Details
If getting the iconic tone of an old National Duolian has been on your bucket list here's a worthy contender, and it has that frosted Duco crystalline lacquer finish, too. The fingerboard has been nicely replaced with ebony (original was probably dyed hardwood, which wears badly). Hasn't seen very many playing hours since it got new frets and the rather beefy mahogany neck is quite straight with only the slightest relief. The body has wear to the finish as shown, but thankfully no dents or seam separations. The cone appears to be original, with numbers and "other patents pending" stamp on the lower edge of the biscuit.
The old repair to the headstock crunch is unfortunate, but we must remember that old Nationals like this probably weren't worth much back when that repair was done. Fortunately the old tuners work well, and the fingerboard replacement, and fret job, were first-rate work.
We try not to pitch guitars based on how they sound, because tone is so subjective, but all of us here, and the first customers to play it, have commented on this Duolian. There's a roundness to the tone, with plenty of cut but without the harshness that plagues most steel biscuit-cone resonator guitars. Of course you could use it to howl the blues, but you might find yourself playing a wider variety of guitar styles on it, too.
Specs
-
Back sides
Steel
-
Fingerboard
Ebony
-
Finish
Frosted Duco (crystal lacquer)
-
Frets to body
12
-
Neck material
Mahogany
-
Nut width
1 27/32"
-
Scale length
25"
-
Top material
Steel
-
Total frets
19
-
Tuners
Open Gear (original)
-
Year
1931
-
Case type
Hardshell
-
Serial number
C5392
-
SKU
NATDUOLIN-C5392
-
UPC
142020
