The catalog entry above shows the first generation of National Triolian guitars.
Despite the small round coverplate these rather strange looking instruments were Tricones.
Although we have never seen one, it would be logical to assume that they had the
same 'T piece' and cone layout as the early tricone ukuleles and mandolins, (shown elsewhere on notecannons) with one cone located behind the fingerboard and a cone at each end of the bridge.
If anyone knows of the
whereabouts of one of these instruments - please tell us about it.
This is a very early instrument with Tricone style neck and headstock.
It has a one-of-a-kind "NATIONAL TRIOLIAN" stencil.
Serial number 73 is written in pencil inside the body
making it a late 1928 guitar.
The cone is a very early model with no spirals.
This guitar appears to be one of the earliest single cone guitars built by National.
Notecannons believes the stencil decal, to be a stop-gap while the Triolian decal was being designed.
Note the Tenor is wood while the Mandolin is steel. It also looks from the primer showing on the coverplate wear points that they had finally solved the paint sloughing problem with a primer!
Back of tenor
The earliest single cone instruments were these wooden bodied Triolians. The instrument shown is the third variation. The first had a decal of flowers on the back, and screen holes in the coverplate.
Click here to see our pictures of one of these early Triolians - Serial #73
The second had the same decal as the one pictured, but with screen holes in the coverplate. There is also a fourth variation, still made of plywood, but painted in a walnut sunburst, looking similar to the production "W" series metal bodied Triolians.
I now know of a couple of other Wood bodied Triolians with the same finish, this is one.
