National tricone guitars triplate single cone resonator dobro, map shaped vintage guitar collecting Vintage Guitars Info's National Resonator and National/Valco Map-shaped Electric Vintage Guitar Info. National resonator and National/Valco electric map shaped vintage guitars history and collecting.

Private vintage guitar collector. Pictures, history for National resonator vintage guitars.. 1928 National Tricone style 1 squareneck Introduction and Serial Numbers: • (the different resonator systems and how they work and sound) • • • • • • (including National, Valco, Supro instruments) • • Silver resonator metalbody, round and squareneck vintage models. Includes the Style 1, 1 1/2,2, 2 1/2, 3, 4, 35, 97 nickel plated models, and the style M-3 painted tricones.

• silver resonator vintage metalbody • silver resonator vintage metalbody • silver resonator vintage metalbody • resonator vintage metalbody • resonator vintage metalbody • resonator vintage metalbody • including Triolian, Trojan, Estralita, El Trovador, Rosita, Aragon, Havana. • resonator vintage metalbody • • • • • • • • • • National Resonator Introduction. National resonator instruments made from 1928 to 1940 were louder than conventional acoustic guitars of the era.

Dating Valco Instruments. The most effective way to date a Valco guitar or amp is by its serial number. From the ‘40s until 1964, the serial could be found stamped.

They were also very popular with Hawaiian and Blues musicians in the late 1920's and early 1930's. National's two types of resonators: The single cone and the tricone.

National made two types of resonator instruments: tricone and single cone models. Tricone instruments have a very sweet and warm tone. This is due to their long decay (sustain) and slight attack. Vb Projects On Library Management. Single cone Nationals are slightly louder than Tricones, and have a sharp (loud) attack with short decay (sustain). Because of this, single cone Nationals sound much like a banjo. Which type of resonator you like may depend on what style of music you like. Many blues players feel the combination of single cone resonator, steel body, and mahogany neck used on the is the ultimate Blues guitar.

The fancier nickel plated brass, single cone metalbody instruments such as the don't have as bluesy a tone as the less ornate Duolian. This is attributed to their brass, not steel, body material. But they sure do look great!

Personally, I feel the smoother, more complex tone is the best National sound and look! A roundneck tricone (in my opinion) is the ultimate resonator guitar. 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'). Single Cone National 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. Tricone National In a tricone, the three 6' cones are set in a triangle.

Two of the cones are on the bass side, and one on the treble side. Rather than a wooden biscuit bridge, there is an aluminum 'T' shaped bridge that connects to the center of each of the cones. A maple wooden saddle sits atop the T-bridge.

The vibration from the strings goes through the saddle, which in turn vibrates the T-bridge, and then the three cones. The sound has farther to travel to get the cones resonating than with a single resonator guitar. Thus, that's why tricones are not as loud on the attack.

However the sustain is greater, and the tone 'sweeter'. This is because there are three cones all vibrating together, producing more harmonics than a single resonator guitar. The peghead decals of National (from left to right): 1934 Duolian, 1936 Estralida, 1934 Style O (or Tricone s1/s2), reissue decal.

Vintage National Resonator Collectibility. As for collectibility, nickel plated Nationals are the most collectible, due just to the 'look' of the bright nickel plating.

Beyond that, all the Tricone models are collectable, with the fancier styles 2,3 and 4 (all engraved) being more collectible than the plain style 1 Tricone. Be aware that almost all Tricone models came with either a 'squareneck' or a 'roundneck' (and the necks are not interchangable). This refers to the shape of the back of the neck. Squareneck models can not be played like a standard guitar. They are only usable for Hawaiian or Country styles.