My Old National

Lee Baucum · From: McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier

I have an old National Style O. The serial number is S 5499. Can you tell the manufacture date by the serial number? If so, what year was this beauty made?

Thanks!

Lee, from South Texas

Mark Durante · From: St. Pete Beach FL

Lee,

Gruhn"s book puts it at 1934-1935

mikey · From: New Jersey

Autumn 1934

Lee Baucum · From: McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier

Thanks for your help guys.

Lee, from South Texas

Lee Baucum · From: McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier

Now for a few more questions.

Does anybody know what the original hardshell case should look like? This one has a hardshell case with green felt (or felt-like substance) inside.

Also, where can I get new tuners? Somebody had replaced the original tuners with chrome, enclosed jobbies that don't look like original replacements. Does anybody make reproductions?

This is a twelve-fret, round-neck guitar. Are these more sought-after than square-neck guitars? Or did National even offer the Style O with a square neck?

Please excuse my ignorance. I'm just a dumb ol' pedal steeler who rarely ventures over into this part of the Forum.

Thanks again!

Lee, from South Texas

mikey · From: New Jersey

Aloha Lee,
The original cases have G&S on the clasps, also I believe a Diamond pattern on the inside pocket, National jobbed out the cases....The 12 fret roundnecks are more common than square, and the O's are relatively common, I personally prefer the 12 fret's over the 14's....contact the new National Resophonic company for tuners, they have them, they are on the web, just search for National Resophonic, and contact Marie Gaines,
Aloha,
Mike

Mike D · From: Phx, Az

Unfortunatly, the tuners National uses now arn't the same. They used the enclosed Kluson's for a while and now use some open ones with chrome knobs. They also use those huge-buck waverly's on the big dollar engraved models.
I've had good luck digging around shops and guitar shows for old tuners. National's used the same tuners as old Kay's, and other lower dollar guitars in the '30s. I've found set's in good shape that were exact matches, and for 20-40 bucks.

mikey · From: New Jersey

National also sells restoration parts, you just need to give them the serial # of your guitar...
Mike

Lee Baucum · From: McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier

IF (and that's a big if) I should decide to sell this guitar, where is the best place to market it and what would be a fair price range? I know condition would be a factor, so how about a price range + or - a few hundred dollars.

Thanks again, guys.

Lee, from South Texas

Mike D · From: Phx, Az

Lee you just about can't beat eBay. There is a well established group of National buyers and sellers there and you can search back to past auctions to get a read on prices.
Places like Mando Bros. and Elderly overprice their stuff IMHO and stuff sits there for ages sometimes.
Most decent condition Style O's are going to run upwards of $2700.00- $3200.00 maybe more if yours is a rarer model or in particularly good shape.

[This message was edited by Mike D on 10 October 2000 at 06:55 AM.]

Al Marcus · From: Cedar Springs,MI USA (deceased)

Back before WWII I had a National chrome body 6 string with a square neck. Beautiful.

I paid $10. for it. I played guitar and some Hawaiian songs with a orchestra playing dinner/dancing music and it came out pretty good with a mike in front of it.

I had to get a double 8 stand up Electric, so sold that National for all of $35. I thought I had some big bucks! Should have kept it.....al

Lee Baucum · From: McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier

This old National is a round-neck model. The frets are very high and the binding on the neck is cracked at every fret. All the pieces are there. Once, a small piece fell off. Luckily I found it and glued it back on.

I need opinions. I would like to make this guitar more playable. I'm thinking about having some fret work done to lower the frets and smooth out the ends of the frets. They are very sharp. I would also like to have the binding replaced. Do you feel that this would decrease or increase the value of the guitar?

Or....should I just have a new, high nut installed and use it for steel playing only?

Any opinions out there?

Lee, from South Texas

mikey · From: New Jersey

I am of the opinion that an unplayable guitar is useless...guitars were built to be MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS!!!!...But,It matters what YOU want the guitar for...if it's only for steel, or slide, I'd replace the nut(keep the original tho)...but having the original frets worked on to level them,or to file up the ends will not affect value, if the frets are too high, they probably aren't original anyway...or the neck needs adjustment, or the bisquit is worn too low, or the cone has dropped, ...changing the binding will affect value to a collector tho, if you have all the binding, I'd recommend having the original binding repaired,reglued and resealed w/ lacquer...
Just my opinion,
Mike

Mike D · From: Phx, Az

Check out this guy for some good National repair advice. http://www.roots66.com/ngr/

He used to work at National Reso-Phonic.

Mike

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