Folkway Music -- Instrument Sales




Last updated: May 8, 2008 Questions? Please email info@folkwaymusic.com. Dedicated to re-creating the look, the sound and the feel of vintage Nationals; National Reso-Phonic Guitars is quite possibly the classiest and most tasteful guitar manufacturer in the industry. These are incredible instruments in so many ways! In addition to their faithful reproductions of great vintage instruments, National Reso-Phonic ups the ante by creating new looks, louder sounds, and better serviceability than ever before. Their instruments are used by slide players and finger-pickers musical genres of all kinds, all around the world. National Reso-Phonic is on the web at www.nationalguitars.com

Main Photo	National Vintage Steel Tricone This steel Tricone has a plated satin nickel finish, mahogany neck and slotted headstock. The Vintage Steel finish on this guitar will age with use and the passage of time making each instrument unique. The Tricone design (3 6" cones and T-bridge), longer 25.6" scale, and steel body sets this instrument apart tonally from other resonator instruments. It's a perfect combination of Steel brashness, and Tricone smoothness. With deluxe hard shell case. Currently In Stock More photos: Front detail Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Full Back detail Tuners detail

Main Photo	National Hot Plates Introduced at 2008's NAMM show, the Hot-Plate was designed in conjunction with National endorsee Mike Dowling who wanted an easily removable no-modification pickup assembly for his signature M2. The Hot-Plate houses a Lollar single coil pickup, passive volume and tone controls, and 1/4" output jack on a conventional National ribbed coverplate. It takes about 5 minutes to install the Hot-Plate, and it doesn't have any effect on the acoustic voice of your instrument. The pickup and controls do not come in contact with your guitar's cone so it's perfectly safe to use on any biscuit bridge National - even vintage instruments. Available in shiny nickel plate, or in brushed nickel. It sounds great, and with pickup height adjustability you can tailor your string balance to your taste. $395 More photos: Hot Plate in VS detail Electronics detail

Main Photo	National Style 1.5 Tricone A touch of elegance is added to the standard Style 1 brass-bodied Tricone by the addition of a hand engraved purfling detail around the top, sides and back of the guitar. The gleaming mirror finished nickel body is daunting even to pick up, lest you scratch the perfection of this beauty. Smooth, full acoustic tone, powerful and sophisticated. As fine a new resonator guitar as anyone could hope to own! With deluxe hard shell case. Currently in Stock More photos: Front detail Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Full Back detail Tuners detail

Main Photo	National M2 National's M2 model is consistently a shop favorite. It is a very versatile guitar, excelling not only at delta blues, but at swing and jazz, fingerstyle, and even flat-picking. The body is Mahogany, bound in ivoroid, and complimented by a Vintage-Steel finish resonator cover and tailpiece. The headstock overlay is engraved white pearloid and the fingerboard is inlaid with mother-of-pearl position markers. Three on a strip open-geared tuners, and a bone nut. Nut width of 1-13/16", and a comfortable soft V shaped neck. It's gorgeous, and it sounds great too! With deluxe hard shell case. Currently in Stock More photos: Front detail Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Full Back detail

Main Photo	National Reso-Phonic Mandolin On top of what you can see in the pictures, this mando features a compensated bridge top and a radiused fingerboard for playing comfort. The tone is rich and warm but good and loud as you'd expect from any National. We are amazed by its sweetness and woodiness of tone - this instrument sounds better than you can imagine.... We've discovered huge versatility in its voice. We're sure that you will too. With fitted hard shell case Currently in Stock More photos: Front detail Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Full Back detail Tuners detail

Main Photo	National Vintage Steel Delphi The raw, gutsy tone of the steel-body Delphi is a great choice for blues. Its also really well suited for blues, and is exactly the sort of instrument you might want if you play... blues. Really though - The steel Delphi has an edge that the brass style O does not crunch out. Traditionally inspired blues and country blues players will love this instrument - but make sure that you can really belt out the vocals, because this is one LOUD guitar! Currently In Stock More photos: Front detail Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Full Back detail Tuners detail

