1931 National Duolian

$3,100.00

  • Year: 1931
  • Manufacturer: National
  • Model: Duolian
  • Case: Hard
  • Color: Black Walnut Frosted Duco
  • Condition: Very Good
  • Description: A stellar example of a quintessential vintage blues guitar..this Duolian is decked out in the coveted and rare 'black walnut frosted duco finish'. The 'C' series serial number in the very low 400s places this Duolian among the earliest extant, likely made in early 1931. In this period of National's production, the Depression was in full swing, so National created the single cone Duolian to sell at a budget price of $32.50. The strategy must have been a success; thousands were sold, and National survived these lean years. On this Duolian you'll find the features common to the earliest Duolians: steel body with flat-cut 'f'-holes; 12-fret mahogany neck; slotted headstock with stamped National Duolian logo; flat cover plate without the later 'ribs'; frosted duco paint. What sets this one apart from most Duolians is its color, what National called 'black walnut frosted duco' in catalogs of the period. Additionally, the fingerboard is not wood, rather, it's a black phenolic resin, a synthetic material not unlike Bakelite. This was National's nod toward using 'modern' cost-saving materials. National went through a very short period where the entire neck was made from Bakelite, but the failure rate was so high that the company returned to wood. This example is entirely original except for maybe the nut, which is an old bone nut cut 'Hawaiian style', and recently cut to regular playing height. The cone and biscuit are pristine. The paint is about 95% intact, with only some top scratches and edge wear. The body shows no dents. Because this guitar spent the bulk of its life set up for lap playing, the frets show no wear. The tuners are original with a bit of oxidation. The original tailpiece is sound, with some oxidation present on the nickle plate. There are two condition issues to note: a small fingernail-size chip was glued where the neck meets the body, and the phenolic fingerboard was removed and two carbon fiber rods inlaid in the neck with the neck angle adjusted for optimum playing. The original board was reglued to the neck retaining the originality of the guitar. The guitar is an excellent choice for fingerpicking country blues tunes. Played with a slide, this guitar produces the classic Duolian sound coveted by the hillbilly and blues players of the Depression, and modern players today..comes with an older, non-original hard case.