1931 National Style O Resonator

For a short time in 1931, the National String Instrument Corporation installed a different coverplate style on their single cone resonator guitars. The hooks on coverplate attaches with a series of hooks and only one screw. To remove it, take out the screw and gently rotate the coverplate just slightly to disengage the tiny hooks. This 1931 Style O features the rare hooks on coverplate.

The 1931 era Style O was also built with a 12 fret maple neck and slotted headstock. The fingerboard, made from ebonized maple, is flat with no radius for ease of playing with a slide bar. The Hawaiian imagery on the front and back of the nickel plated brass body was created by sandblasting through a stencil.

We use a specialist luthier to properly set up the vintage National resonators we sell. It takes experienced hands to correctly reset the neck, adjust the maple saddle, and dial in the fretwork. The string action is set to for comfortable fingerstyle and slide playing, so you can get the best tone and volume from the delicate original resonator cone.

All parts are original including the tuners with pointed baseplate ends and the all important spun aluminum resonator cone. The tarnished metal body and faded, peeling sunburst finish on the neck show the age and history of this blues instrument. The vintage Geib chipboard case may be tattered and worn, but it’s still hanging in there.