2017 National M1 Woodbody Tricone Resonator Guitar

My-my, this thing's lookin' and cookin'! I'm a fan of the modern woodbody Nationals but this is only the second tricone woodbody I've played -- they're not exactly everywhere. These guys are made of ply mahogany and don't even use a metal soundwell, so they're quite lightweight compared to the brass or steel instruments -- and because the backs don't have arching to them, they're even thinner and more compact front-to-back which makes them cozy in the lap.

The non-metal body also gives them a more fundamental, plainer voice that really suits the sing-song, longer-sustained sound of the tricone setup. It's very "piano-like" but without overring. Compared to a single-cone setup in a similar body, the tricone setup acts a little differently -- it's a little richer and less forward and punchy, but it's still just as loud and forceful as a single-cone setup -- it just doesn't load all of the sound into the first "snap" -- it has a longer, cleaner decay and sustain without being "honky" like a Dobro setup.

Anyhow, this one is here via a consignor and is lightly-used and only looks "shopworn" here and there. I gave it a glorified setup and now it's playing spot-on for flatpicking or fingerpicking setup, though all it needs changed for a "slide" setup is a shim placed under the saddle to jack the action up a bit.

Repairs included: light fret level/dress, cleaning, cone seating/compensation at the saddle, setup.

Top wood: ply mahogany

Back & sides wood: ply mahogany

Bracing type: n/a

Bridge: maple w/aluminum T-bridge

Fretboard: ebony

Neck wood: mahogany

Action height at 12th fret: 3/32” bass 1/16” treble (fast, spot-on)
String gauges: 54w-12 lights

Neck shape: medium soft V/C profile

Board radius: ~12"

Truss rod: adjustable

Neck relief: straight

Fret style: medium-bigger

Scale length: 25 3/4"

Nut width: 1 13/16"

Body width: 14 1/4"

Body depth: 3 1/8"

Weight: 5 lbs 14 oz

Condition notes: it's all-original and fairly clean. There's one tiny ding (essentially invisible) on the treble side near the heel and then two nicks/finish scratches next to the tailpiece. The tailpiece's top plating has a worn spot right in the middle, too -- from where adhesive film was used to secure a pickup's jack. I cleaned it off, though, so it's not obvious at all. The original satin finish is in excellent shape overall.

It comes with: its original hard case and various Nat'l branding stickers.