I'm a 1959 model. Yep, we were built to last. Sometimes with spare parts!! Fascinating video and no wonder a guitar museum is required because how many people would have heard of the brand, let alone the way this guitar was built!
I must say I'm impressed by the respect you shown to restore this old nAtional, some people which call themselves wrongly Luthier would have been changing old parts to non sense modern stuff so Kudos for your dedication to leave it original
Thank you, very much! I lusted for that guitar in the early 60s but parents couldn't be coerced into buying until I showed I would "stick" with guitar lessons. A few years later they did buy a Gibson Melody Maker and in '68 upgraded to a Mustang. After adulthood I never found one or would have done all I could to own it. A "bucket-list" item that will remain unchecked, unfortunately.
Outstanding video. Sam's knowledge and obvious love for the subject, the thoughtful editing, and the awesome sound recording and playing of the guitar, all combine to make it just bloody brilliant! Easily the best video of this format on the Crimson channel. Can't wait for the next one.
That guitar is wild. There's like 20 design elements on it that I've never seen before or never seen together like that. My brain went WTAF when the pickups were shown for the first time - and the way they came apart 😳 We are so used to seeing a "normal" teardown - but what I expected vs what I saw created a huge mental dissonance. The "did I just see what I thought I saw?" The tailpiece is gorgeous as is the wooden bridge and the neck joint is an engineering marvel. So glad to have learned something about it, seeing it restored and knowing that it'll be joining the museum.
Hello from Massachusetts! So refreshing to see people so passionate about what they do. Ben, you are the perfect ring leader for your band of luthiers. Keep up the good work, love the concept and the channel. Peace and basses...
fascinating! that is a wild instrument! i love these deep dives, & i must say, as someone from across the pond, the variety of english accents is utterly fascinating & delightful. So very glad that you're showcasing the talents & knowledge of your crew!
I really enjoyed this video Sam and found it really interesting. Great knowledge, great attention to detail and great finished product! I look forward to the next one.
Yet again a great video in this series. I love these videos and would actually like them to go a bit longer. Going into more detail about the work done and the condition. In saying that, they way they are now is still awesome. Keep them coming. Nice new addition presenter also.
Love your videos! Have been so helpful and has got me wanting to start building my own guitar 🤘🏽 also can't believe how close you are to where I live in Weymouth so I'll definitely be visiting the Dorset guitar museum soon
Hey - enjoyed the video of this amazing piece of 50s work . thanks !! thats such a neato keen guitar even tho it kinda looks like an LP a bit , i wouldnt put it on Craiglist .
I wish I could understand more of the engineering of that right angle piece came off the neck and bolted to the body. Was it welded to the neck or all cut/ cast out of a single magnesium piece?
Is there any difference in the sound or response or anything. having the two outside pole pieces of the pickup being the screws that hold the cover on? Also even though you explained it. Did those outside screws hold the pickups into the body? I’m fascinated by those screws serving double duty. As an actual fastener and the pole piece of the electro magnet.
Hard to believe that's a vinyl-wrapped body. It's a much better job than the Hagstroms and Danos I've owned or played. Thanks for anther interesting breakdown!
During the early 1980s I was friends with a guy who worked for Jackson Browne. We used to hangout at his downtown studio and in addition to some modern and vintage Fenders Jackson and David Lindley collected National and Supro etc. guitars like this. They had between 30 and 50 of them in cases up against the wall. I was able to play through Jackson's AC 30 and his Dumble (same one played by SRV when he made his first album there) btw playing a 1952 blackguard tele through a Dumble is an experience not easily forgotten.
The wiring on this guitar when it was first removed looked horrendous. It really looked like it needed a lot of help. It sounded interesting when Josh was playing it close to the beginning of the video.
