1928 National Style 4
Given the extraordinary
unconventionality of their instruments, it’s remarkable that National guitars
were an instant success. Many innovations (such as solid bodies, hum-cancelling
pickups and steel strings) took decades to catch on after their initial
introduction, but National fielded so many orders in their early years that the
factory could not keep up with demand. Others had built instruments out of metal
as early as the late 19th century, but none sold in enormous numbers.
The Merrill brand even engraved their aluminum instruments to provide decoration
on the more expensive models.
However, none of the aluminum guitars attained the visual
impact of National tricones. With bodies made of a copper-based alloy (despite
being called “German silver” or “nickel silver”, the material is actually a form
of brass that contains no silver), a nickel plate was used to prevent unsightly
oxidation. It had the secondary effect of producing a brilliant, mirror smooth
finish that immediately caught the eyes of musicians and audiences alike.
However, conventional methods of decorating guitars – binding, purfling, other
inlays – were not possible on such an instrument, so National had to find
another way to differentiate between the differently-priced models.
Their solution was the same as Merrill’s: engraving. The
relatively cheap Style 1 instruments were left
without engraving, while the Styles 2, 3 and 4 were given progressively more
complex and costly floral patterns. When National decided to expand their line
into more affordable price ranges, they traded costly engraving for a quicker
and cheaper sand blasting process (as on the Styles O,
35 and 97). Custom engraving was also available, probably for an added fee, as
evidenced by the large number of one-off instruments bearing
people’s names or personalized designs.
The pinnacle of National’s engraved guitars was the Style
4. Not only was this the flagship of the tricone line, it was also the most
expensive product in the National catalog
until its discontinuation in 1942 (that includes electric instruments as well).
The Spanish and Hawaiian versions were both advertised at $195, which is
interesting because the two have very different constructions: the Spanish
tricones have a conventional wooden guitar neck, while the Hawaiian tricones all
have a single-piece metal body and neck with just a wooden headstock anchored
into the end of the neck. All other instruments – mandolins, ukuleles and tenor
guitars – only went up to the Style 3 level of ornamentation.
Because the engravings were done
by hand and because National felt no obligation to conform to catalogued
specifications, all engraved tricones exhibit wide variations in ornamentation.
Fret markers, headstock logos and engraving patterns are all highly variable.
Early Style 4s often had decal logos, while mine sports a pearl inlay. In the
early 1930s the headstocks were given pearloid veneers with the logo engraved
into the top, and the bodies occasionally sported clear pickguards. Some
examples have a floral pattern all the way around the cover plate, while many
(like mine) have an empty space between the bridge and the end of the fretboard.
Some later examples were given pearloid fretboards, while early ones sport a
variety of markers at the 12th fret.
My guitar is as typical of a late 1920s tricone as it is
possible to generalize. It is entirely original, and though it has a few dents
in the body the guitar is overall structurally excellent. A previous owner added
to the decoration by recording his service in the US navy during World War II;
there are a few ships listed on the back and side of the neck. The instrument is
extremely loud even when played with bare fingers (as I do), and it sustains a
sweet tone long after the strings are plucked.
