In 1927, the National String Instrument Company began producing the first resonator instruments. Over the years, the National brand became so synonymous with resonators that many blues players who prefer their unique sound simply refer to any resonator as a "national guitar." Intended to offer players a louder voice, the innovative resonator produces an interesting, warm sound that you won't get from anything else.
Paul Simon's famous lyric says "the Missippippi Delta was shining like a National guitar"—well, this 2003 Style N Custom is as shiny as they get! Inspired by the metal-body resonators of the prewar era, this Style N Custom features a single-cone biscuit bridge setup with a 12-fret neck. Its all-metal body shares a similar shape and dimensions to the '30s Style O, and the Style N is plated in highly-polished Nickel Silver. The Custom version of the Style N even has elaborate etching, another nod to the '30s originals.
But relative to the originals, the modern Nationals bring about some sincere improvements. For starters, the nickel-silver-plated brass body is slightly thicker than the material used on prewar examples, and that allows for more bottom-end and rounded-off (less harsh) trebles. Plus, modern Nationals are built with a quality Maple neck that has a real Ebony fingerboard with a radius and precise fretwork. When you add good-quality modern tuners and ighter quality control across the board, you wind up with an instrument that's built like a tank, but also plays and sounds 100% to its full potential.
Although it is now over 20 years old, this 2003 Style N doesn't appear to have been played very much. Although play wear is minimal, the guitar still shows some minor nicks, scuffs, and metal tarnishing (see photos). The plating shines like a mirror, and the powerful, throaty sound is everything you could want from a metal-body resonator. There is a strap button installed on the heel, and the nut measures 1-23/32". The action is nice and low but still manageable with a slide.
This 2003 National Style N includes its original case and an active Highlander pickup system that uses an external power supply. This metal-body resonator weighs in at 9 lbs 2.5 oz.