You can get a matching pair of Nationals

**Charles E.** · Jun-06-2012, 8:34pm

number one is a mandolin....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ORIGINAL-VIN...item58944b7a14

number two is a tenor guitar....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/National-193...item20c654f928

However the tenor is in much better shape then the mandolin.

**bmac** · Jun-07-2012, 5:38am

Wow!!! Those get my juices flowing.

**journeybear** · Jun-07-2012, 8:36am

Not really up on these things, but - Isn't that a little pricey? Especially the tenor. I got my Triolian about twenty years ago for about $600, a third of that, and its finish is in much better shape. I know prices go generally in one direction only - up up up - but still ...

Funny thing is, when I got it, there was also a matched pair at my luthier's - a National mandolin with the same brown sunburst finish also hanging on the wall. Just what I was looking for, to add to my arsenal for the jug band. Sadly, it was not for sale, but the tenor was. I've had lots of fun with it since.

**Charles E.** · Jun-07-2012, 10:10pm

Journeybear, when I bought my Triolian it set me back $250.oo but I had to pay to have the neck reset. From what I have seen the asking price is not out of line but slow to move.
There is a National mandolin that is the twin to my tenor guitar that has been for sale for months that I would love to have but I just don't have the coin.....http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-1937...item43a97c652a

If things change I would get it in a heart beat.

**Chief** · Jun-09-2012, 3:34pm

I've got a 1929 National mando similar to that one (only mine is in better shape), that I got a few years ago for about $600 more than that. It's all original, but was completely rebuilt by Marc Schoenberger who used to work for National. It also came with an early version of a Calton case that weighs a ton, but would probably stop bullets. It's a real blues machine. I wish I knew more of its history, as by the looks of it, it's been played a lot.