1932 National Tricone Style 4 Hawaiian Guitar
Maker
National String Instrument Corporation
(American, founded 1927)
Date1932
ClassificationsMusic
Description1932 National Tricone Style 4, square neck Hawaiian guitar, serial number 2626, in nickel plated finish. The guitar features German silver body, bound ebony fingerboard inlaid with pearl diamonds, mounted to the integral square metal sheathed neck. The headstock is faced in pearloid with engraved National shield logo.The National String Instrument Corporation was founded in in 1927 by George Beauchamp and John Dopyera as a manufacturer of banjos and resonator instruments. Dopyera left National in 1928 and formed the Dobro Manufacturing Company, later merging with National in 1932 as the National Dobro Company. An early associate of National was Adolph Rickenbacker, who later formed the Rickenbacker International Company with Beauchamp. National was the original producer of resonator guitars, which produce sound through spun metal cones. National produced two styles of resonators: Tricones, featuring three cones, and a "biscuit" design, featuring one cone.
Beauchamp is said to have designed the extremely elaborate "chrysanthemum" engraving pattern seen on this instrument.
Rickenbacker International Corporation
c. 1939