Main Photo	National Reso-Phonic Replicon The only thing more fun than opening the case of a like-new vintage guitar, is opening the case of one that tells a story of long nights, hard livin' and good lovin'. Many of us believe that a National should look like it spent its whole life on the sidewalks of Biloxi, Mississippi. We looked forward to getting this guitar for many months, but we were blown away when it arrived. The craftsmen at National have outdone themselves, and had a lot of fun doing it. Nothing cheesy here. They have taken their most popular brass bodied Style O, and, well... changed it. The twelve-fret maple neck has a vintage sunburst stain, with all the right dents and scratches, but no wear through the finish. There is no fret wear on the ebony board, but the truss-rod cover got lost years ago! The body has the classic palm-tree etching under 75 years worth of honest playwear. For anyone who wants a trustworthy, finely crafted guitar with a warranty, but always wanted the unmistakable coolness of a real 1930's National, this is the one you have dreamed about. And, we all think it actually sounds just a bit better than the shiny new ones. The deluxe case looks new, just waiting for you to put on the miles, the stickers, and the duct tape! Currently in Stock More photos: Front detail Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Full Back detail Tuners detail

Main Photo	National Reso-Phonic Model D Walnut National's Dobro. It sounds exactly like you'd want it to. All you need is Jerry Douglas to give you some lessons. Or not - it is a round neck Dobro after all. Walnut body AND neck; gorgeous chrome finish on all its metal parts. Awesome mid-range voicing. 1-13/16" bone nut, ivoroid-bound ebony fingerboard, three-on-a plate open geared tuning machines, mild-V neck profile. Deluxe National hard case included. On Order More photos: Front detail Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Full Back detail Tuners detail

Main Photo	National El Trovador Lefty Working closely with National endorsee (and all-around amazing guitarist) Mike Dowling, the El Trovador was designed as an updated version of the amazingly rare original El Trovador that was built in very limited numbers in 1933. The thirties El Trovador is Mike's favorite guitar, but was a very funky and low quality instrument, and he had been pressuring National to re-introduce an improved version of the model for a long time. His wish finally came true, and his new signature model is now finally available to all of us. It is a very faithful copy of the original design, but features improvements such as a truss-rodded neck, ebony fingerboard, removable palm rest; and - of course - the attention to detail that National is famous for. Like the original Kay-built instruments, the new El Trovador has significantly deeper and curvier dimensions than other National models (4" deep compared to an M2's 3-3/16"), and has a long 25.6" scale length, 1-3/4" nut, and slotted headstock. It sounds very different than any other National; the extra body depth imparts a bass response and warmth that you don't hear in the El Trovador's closest kin, the M2. It's somehow more vintage sounding as a result, and beguiling to play. Its mahogany body is purfled on all sides and bordered by ivoroid binding, and the resonator coverplate is surrounded by a four-layer ring of purflings. A very classy touch, and a nice way to offset the slightly aged nickel coverplate. Everyone here at Folkway thinks that this is best looking and best sounding guitar National Reso-Phonic has ever offered, and now you can get your very own left-handed version! With hard shell case On Order More photos: Front detail Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Full Back detail Tuners detail

Main Photo	National Style 1.5 Replicon, Lefty A custom ordered Style 1.5, with Replicon relic treatment in factory lefty handed. It took six months to receive, but we think it was rather worth the wait. The Style 1.5 is a nickel-plated brass bodied Tricone, with delicate hand engraved lines and squiggles on the body edges. They keep getting better at the Replicon process, and the wear on this guitar is completely believable. With deluxe hard shell case SOLD More photos: Front detail Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Full Back detail Tuners detail

Main Photo	National Style O Dlx Lefty The Style O Deluxe has National's traditional Hawaiian design exquisitely framed on the front, back and sides with hand-engraved double cut lines encasing a wriggle stroke along the body's margins. The maple neck has a slotted headstock and National-engraved 3-on-a-plate tuners with black buttons. Ebony fret board inlaid with mother-of-pearl diamonds. Engraved Ivoroid headstock overlay adds the final touch of class to this instrument. Nickel-plated brass body, sunburst finish maple neck. Factory lefty to top it all off! With deluxe hard shell case. SOLD More photos: Front detail Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Full Back detail Tuners detail

