c.1940 National Collegian Tenor Guitar, 100% original

[Jake Wildwood]

I just got in this National tenor today -- serial puts it at 1940 -- and it's awesome. It only needed the slightest bit of work to get it up to snuff. 100% original, brass body, great-shape cone, and sounds like heaven. I'm sore tempted, but will have to consider my options carefully -- only so many things to swap out for it... -- just wanted to share because it's not often you see these with the pickguard and everything as it should be.

So far I've tried a number of tunings -- oct. mando tuning sounded lush and full but I really do like "standard" CGDA and it's variants (CGCE, CGCG, etc) because I guess I tend to use tenors as lead or "fill" instruments more than singing-with ones.

Anyhow, full blog post with writeup & lots more photos at my blog (click here).

[Ed Goist]

Beautiful instrument Jake!
Do the fretboards on these have any radius, or are they perfectly flat?

[Charles E.]

Jake, that is very cool. It looks to be in great shape. Please post a sound clip if you get a chance, I would be interesting to hear how the brass body is different from steel.

[John Soper]

Tgas?

[Jake Wildwood]

Ed: Flat board, v-shaped neck.

Charles: I plan to post a clip & video of it tomorrow at some point.

John: Yes. :D

[Jake Wildwood]

This vid doesn't do the tone much justice, but it gives a hint. I played this up at a less formal jam "in the hollow" on Thurs and this thing wowed the gathered buddies and myself as well. Twas nice to have the "banjo effect" of not even needing to play hard at all to cut through.

So...! I think this tenor guit is going to stay in the herd. I'm currently shuffling things around to make that make sense. I (foolishly) sold/traded off this cherry Nat'l Supro reso mando (click for link) in late 2010 and have had a metal-body bug since.