National Steel, Style O, 1932

National Guitars, National Steel, Style O, 1932, serial # S3385.

Single cone resonator; nickel plated brass body with sand blasted Hawaiian scene on back and palm trees on front and solid area on sides. 12 frets clear of the body, 17 total; round shoulder, upper F-holes; maple round neck; dot inlay fingerboard; bound ebony fingerboard; slotted peghead; resonator cover with small holes drilled in diamond patterns. Front scene: 1 palm tree with clear areas in the trunk's center around resonator's treble side, border. Back scene has two palm trees.

From Wikipedia: “The National String Instrument Corporation was an American guitar company first formed to manufacture banjos and then the original resonator guitars. In 1927, National produced the first resonator instruments and sold them under their National brand.”

From Vintage Guitar Info: “How the Resonators Work. National resonator instruments use very thin aluminum speaker cones, known as "cones", to mechanically amplify the sound of the instrument. This style of mechanical amplification was invented in the 1920’s, before the advent of electric instruments. At the time of their invention, they were considered the loudest guitar available. Some National models have a single cone, others have three smaller cones (known as “tricones” or “triplates”). In the single resonator models the convex 9.5” diameter cone has a maple “biscuit” on top of the cone. The biscuit has a wooden maple saddle which the strings pass over, like a conventional acoustic flat top guitar. But unlike flattop acoustic guitars where the vibration of the wooden body creates the sound, in a National resonator instrument the body acts as a speaker cabinet. When the strings are played, the vibration goes through the saddle to the bridge and then vibrates the speaker cone causing it to “resonate” and amplify the sound. Because there is fairly direct transmission of vibration from the strings to the resonator, the single resonator guitar is the loudest of the resonator guitars.”

The Style O is probably the most famous and widely known instrument in the National range. The classic Dire Straits album, “Brothers In Arms”, and the greatest hits release both feature Mark Knopfler’s beautiful late 30’s 14 fret Style O on the cover.

See, also:

National’s History, by Al Handa.

NOTECANNONS Vintage National Guitars.

The History and Artistry of National Resonator Instruments, by Bob Brozman.

Marc Schoenberger's National Guitar Repair.

“Resonate: A Guitar Story”, a 90-minute feature documentary featuring four of the world's leading roots/blues/jazz/traditional guitarists Doug MacLeod, Mike Dowling, Catfish Keith, and Bob Brozman.