Main Photo	National Lefty VS Tricone The ever-popular Vintage Steel Tricone in factory left-handed configuration. This steel Tricone has a plated satin nickel finish, mahogany neck and slotted headstock. The Vintage Steel finish on this guitar will age with use and the passage of time making each instrument unique. The Tricone design (3 6" cones and T-bridge), longer 25.6" scale, and a steel body sets this instrument apart tonally from other resonator instruments. Unlike most other guitars, you can't simply restring a right-handed Tricone and expect it to work as a left handed instrument - the folks at National Reso-Phonic needed to specially tool up to be able to build Tricones in left-hand, and we're pleased to continue to offer this instrument to you. On Order More photos: Front detail Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Full Back detail Tuners detail

Main Photo	National Frosted Duco Delphi National's latest cool thing is the new Frosted Duco replica finish now available on the Delphi line of steel-body guitars. Under the finish the guitar is the same as a VS Delphi, but on the outside it's all about the look and feel of a 1930's Duolian. We're not sure how they do it, but the folks at National have figured out how to faithfully mimic the Duco finish of days long gone. It's very cool. They've added a late 30's styled logo, and period correct neck finish to the package, too. Not Currently In Stock More photos: Front detail Full Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Tuners detail Finish detail

Main Photo	National Vintage Brass Mandolin On top of what you can see in the pictures, this mando features a compensated bridge top and a radiused fingerboard for playing comfort. The tone is rich and warm but good and loud as you'd expect from any National. We were amazed by its sweetness and woodiness of tone though - we were really not anticipating an instrument that sounds as good as this... We've already discovered huge versatility in it's voice. We're sure that you will too. The Brass coverplate and tailpiece come from the factory with a lovely aged patina. If you'd like to shine it up feel free to do so using a brass polish. With fitted hard shell case Not Currently in Stock More photos: Full Front detail Full Back detail Headstock detail Tuners detail

Main Photo	National Reso-Phonic Style O Our most popular single resonator guitar: nickel-plated brass with a subtle etched Hawaiian design and warm, dynamic sound. With twelve frets to the body, great feeling vintage-style neck, radiused ebony fretboard, nickel-plated brass body, and the perennially popular etched palm trees. This is the one most people see when they think "National". The classic, warm, yet bluesy tone comes from the hand-spun cone, and the solid bell-brass body. Fun, loud and way beyond cool! Comes with a deluxe hardshell case. On Order More photos: Full Front detail Full Back detail Headstock detail Tuners detail

Main Photo	National Style O Deluxe The STYLE "O" DELUXE has the traditional Hawaiian design exquisitely framed on the front, back and sides with hand-engraved double cut lines encasing a wriggle stroke. The maple neck with slotted headstock and Kluson-type 3-on-a-plate tuners, has an ebony fret board inlaid with mother-of-pearl diamonds. Engraved Ivoroid headstock overlay adds the final touch of class to this instrument. Nickel-plated brass body, sunburst finish maple neck. With deluxe hard shell case. Not Currently in Stock More photos: Front detail Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Full Back detail Tuners detail

Main Photo	National M2 Lefty National's M2 model is consistently a shop favorite. It is a very versatile guitar, excelling not only at delta blues, but at swing and jazz, fingerstyle, and even flat-picking. The body is Mahogany, bound in ivoroid, and complimented by a Vintage-Steel finish resonator cover and tailpiece. The headstock overlay is engraved white pearloid and the fingerboard is inlaid with mother-of-pearl position markers. Three on a strip open-geared tuners, and a bone nut. This one was ordered factory lefty, and it's a blast to play. Nut width of 1-13/16", and a comfortable soft V shaped neck. It's gorgeous, and it sounds great too! With deluxe hard shell case. On Order More photos: Front detail Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Full Back detail Tuners detail

