[@TomO.3678]

Especially Love the polychrome Triolian! I have one with the walnut finish (also 1930). Thanks for helping keep National guitar music alive, brother!! ✌🏻😎🎶🎶🎶🍀☘️👍🏻

[@snörre23]

Ah, i wish i had got one of those when they still were affordable about 15 years ago, stupid me instead spent the money that would have bought me two vintage ones on several NRPs and budget models almost ten as far as i remember, and now they old ones are gone.

[@snakehips81]

They’re not all gone - they’re here !!

[@peterhedrich7653]

your voice is phenomenal and ya can play and your familiar with that damping on the Machines like your massive glass slide😁also the comparisson is very good so one can hear the difference between the various modells thank you for demonstrate that beauties

[@VJLasorsa]

I like the last duolian you played

[@BrasilFolk]

Great videos! I got myself a 1938 duolian. The paint is almost gone, but I really like the way it looks. I'm thinking about applying a can of 2x clear coat to protect the old paint (like people do on those rat rods). Have you done something similar?

[@snakehips81]

Be careful if your guitar has the crystaline Duo paint finish. You could melt/dissolve the remains of that paint finish with the solvents (I presume) in the lacquer you intend to use. Take off the tailpiece and try a wee dot of your lacquer on an area that the tailpiece covers/hides first.

[@BrasilFolk]

@@snakehips81thanks for the great advice! I’ll send you some pictures via email so you can check it out.

[@ConcezioPellegrini]

VERY Nice. Liked and Subscribed

[@teemlee51]

Sweet collection you have there! I've got a nice stash myself. Do you put modern tuners on your vintage units? I want to change out tuners on a few of my 30s models to preserve the original ivory. if so, where do you get them. Thanks. Cheers

[@snakehips81]

Stewmac Golden Age Restoration tuners are the best match aesthetically, they perform really well and they are not too expensive. Those are what I used (for last 15yrs or so).

[@teemlee51]

@@snakehips81 Excellent! Thanks for the speedy reply. Keep up the rippin jams!!

[@snakehips81]

@@teemlee51 - these are the ones. The cream knob colour is a bit weird, so I prefer the black knobs : www.stewmac.com/parts-and-hardware/tuning-machines/slotted-peghead-guitar-tuning-machines/golden-age-restoration-tuners-for-slotted-peghead-guitar---square-end

[@snakehips81]

Lastly, IF your National has the early Fleur-de-Lis engraved tuners (a Tricone or an early Style O) AND if they are the ones where the cog/worms are on the opposite side of the tuner post that almost all later tuners, then these Stewmac tuners are great replacements for - I have a few sets of these - they are great too : www.stewmac.com/parts-and-hardware/tuning-machines/slotted-peghead-guitar-tuning-machines/golden-age-restoration-tuners-for-slotted-peghead-guitar---fleur-de-lis

[@snakehips81]

If you are not sure if your tuners have the reverse arrangement for the tuner posts and cog/worms, send me an Gmail to me (using my KZbin username as the prefix, if you get my drift !)

[@baggsblues2104]

Put a magnet on the back of the neck and see if any have a steel rod in them. Cheers.

[@snakehips81]

None of them have them

[@mickwall8]

do any or all of these have resophonic strings on?

[@snakehips81]

What are resophonic strings ???

[@mickwall8]

@@snakehips81 I have an Ozark resonator guitar with a plated brass body. I put a set of D'addario Phosphor Bronze on it, and they're fine, and it's easy to play, but not, if I've understood this right, as loud as it might be. I got curious and somewhere on the net I found Michael Messer 'National' strings. phosphor-bronze. and .015-.056 gauge. There is a caution on the pack to fit them before cutting to length as they'll apparently unwind if not. When I look again, the company is called 'national reso-phonic', not the strings. I haven't fitted these yet, at the moment I'm playing either old time guitar or bodhran and I got distracted. Sorry if I've misled you.

[@snakehips81]

@@mickwall8 - That's alright ! I am familiar with "Michael Messer" Newtone strings. They are old-school-style strings, made with a round core instead of modern hexagonal core. They tune up to pitch at less tension than modern strings. They unwind/unravel too easily though if you cut them without first putting a bend just before where you cut. Feed the string through the post, bend 90 degrees at some point then cut on the free end side of the bend. The bend stops the string unravelling towards the nut & the rest of the string. For the string bending and regular E tuning stuff I like to play, 15-56 strings are too heavy. I use regular D'Addario 13-56 strings on all my Nationals - which are perfect for both slide, stringbending and fretting. I like a high action anyway (3 to 3.5mm at the 12th fret) so I don't need a heavier string set

[@mickwall8]

@@snakehips81 Thanks for that. As ever, very useful. I'll try the set I have and see. 13-56 would be a bit heavy for me these days, but we shall see how it goes...... Your good work is very much appreciated.

[@12Radius]

The old one got mojo

[@snakehips81]

I'm not that old !!! Ya bass !

[@convite123]

no sound :(

[@JustSomeGuyOk]

Where the F do you get these guitars?

[@snakehips81]

Mostly ebay. Got my first one (the 1934 Duolian) about 20yrs ago