1930s Australian copy of a National Tricone

[oldnat]

1930s Australian made copy of a National Style 2 square neck Tricone.
Apparently copied from a borrowed original. Four were produced before receiving a cease and desist letter from National. The engraving was cut with a broken hack saw blade.

[Michael Messer]

I have heard of these for a long time and up until now have seen one or two photos, but there doesn't appear to be anyone that knows anything more than what you have told us.

It reminds me of the Aloha guitar that was built in Shanghai in the early 1930s. It was originally discovered by Hawaiian musician, Tau Moe, while touring over there in the 30s.

Thanks for posting, oldnat.

Shine On
Michael

[oldnat]

There are two more that are known to still exist of the four made. I would assume that they should have been destroyed. More of the story is that a person borrowed a genuine Style 2 from a music store in Bendigo and returned it the next day (after all the measurements were taken). Then the guitars were produced in a Foundry in Castlemaine. This information was provided in a note in the case.

[davey]

I see Castlemaine engraved at the end of the fretboard, so I guess that's what we should call them.

[oldnat]

May 7, 2020 7:38:14 GMT Michael Messer said:

I have heard of these for a long time and up until now have seen one or two photos, but there doesn't appear to be anyone that knows anything more than what you have told us.

It reminds me of the Aloha guitar that was built in Shanghai in the early 1930s. It was originally discovered by Hawaiian musician, Tau Moe, while touring over there in the 30s.

Thanks for posting, oldnat.

Shine On
Michael

From the writer of the note in the case:-

Hughie Armstrong was the local Hawaiian guitar teacher, his friends Len Cowling and Gerald Cassidy worked at Thompson’s foundry in Castlemaine One Friday evening in 1934 they went to a music shop in Bendigo and brought a style 2 tricone home “on approval” for the weekend They went straight to the foundry and spent the next two days dismantling and drawing up plans from the National,then reassembling it On Monday they took it back to the shop,saying it wasn’t what they wanted Over the next few months they made 4, and had two more in parts,but supposedly received a nasty letter that scared them from the National distributors in Australia The parts were thrown out, and one guitar seems to have vanished Two remain in circulation,to the best of my knowledge, this one,and a mint one that is still in the possession of Gerald Cassidys daughter. The third one is rumored to be in bega Len Cowling was the main metal worker on these quirky,rare tricones

Good read huh?

[Michael Messer]

Thanks for that information about the four Aussie Triplates. There is always a good tale behind these unique pieces.

On the subject of National & Dobro protecting themselves, here is a note that Anne Dopyera West (John's daughter) wrote to me recently on social media (Facebook).

....dad's invention, and he was bitter towards so many that had been involved in the 20s and early 30s, but he never stopped thinking about new ideas to improve the Dobro. Dad really was a very eccentric man, but with no more education than he had, he was brilliant. Mom and Dad also had a very unhappy marriage so he left Mom and I and returned to LA in 1950. In all honesty, though he invented the National and Dobro guitars, his first love was always violins, going back to childhood in Slovakia, and his own father teaching him and Rudy to make violins in the winter when his milling job was not needed. I have so much to be grateful for in my history on both my Mom and Dad's sides of the family. (:>)

Shine On
Michael