Main Photo	National Reso-Phonic Vintage Steel Delphi Deluxe The same raw and powerful voice as the Delphi, with a predisposition to delta-style blues, the Vintage Steel Delphi Deluxe does it will tons of style. Ivoiroid headstock overlay, deco pearl fingerboard inlays, and that oh-so-gorgeous vintage steel plating. National's new open-gear vintage-Waverley style tuners are a classing finishing touch. With deluxe hard shell case. Not Currently In Stock More photos: Front detail Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Full Back detail Tuners detail

Main Photo	National Style 1 Lefty Tricone Our second Lefty style 1, and the fourth lefty Tricone produced by National Reso-Phonic since introducing lefties last year. It's a smooth and musical instrument, with lots of volume and warmth. Great for Jazz, blues, ragtime or whatever else you feel like throwing at it. Gorgeous mirror finish, and deco lines. With original hard shell case. Not Currently In Stock More photos: Front detail Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Full Back detail Tuners detail

Main Photo	National Replicon Style O Uke The third member of our Holy Trinity of Replicons from National Reso-Phonic. We present to you the new-but-very-convincingly-relic'ed Style 0 Concert Uke. Nickel-plated brass body with Style O palm tree etching, curly maple sunburst finished neck with an ivoroid-bound ebony fingerboard and black headstock overlay. 15" scale length, 1-3/8" nut. Very cool. With national HSC. Not Currently In Stock More photos: Front detail Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Full Back detail Tuners detail Cool Shot

Main Photo	National Style O 14 Fret After a long, long wait, the folks over at National Reso-Phonic have finally re-introduced the 14 fret style O! The 12 fret style O is already one of the company's most popular models, but our guess is that its popularity will soon be rivaled by its more highly evolved (if you will) younger brother! In true National Reso-Phonic style, the 14 fret Style O is a beautifully built machine. From the pearl headstock inlay to the diamond-hole cover plate and on to the recurved back, they have covered all the bases in this instrument's design. The 3-piece nickel plated brass body is etched identically to the instruments built in the 1930's, but they've taken it one step further in including palm-tree designs on the sides as well. The maple neck features a 2 tone sunburst finish, and a paddle headstock just like on the originals - even the National headstock logo is right! Have a look at the pictures in our photo gallery of a 1936 Style O 14 fret that passed through our shop a couple of years back and compare. What you might not notice in the photos is that the modern 14 fretter has an adjustable truss-rodded neck, radiused ebony fingerboard, and a coverplate palm rest that is removable for easy action adjustments; three features that you, as a player, will certainly come to appreciate on first play and over the years to come. A great sounding, playing, and looking resonator. Not Currently in Stock More photos: Front detail Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Full Back detail Tuners detail Cool Shot

Main Photo	National Mandolin LEFTY Our first lefty mandolin from National Reso-Phonic has arrived! On top of what you can see in the pictures, this mando features a lefty compensated bridge top and a radiused fingerboard for playing comfort and proper intonation. The side dots are installed lefty, and the end of the fingerboard was redesigned for the left-ization. The tone is rich and warm but good and loud as you'd expect from any National. We're constantly amazed by its sweetness and woodiness of tone. We've already discovered huge versatility in its voice, and we're sure that you will too. The Brass coverplate and tailpiece come from the factory with a lovely aged patina. If you'd like to shine it up feel free to do so using a brass polish. It comes with a lefty hard shell case, too. Not Currently In Stock More photos: Full Front detail Headstock detail Full Back detail Tuners detail

Main Photo	National Custom M2 Rope Bound National custom-built this classy rope-bound M2 for us after we asked them for an M2 with some of the looks of the Model D Western, a fancy high-end biscuit-bridge model that we've be in love with for a long time. The rope binding around the body and fingerboard brings a spash of life to the otherwise fairly simple M2. The instrument is finished in a subtle sunburst, and is accentuated by a pearloid headstock overlay, pearl diamond fingerboard inlays, and nickel open-geared tuning machines. With deluxe hard shell case. SOLD More photos: Front detail Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Full Back detail Tuners detail