I’d say this is a Jack White special - he loves these oddities! It may even be worth reaching out to him to see if he has any more info on them? Noting to lose…
A pot had already been changed out, badly.. and the pickups modified.. badly, with new screws. We put it right and closer to original.spec. as to drilling holes if the screw doesn't bite in a hole you have to fill with cocktail stick and redrill.. literally no one would ever know that happened unless the watched this video. We haven't affected the value at all, all we did was make it playable and electronically functional in line with the original specs. You make a great point though, in the future we'll make sure to explain what's happening in greater detail to avoid misunderstanding
I'm a 1959 model. Yep, we were built to last. Sometimes with spare parts!! Fascinating video and no wonder a guitar museum is required because how many people would have heard of the brand, let alone the way this guitar was built!
Me too. A good year!
Can’t believe no-one wouldn’t have heard of a National Steel Guitar tho!
@@paulneeds possibly because there would not be that many in Australia!!
Now that is a practical guitar.They should make more like them.
Totally impractical to produce lol
Best sounding demo you've done in this series
I must say I'm impressed by the respect you shown to restore this old nAtional, some people which call themselves wrongly Luthier would have been changing old parts to non sense modern stuff so Kudos for your dedication to leave it original
The narration accompanying this video is first class. The low fi recording, the accent, the knowledge... tres bon!
Fascinating video Sam, really enjoyed learning about the National guitar, thank you.
Thank you, very much! I lusted for that guitar in the early 60s but parents couldn't be coerced into buying until I showed I would "stick" with guitar lessons. A few years later they did buy a Gibson Melody Maker and in '68 upgraded to a Mustang. After adulthood I never found one or would have done all I could to own it. A "bucket-list" item that will remain unchecked, unfortunately.
I love the oddities, & the wacky approaches to guitar building ❤
Outstanding video. Sam's knowledge and obvious love for the subject, the thoughtful editing, and the awesome sound recording and playing of the guitar, all combine to make it just bloody brilliant! Easily the best video of this format on the Crimson channel. Can't wait for the next one.
That guitar is wild.
There's like 20 design elements on it that I've never seen before or never seen together like that.
My brain went WTAF when the pickups were shown for the first time - and the way they came apart 😳
We are so used to seeing a "normal" teardown - but what I expected vs what I saw created a huge mental dissonance. The "did I just see what I thought I saw?"
The tailpiece is gorgeous as is the wooden bridge and the neck joint is an engineering marvel.
So glad to have learned something about it, seeing it restored and knowing that it'll be joining the museum.
Lovely guitar so cool, sounds great, be a great recording guitar for a musician to borrow. Well chosen Sam.
Hello from Massachusetts! So refreshing to see people so passionate about what they do. Ben, you are the perfect ring leader for your band of luthiers. Keep up the good work, love the concept and the channel.
Peace and basses...
Nice machine. - If Alan (Blind Owl) Wilson wasn't playing one of these back in the day, he should have been!
Nice one Sam! A beautiful and respectful restoration ! Really enjoyed!
Awesome engineering. I assume it was mighty expensive in the day.
Dang, I thought the voiceover was some old dude, who was around when these came out lol! Then they showed you, young man.
fascinating! that is a wild instrument! i love these deep dives, & i must say, as someone from across the pond, the variety of english accents is utterly fascinating & delightful. So very glad that you're showcasing the talents & knowledge of your crew!
Nice treatment! Well done!
Very solid wiring
I really enjoyed this video Sam and found it really interesting. Great knowledge, great attention to detail and great finished product! I look forward to the next one.
Single coil in a humbucker cover - Morello would be pleased.
And GREAT job Sam!
love the muddy waters sound kind of beauty of a guitar
Wow, what a beautiful job you did, Sam!
Yet again a great video in this series. I love these videos and would actually like them to go a bit longer. Going into more detail about the work done and the condition. In saying that, they way they are now is still awesome. Keep them coming. Nice new addition presenter also.
Cool guitar and sound! Handy having the aluminium block to rest on the bench for leveling! Great work Sam.
That's sweet. I would actually buy that and I usually build guitars when I want a new one.
