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Post new topic National Double 8 Console- Modular? Convert Lefty to Righty?
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Author Topic:  National Double 8 Console- Modular? Convert Lefty to Righty?
Schy Willmore

 

From:
Illinois, USA
Post  Posted 22 Jan 2025 4:29 pm    
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I'm looking at a ~1960 Double Eight that appears to be set up as a lefty, though the control plate in the center would be upside down / facing away from a lefty player. Maybe it was originally a right-handed instrument?

How modular are these guitars?
Can I pull it apart into five pieces and set it up Right-handed with the back neck higher than the closer one?
I've googled a bunch but I can't seem to find instructions. Any resource I could use to help?

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D Schubert

 

From:
Columbia, MO, USA
Post  Posted 23 Jan 2025 8:01 am    
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If it's truly a lefty (and rare as hen's teeth) you might be wise to sell it to a left-handed player at a premium price, and then go find a right-handed replacement.
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Aaron Clinton


From:
Calgary, AB
Post  Posted 23 Jan 2025 9:46 am    
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It’s not a lefty. Just restring it?
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Jack Hanson


From:
San Luis Valley, USA
Post  Posted 23 Jan 2025 10:13 am    
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Cool guitar, and it certainly appears to be in nice condition. The way it's set up with the "National" logo facing the front for a left-handed player, it certainly does appear to be a scarce factory lefty to me. I would concur with D; if you can score it cheap enough, and then flip it for a righty, that might be the way to go.

Aaron Clinton wrote:
It’s not a lefty. Just restring it?

Might be just a tad uncomfortable to play the outside neck, with its inside neck higher than the outside one.
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Bill Sinclair


From:
Waynesboro, PA, USA
Post  Posted 23 Jan 2025 12:01 pm    
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As I recall, those five pieces of wood can be rearranged without too much difficulty. You might have to desolder the pickups but I'm thinking you could just remove the pickup/bridge assemblies and swap the necks out from under them. Remove the two friction caps from the inside wood piece to reveal the screws that are holding that piece on. Once you remove that piece, it should be fairly intuitive how the rest of it is screw or bolted together. I don't remember exactly, it's been several years. Those three-position switches at the base of each neck were pretty wonky on mine. I intended to replace them with a blend pot but sold the guitar before that happened. Nice looking and sounding guitars. Those totem pole fretboards are my favorite.
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Schy Willmore

 

From:
Illinois, USA
Post  Posted 25 Jan 2025 6:13 am     Thanks!
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Thank you for all the great replies!

Do you think there's enough of a market for left-handed consoles?

Has anyone seen resource showing the disassembly?
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