Please help to identfy this Style 2 ...

[pfunk]

A friend of mine here in Goettingen/Germany inherited this instrument from his father. Since he is not familiar with musical instruments at all, he asked me, if i could tell him what it is. I couldn`t ...

It looks somewhat like a National Style 2 instrument (8-string Tenor? Mandola? Bouzuki?) but is not mentioned in Mark Makin`s Book. Anybody here, who can help to identify this instrument?

Attachments:

[pfunk]

Can someone tell me, why the images that I linked dissapear?

[purpleorange]

It might be because the website hosting the pics is not secure.

I get this message when I copy your link.

The connection to peterfunk-music.de is not secure
You are seeing this warning because this site does not support HTTPS.

[purpleorange]

You can save the pictures and upload them to the forum.

[pfunk]

Jun 16, 2022 6:34:28 GMT purpleorange said:

You can save the pictures and upload them to the forum.

Thanks a lot! Done ...

[snakehips]

Hi there !

Matk Makin, who wrote the bible (on all things National etc) will be able to tell you more than any person alive.

In the meantime, I am not convinced the neck is original to the Tenor guitar body (although the inlays remind me of "The Harry" custom Tricone National).
However, Mr Makin might recognise the new neck luthier work to one of the Dopyras - perhaps from their much later period (1960's to 1970's period perhaps ?).

In the meantime, I expect there should be a serial number stamped into the metal body, near the strap button, at the tailpiece.
A picture of the back & sides of the instrument would be great too.
Pic of the back of the headstock showing the tuners would be cool too, thanks.

[Mark Makin]

Hi Pfunk
I think snakehips is close to getting this right. The neck has no features that make me think this was done by the Dopyeras. The headstock is not a shape I recognize. They have used fret markers similar to these but only around the OMI 1977/80 period. The ogee curve at the end of the fingerboard is also not a Dopyera feature. I also don't think the attempt at "Style 2" engraving is factory done either. It is not done with the style and taste of National's engravers.

I think this is a previous owner attempting to build an 8 string tenor or similar by fitting an available neck.
Just one final thing - National would NEVER pass up the opportunity to 'brand' with a headstock logo, any instrument with that amount of custom decoration! Incidentally can you tell us what the serial number of this body is - it is on the tail end by the strap button -. It might tell us a bit more. I might have come across this body elsewhere!

[Michael Messer]

Hi pfunk,

I have only just seen this thread and I agree with Mark that it does not bear any of the signs of being done by anyone at National or Dobro. I also agree that with no branding on the headstock it is not their style at all.

The Harry headstock is a whole different thing and is something that having owned the instrument for many years, is cast in stone in my mind forever.

I think it looks more like it came from a bouzouki maker. Thanks for posting it on here, it's a good one for a discussion!

Shine On
Michael

[zero]

I don't have any info on the guitar, but that case looks very similar to the ones used on early Fender Broadcasters that were made in 1950. The tweed looks to be the next style used after the Broadcaster which would put in the early 1950s. Obviously not a Fender guitar but the case can give you a good ballpark for when it was made.

[zero]

Not harp to much on the case since it is a minor item to the guitar. But those cases are not very common and looks to made for that guitar. I can't recalled who made them but they were located in S Calif. which would be a likely clue that the guitar was also made in S Calif.

[pfunk]

Thanks so far for all your interesting input! As soon, as I can get my hands on some more pictures, I will post them here ...

[pfunk]

So, here are a few more pictures. Sadly, no serial number ...

[ukulelezaza]

Cool find, Peter. Friend of mine from Brussels altered a Triolian tenor to 8 strings (original neck, octave mandolin tuning) and it's one of the best sounding Nationals I've ever heard/played.

Is that silver body really made by National though? The engraving clearly is an afterthought.

[waffle]

Hi,Looking at the paint over spray in the well, I think that your tenor was a polychrome tenor at some point in it's life.It may have had the paint stripped when the original neck was removed and that is where the serial number would have been stamped on the headstock of the original neck. Just my thoughts.

[Mark Makin]

If there is no serial number then waffles reply is correct. It must be a steel body not nickel silver