It’s very cool it’s so local to me and I can’t wait to visit 😁
Good job Sam
Love that guitar... The Guitar Museum is shaping up to be a knockout!
Love Sam’s knowledge and respect for the instrument. Trying to place Sam’s accent - somewhere in the East Midlands?!
yes, Derbyshire!
I`ve got to learn to play that backing track, it`s awesome!
Love your videos! Have been so helpful and has got me wanting to start building my own guitar 🤘🏽 also can't believe how close you are to where I live in Weymouth so I'll definitely be visiting the Dorset guitar museum soon
Hey - enjoyed the video of this amazing piece of 50s work . thanks !! thats such a neato keen guitar even tho it kinda looks like an LP a bit , i wouldnt put it on Craiglist .
Very cool !
awesome soundtrack today 👍👍👍
8:00 Ondulot riffing in a Neu groove
I wish I could understand more of the engineering of that right angle piece came off the neck and bolted to the body. Was it welded to the neck or all cut/ cast out of a single magnesium piece?
It looks like part of the casting to me. I was wondering the same thing at first.
Is there any difference in the sound or response or anything. having the two outside pole pieces of the pickup being the screws that hold the cover on? Also even though you explained it. Did those outside screws hold the pickups into the body? I’m fascinated by those screws serving double duty. As an actual fastener and the pole piece of the electro magnet.
My old supro dualtone 2 screw neck joint stair step tailpiece all else same. Made a resonator w nat'l style cone out of it. Ozark fiddle.
Hard to believe that's a vinyl-wrapped body. It's a much better job than the Hagstroms and Danos I've owned or played. Thanks for anther interesting breakdown!
Awesome!
Sweet!
If there was a list of things I hate in a guitar, this would probably tick every single box. Still really interesting.
During the early 1980s I was friends with a guy who worked for Jackson Browne. We used to hangout at his downtown studio and in addition to some modern and vintage Fenders Jackson and David Lindley collected National and Supro etc. guitars like this. They had between 30 and 50 of them in cases up against the wall. I was able to play through Jackson's AC 30 and his Dumble (same one played by SRV when he made his first album there) btw playing a 1952 blackguard tele through a Dumble is an experience not easily forgotten.
Love it love it... Really like the track around 6:47. What is it? it's... Groovy!
Link is in the description
The wiring on this guitar when it was first removed looked horrendous. It really looked like it needed a lot of help. It sounded interesting when Josh was playing it close to the beginning of the video.
let's see some Music Man. You know Fender part two. Hell of a cool story there. Research it
Good evening crimson adores
Marvelous!
Was some of the music by Neu?
Removing that old solder must have smelled horrendous
Have a look at Kirk Magnesium cycle frames (1980s ?)
the pickups look like a P90 with a humbucker cover over the top, interesting...
So if I took the guitar out with me into the wood and started shredding on it. Could I start a fire?
I’d say this is a Jack White special - he loves these oddities! It may even be worth reaching out to him to see if he has any more info on them? Noting to lose…
"Burn It !!1!" doesn't apply here!
These things are cool but obviously it doesn’t sound good. Drop some EMGs in it.
They went througha lot of trouble just to not give this a "proper" truss rod lol
Weird internet people claiming they can tell you youre wrong about a neck that probably less than 0.000001% of the human race have ever felt
Magnesium or aluminum?
You know you guys totally devalued that guitar by changing the electronics. And also drilling holes.
A pot had already been changed out, badly.. and the pickups modified.. badly, with new screws. We put it right and closer to original.spec. as to drilling holes if the screw doesn't bite in a hole you have to fill with cocktail stick and redrill.. literally no one would ever know that happened unless the watched this video. We haven't affected the value at all, all we did was make it playable and electronically functional in line with the original specs. You make a great point though, in the future we'll make sure to explain what's happening in greater detail to avoid misunderstanding
Hope it never sees a fire
Nice thanks