Main Photo	National Style 0 Replicon Lefty Yet another example of "You asked for it" from us here at Left-way Music. National Reso-phonic's first ever factory lefty Replicon Style O! Very cool, if we can say so ourselves. The Replicon is all about a worn-in look - and this one was worn in by a delta blues lefty... But the frets and cone are factory new and the instrument plays and sounds as good as we've all come to expect from a legendary National branded guitar. Brass-body tone for all us lefties - finally. With hard shell case SOLD More photos: Front detail Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Full Back detail Tuners detail

Main Photo	National Style 1.5 Tricone LEFTY A touch of elegance is added to the standard Style 1 brass-bodied tricone by the addition of a hand engraved purfling detail around the top, sides and back of the guitar. The gleaming mirror finished nickel body is daunting to even pick up, lest you scratch the perfection of this beauty. This one was ordered left-handed, and is truly a one of a kind. Smooth, full acoustic tone, powerful and sophisticated. As fine a new resonator guitar as anyone could hope to own! With deluxe hard case. Not Currently in Stock More photos: Front detail Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Full Back detail Tuners detail

Main Photo	National Vintage Steel Tricone Deluxe This steel Tricone has a plated satin nickel finish, mahogany neck and slotted headstock. The Vintage Steel finish on this guitar will age with use and the passage of time making each instrument unique. The Tricone design (3 6" cones and T-bridge), longer 25.6" scale, and steel sets this instrument apart tonally. This deluxe version of the VS Tricone was custom-built for us and features and ebony fingerboard and the inlays and headstock overlay of the style 1.5 instruments. With deluxe hard shell case. Not Currently in Stock More photos: Front detail Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Full Back detail Tuners detail

Main Photo	Style 1 Tricone Replicon A one owner round-neck Tricone from the golden era of National Guitars. This instrument is 100% original, and has survived the years well. Some of the nickel plating has worn away on the palm rest of the cover plate, and there are various other dings and nicks endemic to a 75 year old guitar. The cones are in perfect condition, as are the tuners, and frets. The neck angle is perfect too, and the instrument plays as well as it looks. The double acting truss-rod works great. The double acting truss-rod? Wait a minute! National didn't use truss rods... What's going on here??? It's a Replicon!!! Gotch-ya! Our first Style 1 Tricone Replicon from National Reso-Phonic; and did they do it right! Not Currently In Stock More photos: Front detail Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Full Back detail

Main Photo	National Custom Style O Ukulele Long awaited by one of our best customers, a fine player of traditional Okinawan music (and surf-rock!), this is one of the coolest things we've ever had the pleasure of co-designing. Nickel-plated brass body with hand-engraved borders and etched palm trees. It features National's newly-mastered ability to craft a vintage-style pearloid fingerboard that won't shrink and curl. The crowning glory is the sunbursted pearloid headstock. The National shield logo is engraved on real pearl inlayed into the plastic. It comes in a deluxe fitted hard case. Give us a call to discuss your own National dream! SOLD More photos: Front detail Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Full Back detail Fingerboard detail Back of Neck detail

Main Photo	National ResoRocket National's newest cutaway guitar incorporates a freshly designed single resonator coverplate to complement the distinctive tricone grillwork on the upper bout. The body is cut away to the 17th fret on the treble side for greater fretboard accessibility. The hardrock maple neck is topped with an ivoroid bound ebony fretboard with diamond mother-of-pearl fretmarkers. The solid headstock has an engraved pearloid overlay with 3-on-a-plate closed gear tuners. Sonically, the ResoRocket has increased openness; the string definition is more pronounced; and -- in a performance environment -- it has excellent cutting ability. We now have the nickel-plated, brass body version of this striking addition to the National line. With deluxe hard case Not Currently in Stock More photos: Full Front detail Full Back detail

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Contact Folkway Music --
Mail: 163 Suffolk Street West, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1H 2J7 Directions to Guelph/Folkway Music
Telephone: (877)763-5524 toll-free
e-mail: info@folkwaymusic.com

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