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Topic: I think I found a prototype to the first electric Nationals |
Michael Maddex
From: Northern New Mexico, USA
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Posted 3 Dec 2016 2:46 pm
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Man, What A Find! Your Restoration Work has been Super.
Thanks for posting! Keep it up! _________________ "For every expert, there is an equal and opposite expert." -- Arthur C. Clarke |
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Fred Kinbom
From: Berlin, Germany, via Stockholm, Sweden.
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Noah Miller
From: Rocky Hill, CT
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Posted 8 Jun 2017 4:46 am
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It took a while, but it's finally up and running. The entire wiring harness had to be replaced, but there's a new coil installed using the original magnet and pole pieces. Unlike later versions, there are no structures molded into the body that hold the parts in place, so reassembling the pickup was a minor nightmare.
On the upside, it sounds great. It's a bit brighter and less mellow than the production versions, probably due to differences in the coil. The sustain is similar. I recorded a sound clip if you want to hear it.
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Doug Beaumier
From: Northampton, MA
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C. E. Jackson
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Bo Parker
From: Alabama, USA
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Posted 8 Jun 2017 7:02 am
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Noah Miller wrote: |
It took a while, but it's finally up and running. |
Nice!
I took lap steel lessons from Mr. Ed Mahoney in Akron OH in the early-to-mid 1970s, and he had a similar aluminum National.
National really had the "Machine Age" industrial design aesthetic down. Gotta love it. |
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Andy Volk
From: Boston, MA
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Posted 8 Jun 2017 7:25 am
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Cool restoration! The guitar has a nice, tight sound. The notes really pop. _________________ Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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Noah Miller
From: Rocky Hill, CT
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Posted 8 Jun 2017 7:39 am
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I forgot to say thanks to Goat Peak Strings for their help restoring the body and Stol Guitars for rebuilding the pickup. My contributions were really limited to replacing tuners, adding the gold paint and adjusting the pole heights to even out the string balance. |
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Michael Greer
From: Ontario, Canada
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Posted 8 Jun 2017 9:29 am
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Noah
Great restoration of a very nice steel.
Congratulations |
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Doug Beaumier
From: Northampton, MA
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Allen Hutchison
From: Kilcoy, Qld, Australia
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Posted 8 Jun 2017 2:30 pm Big Congrats!
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It looks & sounds great Noah!
Congratulations on resurrecting a fine piece of steel history. It was worth the effort.
Cheers from Oz, Allen |
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Jim Palenscar
From: Oceanside, Calif, USA
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Posted 8 Jun 2017 10:20 pm
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I have a cousin to yours here at the shop. |
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