Opinions on Mid-90's NRP Radio Tone?

[gaucho]

I did a search and read the few things I could find. Any other thoughts? I have a chance to obtain a well worn, but solid condition one. It has a Highlander as well. This is the non-cutaway version with the white stripe on the headstock. I also have a spare Hot Rod cone, would the Radiotone benefit from it? How similar are they to the old Trojans?

[Michael Messer]

Hi Gaucho,

Here's a review I wrote in the mid 90s......

RADIO TONE BENDAWAY
This is the cutaway version of National’s now discontinued Radio Tone acoustic hence the Radio Tone logo on the headstock and the Bendaway suffix. It’s a wooden-bodied resonator that uses a single 9.5” diameter National-style cone. The additional cutaway is, of course, a common enough feature on regular acoustics and it’s added here to improve upper fret
access which is pretty difficult on a standard non-cutaway National where the neck joins the body at the 12th fret.
The structure and design of the Radio Tone is based on the 1920s era wooden-bodied National Triolians - single cone resonators not to be confused with tri-cones which have three
resonator cones - which for many are the best sounding guitars that National built. My main single-cone resonator for both studio and live work is one of these wooden-bodied
instruments: a 1928 National Triolian - a nice piece to reference the new reso against. Like many players, I go a lot on first impressions; pulling the Bendaway from its case, my
first thoughts were of real quality. Visually the Bendaway looks very cool with its late ‘30s style headstock, slot soundholes - designed like an old radio speaker cover - and its matt, dark sunburst finish contrasting the nickel-plated coverplate.
The neck is typically chunky and wide with quite a pronounced V section. The fretting on the dot inlaid rosewood board is from small gauge, quite original-style wire while the three-on-a-strip vintage tuners looks basic but feel adequately positive and smooth in action.
The factory set-up is spot on even though, like any guitar, it may not suit everyone. But the Bendaway came with a happy compromise of both string gauge and string height that’s
applicable for both slide and regular picking. Incidentally, all National’s currently leave the factory with a set of Guadalupe .013”-.056” gauge strings that may seem massive if you
play rock guitar but are perfectly normal for us reso-philes!
SOUNDS
The Bendaway is probably the most ‘multi-purpose’ guitar that National currently build which, especially for the budget conscious buyer, is a very important factor. The wood
(maple laminate) body gives a certain warmth and bass response that you cannot get from a metal-bodied guitar - there’s no escaping the tone of wood for musical instruments!
Tuned to regular E, A, D, G, B, E tuning and you have a full and characterful sounding acoustic resonator tone that’s perfect for chunky rhythm work with a lot of power for lead
lines. Remember, these guitars were designed to project sound at a time when the amplified electric guitar didn’t exist so they are loud - around five times the volume of a regular
acoustic. Tuning to both open G (D, G, D, G, B, D) and D (D, A, D, F sharp, A, D) the Bendaway proved a more than able performer for slide and lap-style playing. The slide tone has a real dirty
growl in the bass and a very clean, warm top end - the two, often elusive, factors that constitute my ideal reso tone.
Also of note is just how right the guitar feels in comparison to the real beast from the ‘20s. The additional cutaway may have the purists shaking their heads but I found this additional access a great bonus. The main sound source of a resonator comes from the cone itself. That is the ‘magic’ ingredient that sits under the nickel coverplate and it does all the work. Certainly it’s
this major component that Don Young at National has got just right. Making these cones is an art in itself but these new ones are very close to those of yesteryear: strong enough to be
loud and powerful but light enough to produce all those sweet tones and harmonics so associated with the old-style cones. Like any quality acoustic they need playing in to get the cones really working for you. You may initially notice a certain banjo-ish tone from the top two strings when you play ‘em above the 12th fret but don’t worry, the more you play this guitar the more the tone will open up and sound better. With a few months of regular playing, this guitar will ‘sing’.
I also tested the Bendaway as a lap guitar with a nut raiser (this is a device that fits over the nut to raise the string action for lap/Hawaiian-style playing and not a tool of torture!). As I said the Bendaway is a great all rounder I was able to cover all styles of lap steel playing with this guitar - it sounds particularly good for hot jazzy lap steel/Hawaiian playing. In short here’s a cost-effective resonator that’ll give a lifetime
of service.

Whether I would write the same review today, I don't know, but the Radiotone/Jazz Blues/ Islander, was a great guitar.

National cones have always been good. Don Young knows his stuff and makes great sounding National cones. Personally speaking, I think the whole 'Hot Rod' thing is overrated as there was nothing wrong with their original cones, and there is very little difference between Hot Rods and 1990s National cones. 1920s and 30s cones....well that is a whole different thing.

If it is a good one, you won't be buying a bad guitar

Shine On
Michael

[Deleted]

National wood body guitars are great!
My Estralita has been my main player for the last 5 years. Its essentially the same guitar as the non-cutaway Radio-tone... ( I was actually shopping for a RTB when I came across my 'lita...)
I switched out the 2005 cone to a hotrod, (mostly 'just because') and did like the change in tone, mostly a more pronounced bass is what I noticed initially. After 5 years of daily play, I get sweet tones out of mine I never imagined would come out of a guitar.... those cones do sweeten with age and play... if its a good price, and worn but not abused, I'd say get it, it's a buyers market out there lately.

[blueshome]

This would be pre-95 I think, when NRP were still hand building. They were a good sounding guitar in my opinion.

[gaucho]

Update... I've had this thing a week now and it's awesome! 1st wooden bodied biscuit I've had (had several good spiders in the past) and the tone is so sweet! My 30's era Style 0 and Duolian haven't been out of their cases since I got this. They're just getting a little break tho, I love their very different voices too. The Radio tone was owned by a pro who's giged with it (and other guitars) since new, so it's got some wear, which I don't mind a bit! It also has a Highlander in it (with the external battery box) and that sounds great thru my only amp, a Blues Jr. I'm stoked on it and the price was really good (especially with the Highlander). Pics soon....

[snakehips]

Hi there !

Is that with the stock cone ?
I had a Bendaway version and it was really nice, but somehow I just didn't "gel" personally with the neck shape. Was nice that is was a fair bit lighter than a metal reso.
The non-hot-rod cones feel a bit too stiff to me - whereas the new hot-rod cones are much more bouncy, like vintage National cones. When I replaced a non-hot-rod cone from my 1934 Duolian with a new hot-rod cone, I noticed some changes in my Duolian. I noticed the sustain was less with the new hot-rod cone, when playing slide, single string note, with vibrato. The bass notes where way better though - much closer to a vintage National cone.
The loss in sustain could have been as a result of poor set-up - or some fault of mine.
However, now it has been in my Duolian for a few years, it sounds great - maybe was just need settling in and/or "maturing" !

Worth a try putting in your spare Hot Rod cone - even if you are not convinced initially - it should improve a lot in time.
I installed a P90 soapbar pickup into mine, in addition to the already loaded Highlander. Made for a really versatile guitar. Wish I had kept it now, as I may have liked it even more with a Hot-Rod cone in it !
Yes, pictures please !