From National’s 2006 Vintage Steel launch press release: “The satin-nickel plating on each Vintage Steel instrument is designed to look aged with use and the passage of time.” Well here’s your chance to experience all of that ageing yourself, because this one has been so sparingly played – or even out of its case – that fifteen years after it left the factory, it still looks 92% brand new!
A work of art
With almost exclusively 5-star and 10/10 reviews, the Vintage Steel is described by one player as, “A work of art from American craftsmen!” (See pic # 5 for a great shot of a Tricone under construction at the Natioinal Resophonic workshop, in San Luis Obispo, California) The loudest of the tricones, thanks to its steel body, the Vintage Steel’s tone is all Blues, but just as capable at Country and anything else you want to plonk down.
Wold's most famous resonator guitars
Located on the Pacific coast, halfway between San Francisco and LA, and just a two hour drive away inland from country music’s second home of Bakersfield, National Resophonic have been meticulously building the world’s most famous resonator guitars for many years now, each one fully constructed by hand, using much the same processes, parts and equipment as the very first instruments that came out of the original National factory in Los Angeles, way back in 1927.
Tricone tone
With three spun aluminium cones pushing the music out through the soundwell’s mesh, and stray body resonances through the upper body lattices, the tricone tone is unmistakeable! If you play any sort of roots music, you must have a tricone in your rack.
Ebony fingerboard
Several features point to this having been a factory custom order: A Mahogany neck; bound Ebony fingerboard; vintage-style brass serial number plaque; and the proper thirties-style, 3-color National decal logo on the headstock. Most of the satin-nickel Vintage Steels had Maple necks, Rosewood fingerboards, (later models sans binding), a stamped serial number, and either a stamped or an etched black-and-white headstock logo.
In stock
Wait time on metal body Nationals is currently running at 10 – 12 months(!), but this super cool, satin-nickel Vintage Steel is right here, in stock, ready for our couriers to come by and get it on its way to you. Complete with its original National hard shell case - in matching fabulous condition - delivery is FREE to any address in Australia. ($100 airfreight to New Zealand, $175 to the US, Canada, UK and mainstream European countries. International freight added at checkout)
Getcha Memphis Minnie on!
Weight: One bee’s penis under 9lb / 4.07kg
Just Guitars
