This National Duolian dates to 1937 and sports a beautifully aged faux-wood grain ‘piano’ finish. An interesting feature to note on this guitar is the Sears-specific ‘sieve’ cover plate which features 5 groups of 63 holes, and only 5 mounting screws. This was likely a left-over part that National decided to make use of, as the built-for-Sears Duolians only appeared in 1931 and 1932. It’s otherwise identical to any other late 30’s piano finish Duolian, which is otherwise identical to any other late 1930s Triolian, apart from the Triolian’s fingerboard binding. National model names are confusing at the best of times.

A wonderful guitar, this Duolian is set up for ‘Spanish’ style playing with low fingerstyle action, great frets, and amazing 30’s resonator tone. The instrument is largely original; its only modifications are a non-original aged replica pickguard that we made here, a new aged bone nut, and a new biscuit. The cone, frets, finish, tuners, and tailpiece are all original. Apart from an average amount of finish wear the guitar is in excellent condition, with frets that show very little playwear. The original cone is in good shape and sounds lively and full, with the character that only comes from 80-plus years of string tension.

Steel body, 14 fret neck with red bean fretboard and paddle headstock. Kluson strip tuners, ivoroid dots, National shield decal, aged black pickguard of the correct shape, installed with vintage hardware.

The neck has a deep, full-feeling V carve with lots of roundness through the shoulders. 1-3/4” nut width, 10” fretboard radius, 25” scale. Neck depth at the 1st fret is 1.012”; depth at the 9th fret is 1.225”. The guitar’s action is set at 4-6 64ths with 12-54 strings. The frets play cleanly in all positions thanks to a recently completed heat press, fret dressing, and set up in our shop.

With modern National-branded deluxe hardshell case