National Val-Pro 84 Solid Body Electric Guitar (1962)
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National Val-Pro 84 Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1962), made in Chicago, serial # T-73971, white finish, molded Reso-Glas body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, black tolex hard shell case.
The National Reso-Glas guitars of the 1960s remain one of the most exuberant examples of vintage American guitar design, and utterly distinctive even 60 years on. With a molded fiberglass body, aluminum-cored neck and electro-acoustic "SilverSound" pickup in the bridge, they did not lack for innovative features. The line was perhaps more stylish than entirely practical, however, and in the end emerged more as a collector than player favorite. While they do have a sort of funky blues/trash culture connotation today, these Nationals were actually not all that cheap when new.
The Val-Pro 84 was a lower/midline guitar in this series, with a striking "Arctic White" finish on the "half-map" body, "quadrant" fret markers, and no vibrato unit. The neck pickup is the excellent familiar "Vista-Power" Valco magnetic unit, with the "SilverSound" in-saddle pickup as a complement. The 3-way switch and individual control knobs for each position are mounted below the string line, plus a larger master volume knob on the lower bout. The dramatic look is enhanced by a clear back-painted pinstriped plastic pickguard with a "NATIONAL Val-Pro" shield logo, and the black edge grommet around the sides at the joint of the two-piece body. The look echoes American hotrod culture of the period and manages to seem sophisticated and downhome at the same time!
This model cost $189.50 (plus case) when introduced in 1962; this particular example is an early example dating to this first year. The Val-Pro 84 is not the flashiest or most versatile of these Reso-Glas Nationals but still a super cool and utterly distinctive guitar by any standard.
Overall length is 41 1/4 in. (104.8 cm.), 16 in. (40.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This is a very nice all-original example of this rare Res-O-Glas beauty. There is some light play wear to the neck finish and some loss to the stenciling on the pickup cover (which is pretty much inevitable), but overall the guitar does not show a lot of use. One of the small metal caps covering the neck attachment screws is missing but otherwise the guitar is original can complete. The neck is quite straight, the frets show minimal wear; this Val-Pro plays quite well (way better than most of these, anyway) and comes in a functional if rather oversized non-original rectangular HSC. A cool period white skinny strap is included still in the original box. Overall Excellent - Condition.
The National Reso-Glas guitars of the 1960s remain one of the most exuberant examples of vintage American guitar design, and utterly distinctive even 60 years on. With a molded fiberglass body, aluminum-cored neck and electro-acoustic "SilverSound" pickup in the bridge, they did not lack for innovative features. The line was perhaps more stylish than entirely practical, however, and in the end emerged more as a collector than player favorite. While they do have a sort of funky blues/trash culture connotation today, these Nationals were actually not all that cheap when new.
The Val-Pro 84 was a lower/midline guitar in this series, with a striking "Arctic White" finish on the "half-map" body, "quadrant" fret markers, and no vibrato unit. The neck pickup is the excellent familiar "Vista-Power" Valco magnetic unit, with the "SilverSound" in-saddle pickup as a complement. The 3-way switch and individual control knobs for each position are mounted below the string line, plus a larger master volume knob on the lower bout. The dramatic look is enhanced by a clear back-painted pinstriped plastic pickguard with a "NATIONAL Val-Pro" shield logo, and the black edge grommet around the sides at the joint of the two-piece body. The look echoes American hotrod culture of the period and manages to seem sophisticated and downhome at the same time!
This model cost $189.50 (plus case) when introduced in 1962; this particular example is an early example dating to this first year. The Val-Pro 84 is not the flashiest or most versatile of these Reso-Glas Nationals but still a super cool and utterly distinctive guitar by any standard.
Overall length is 41 1/4 in. (104.8 cm.), 16 in. (40.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This is a very nice all-original example of this rare Res-O-Glas beauty. There is some light play wear to the neck finish and some loss to the stenciling on the pickup cover (which is pretty much inevitable), but overall the guitar does not show a lot of use. One of the small metal caps covering the neck attachment screws is missing but otherwise the guitar is original can complete. The neck is quite straight, the frets show minimal wear; this Val-Pro plays quite well (way better than most of these, anyway) and comes in a functional if rather oversized non-original rectangular HSC. A cool period white skinny strap is included still in the original box. Overall Excellent - Condition.