National Triolian Resonator Ukulele , c. 1932

National  Triolian Resonator Ukulele ,  c. 1932
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Item # 9281
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National Triolian Model Resonator Ukulele, c. 1932, made in Los Angeles, serial # 650W, brown sunburst enamel re- finish, steel body, polpar neck with ebonized fingerboard, brown hard shell case.

This is a restored but good playing example of an original Triolian Ukulele from National in California. The steel-bodied Triolian was the plainest resonator uke National offered but still cost a whopping $25 in Depression-era 1932, more than even most fancy wooden ukes. The "Walnut" (two-tone brown) finished steel body is the then-newer smaller style, making this instrument an early example built not long after National reduced the uke body size in 1931.

The small square-cut peghead has a replaced National logo shield decal and mounts spring-loaded friction tuners with celluloid buttons. The bound dark-stained "ebonized" fingerboard has pearl dot inlay. The tailpiece is a simple piece of stamped metal, not particularly elegant but much more functional than the earlier wooden piece, which often broke in service. There are not many things in this world with a higher "Cool Quotient" than an original National Ukulele; this one has been restored with a new enamel finish on the body but still looks and sounds great!
 
Overall length is 22 in. (55.9 cm.), 7 in. (17.8 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 2 1/4 in. (5.7 cm.) in depth at side. Scale length is 13 3/4 in. (349 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/16 in. (33 mm.).

This uke shows some well-executed restoration and remains an excellent player. Most notably the body enamel has been re-done, an excellent factory-quality professional job but newer looking than a finish from 1932. The color is quite close to the original, which varied a lot from one example to another anyway. The neck finish and frets are original but the fingerboard has been rebound and the nut replaced. The National logo decal is a repro and has flaked somewhat at the top. The cone, biscuit, tailpiece, endpin, and tuners are all original and this uke still sounds as it should and is a delight to play. It includes a newer HSC. Restored to Excellent Condition.