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What is this "National" Guitar

Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 8:08 pm
by westtexasred
That Kim is playing? I thought it was a Gibson Maruader at first but the headstock says "National".

[youtube][/youtube]

Holy crap! I just realized the drummer is wearing a "Little Miss No Name" T-shirt!!!

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Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 8:15 pm
by Mages
there's like 10 guitars in that video but I think you are talking about the guitar that looks like a National branded Supro Val Trol.

Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 8:22 pm
by westtexasred
Mages wrote:there's like 10 guitars in that video but I think you are talking about the guitar that looks like a National branded Supro Val Trol.
Yes,this one.

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Re: What is this "National" Guitar

Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 8:25 pm
by Mages
westtexasred wrote:Holy crap! I just realized the drummer is wearing a "Little Miss No Name" T-shirt!!!
:lol:

so I was looking around a bit and it's really hard to find info on National/Supro/Valco/sometimes-Airline guitars. but you can see that it's one a them res-o-glass guitars like jack white's airline.

Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 8:33 pm
by Mages
I think the model is probably called a belmont but it's hard to find this exact variation. especially the national branded version.

Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 8:51 pm
by Will
Mages wrote:I think the model is probably called a belmont but it's hard to find this exact variation. especially the national branded version.
I think the Belmont is a 2-PUP archtop (But I might be thinking of the Belaire).

Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 8:54 pm
by Mages
these are belmonts:

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so yeah, slightly different than the national... yet similar. the national headstock swoops the other way and it was a single neck pickup not bridge pickup.

Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 9:03 pm
by jcyphe
Here you go.

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http://www.gbase.com/gear/national-vars ... 1965-black#

That video is loaded with guitars: Murph, Starfield, Vox Bulldog, Mosrite from what I could see quickly.

Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 9:11 pm
by hotrodperlmutter
JCYPHE: Image

WORLD: Image

Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 9:20 pm
by jcyphe
hotrodperlmutter wrote:JCYPHE: Image

WORLD: Image
I did a search this time around. I knew what it wasn't but I didn't know the specific model name off the top of my head. They had such goofy names that don't really mean anything and a lot of subtle variations. Even as you scroll through gbase and classifieds you have people labeling Glendales as Newports, it's all really goofy. Eventhough I think the real fancy map body with all the cutaways and inlays is one of the most beautiful guitars ever made.

When it comes to Nationals/Airlines I just usually make distinctions between res-o-glass and wooden ones, map bodies(Glendales and Newports), and JB Hutto's which of course isn't the real name or as its more commonly known now the guitar Jack White plays.

Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 9:31 pm
by Doog
Image
Any idea what this one is? I'm pretty sure it's the same one that Bill used one in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and I always thought it looked pretty neat.


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Rufus doing an solo. Maybe that's why I like it so much, it still has deep mental ties with AWESOME SHRED SKILLS, MAN!

Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 9:33 pm
by Mages
~(bravo) nice dude.

do you know the distinction between national, valco and supro? were they targeted to different markets? are they made at different quality levels?

Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 9:34 pm
by jcyphe
Doog wrote:Image
Any idea what this one is? I'm pretty sure it's the same one that Bill used one in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and I always thought it looked pretty neat.


Image
Rufus doing an solo. Maybe that's why I like it so much, it still has deep mental ties with AWESOME SHRED SKILLS, MAN!
http://www.murphguitars.com/

Everything you need to know.

Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 9:38 pm
by Doog
Legend.

Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 9:42 pm
by Will
Yep - and here's the Bel Aire I was thinking of:
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Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 9:43 pm
by jcyphe
Mages wrote:~(bravo) nice dude.

do you know the distinction between national, valco and supro? were they targeted to different markets? are they made at different quality levels?
Yes to explain it as simple as possible, Valco was the company formed by former employees of the National guitar company, you know the resonator guys. They then started manufacturing guitars, steels, and amps for themselves and for other companies and those products came under various brands like Airline, National, Oahu(they made stuff for Oahu) and Supro. The brands from what I can tell depended on who was ordering them made, who was importing/distributing them and what department stores they were selling them in.

Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 9:48 pm
by westtexasred
Cool,thanks jcyphe!

Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 10:25 pm
by jcyphe
http://www.valcopages.com/

The guitar westtexasred asked about is listed as a Studio 66 on this page.

http://www.valcopages.com/ID/National/Solidbodies.html

There is also some information about the various Valco made instrument brands and OEM.

http://www.valcopages.com/WhatWas.html

Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 11:08 pm
by stewart
science waz dropped 'ere.

interesting stuff!