wwatson - Posted - 11/14/2009:  15:08:53

Hi all,
My first post.
I have a couple of questions:
1. Is a radius or flat fingerboard preferred for bottleneck blues?
2. Does the 1928 wood National triolian have a typical dovetail neck join?
Bill

Dan Brooks - Posted - 11/16/2009:  00:57:12

wwatson,

A flat fretboard would be preferred (not necessary) for bottleneck. That way you can make full chords across all the strings without having to place undue downward pressure, causing noise and hitting the frets with the slide.

The old National Triolian (as with virtually all the old Nationals and Dobros) had a neck stick that went thru the body and attached to the back an inch or two past the neck end of the cone ledge. You should be able to find photos of the typical neck stick on the net.

Take care.


Dan Brooks
B & B Resophonic Guitars
therarelyherd.com/documents/27...tion=show

Dan Brooks - Posted - 11/16/2009:  01:11:43

wwatson,

...and to follow up, metal bodied Nationals had a neck stick that ran all the way to the tailblock. It attached to a wooden disc that was attached to the back in the center of the cone well.


Dan Brooks
B & B Resophonic Guitars
therarelyherd.com/documents/27...tion=show

wwatson - Posted - 11/16/2009:  08:19:32

Thanks Dan. It makes sense that a flat fingerboard would work better with a bottle-neck slide. That was my first instinct, but wasn't sure.

I have looked for days for a photo of the neck attachment for an early wood national. I'm sure it is out there and if any knows of a link, I would be grateful. Also any info on resetting the neck for this instrument.
Thanks,
Bill

Dan Brooks - Posted - 11/16/2009:  19:39:29

Try these. I'm not sure what's there but there has to be something.

nationalguitar.com/index.php
notecannons.com/
provide.net/~cfh/national.html
luthiersforum.com/forum/viewfo...p?f=10104



Dan Brooks
B & B Resophonic Guitars
therarelyherd.com/documents/27...tion=show

Mbradford6288 - Posted - 11/16/2009:  20:20:35

Be aware that some vintage nationals did have a dove tail joint but I can't remember offhand which years these were. I believe it was late 30's early 40's but don't quote me on that.

Slideman1939 - Posted - 11/17/2009:  10:42:55

Slideman suggests--In reply to M. Bradford above--that some did some didn't (have a neck stick method of body attachment)---that would be quickly apparent by basic inspection under the cover plate and cone. Remove cover and cone and the neck stick would be instantly visible in the 12:00 O'clock area under the end of the fingerboard--both the tip of the stick and a screw in it going to a small wood block below the stick that is glued to the (inside surface of) the back. If you DON'T see that stick--then by elimination, you have the earlier version with the dovetail. It was not beyond the capabilities of the Dopyera's (John and Rudy) to do standard dovetail necks. After they left the other 3 brothers behind at National, the first production year (1929) at the "new" Dobro company was a little slow (as the new single cone with spider concept was catching on).So John and Rudy did outside contract production work--temporarily--for wood body guitars with standard neck construction for companies and brands like Wurlitzer, etc. Due to the Depression , John had correctly guessed the (competitor) metal body tri-Cone was seen by the public as "too expensive". Sales of lower priced, wood body, single cone Dobro picked up sharply and John & Rudy didn't have to "fill in" any more with Wurlitzer contract work. THEN National (the other 3 brothers) had to be competitive and develop their OWN SINGLE CONE in both wood body and metal body (Style O) with a 9 & 1/2 inch convex-biscuit cone. For 3 more years the (2) Dobro brothers competed against the (3) National Co. brothers and then all joined up in 1932 as a combined Dobro-National Company. So one finds all kind of construction "exceptions" from the late twenties in the turbulent period when they were competing with each other.