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The duco finish varied at lot on the Duolians. So this example is a 14-fret, rolled f-hole example with frost-gray duco finish. In 1933 the f-holes were 'rolled', and by 1934, the neck became 14-frets to the body. First offered in 1931 as a 12-fret, straight-cut f-hole guitar. The Duolian line went through a number of changes over its almost ten year run. Guitar review: B.C.National Duolian 1934 | SOLD | (v2111) This 1934 National Duolian is one of the most stunningly beautiful, well-preserved and best sounding we've had the pleasure to own.Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.The fairytale of the little princess and the angels.I admit it, a Duolian is probably my all-time dream guitar. As long as the cone isn't crushed, this guitar will live another 70 years. In short: This is the dogs b*llocks.ħ0 years old, still all original (even the frets!) and has only been restored once. Many people believe that the Duolian is the greatest guitars ever built, especially slide guitarist, and tend to agree with them. And that's frigging steel that vibrates! It may not be the most versatile guitar in the world (although it's not as limited as many people think), but it has THE sound that count.
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And this is a loud sucker: Playing seated, you really notice how the body vibrates. It's just so responsive, even a soft touch on the treble stings produces a great tone. Love this neck, even though it has some wear on it.Īlthough people in the know say that 12 fretters sound better then 14 fretters, I love the sound of my Duolian. It's actually very comfortable, and the neck isn't among the fattest of vintage Nationals. First time I touched this guitar, it felt really weird, now I'm not even aware of the shape. We're talking real, boat-shaped V here, not some soft hint of an edge around the first five frets. However, what is instantly noticeable when you pick up this guitar to play, and which might be unfamiliar for the average player, is the V-shaped neck. This setup allows me to dig in a bit more with the slide then the Style 0 previously reviewed. It's still playable up the neck, and it's still low enough to do bends up around the body joint. This does not mean banana neck with five inches of clearing between the frets and the strings.
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This guitar has also been restored by the main man Marc Schoenberger, set up with slightly high action for slide playing. However, the 1935 duco didn't adhere for sh*t, so it will rub off if not taken good care of. And the green and greys are the best looking ones of all the ducos. The heavy engraved, nickel plated can be a bit questionable in the taste department. Of all the National finishes, I love the red/yellow polychrome with stenciled sunset and the duco best. But it got all it needs, and I love the look of the plain Jane Duolians. No binding, no etching, no engraving, no nothing. The classic, budget National in all it's glory. 10" radiused unbound fretboard with bar frets. This example is grayish green duco, duco being the name of a thin painted finish with crystalline pattern which only came on the Duolians.ġ4 frets to the body, steel body, frosted duco, V-shaped basswood neck. So this is my vintage National Duolian, the cheapest of the vintage metalbodied Nationals, with a sales price starting at $32.50 in the 1930s.