1933 National "Walnut" Triolian Resonator Guitar

Update 2019: This guy is back in for consignment -- the owner ran into need for cash during a house renovation. I've updated the information where necessary, took new pictures, and added a video clip... now back to the original entry...

This "walnut" sunburst Triolian flew the coop really quickly! I finished this one off in the wee hours of Thursday night (back in 2016) and the interested party came in midday Friday and brought it home. I love the look of a nice, beat-up, old steel-body National and this Triolian has the stuff I like to see -- a few dings, lots of honest playwear, and a radiused, rosewood fretboard. It also has a shorter 24 3/4" scale length and a nice, bigger C profile to the back of the neck. Everything is original save the new bone (compensated) saddle and parts-bin vintage tuners.

Work included: a neck reset, fret level/dress, adding those aforementioned tuners, cleaning, a new saddle, and general setup with "lights" in gauges 54w, 42w, 32w, 24w, 16, 12. It plays spot-on (3/32" EA and 1/16" DGBE action at the 12th fret) and has cannonfire tone. It's got guts. The saddle is drop-in so one can adjust height to taste via shims. Under the hood this has its original cone with "riveted/nailed" biscuit (which I converted to screw-tightened as the rivets tend to vibrate). When I did the neck reset I moved the two "islands" under the dowel a bit and added a third one, too. This increases rigidity in the neck/body join.

Scale length: 24 3/4"
Nut width: 1 13/16"
String spacing at nut: 1 19/32"
String spacing at saddle: 2 3/16"

Body length: 18 1/4"
Lower bout width: 14"
Upper bout width: 10 1/8"

Side depth at endpin: 3 1/4"

Neck wood: maple
Fretboard: rosewood

Neck shape: f10-12" radius board, medium-V rear

Bridge: maple biscuit/new bone compensated saddle

Nut: original bone

Condition notes: it's mostly original save replacement vintage tuners and a new saddle. There's also tons of wear-and-tear to the finish all-over in a most delightfully-used way.

The bound, radiused rosewood fretboard also has pearl dots and sported, initially, those old Regal-style "triangular" fret crowns. After the level/dress they're a little more comfortable under the fingers, for sure. The frets on the extension over the body at its very end are a bit more leveled-down than the ones on the neck proper.

I like having 14 frets clear, myself, especially when using a guitar as a "chorder." I like sliding chord shapes for group work.

Who doesn't love seeing pickwear like that?

This has "rolled" f-holes. These stiffen the top a bit.

Two mounting screws for the coverplate are replacements as the originals were quite stripped.

The headstock serial 3225W corresponds to 1933.

It comes with a very nice, National-brand, modern hard case with blue plush lining, an arched top, and reinforcements to its edges.