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Post by Mark Makin on Jun 14, 2022 19:00:39 GMT
What you have here is a Harmony-built Model 1219 or 1220. As you probably know, Harmony were responsible for actually making the bodies and necks of many of the wood bodied Nationals in the 1930s particularly the Rosita, the Trojan, the Havana etc. They also made the Supro Arcadia. ALL these guitars are similar in build. The bodies were supplied to NAtional, where they would have all the metal hardware and cones fitted. Finally a National logo would be stuck on and they would be sold under the National Dobro brands. It didn't always work this way. Sometimes Harmony would make the same guitars for their own benefit. In this case, they would buy in the hardware and cones from NAtional, fit them themselves and ship them out under their OWN brands. These were mostly Harmony but after 1939 (which is when I think this guitar dates to) they bought out the Oscar Schmidt factory of New Jersey. This gave them access to the "Stella" brand name (made famous by its 12 strings as played by Leadbelly and Barbecue Bob). Harmony issued these resonators with flat headstocks under the Stella name. This is incidentally the very beginnings of the famous line of guitars that would be named "Harmony Sovereigns". When the guitars were issued by Harmony, like this one, it usually necessitated a stamp on the coverplate or a small sticker stating that the hardware was "licensed by National Dobro Corporation" for inclusion in their guitars. HARMONY res.pdf (2.34 MB)
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Post by Michael Messer on Jun 14, 2022 19:41:59 GMT
Arghhhh.... I was wrong, but I knew that I know a man that would know!
And of course it's a Harmony Sovereign, it's obvious now that it has been pointed out to me.
Thanks Mark!
Shine On Michael
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Post by bryanbradfield on Jun 15, 2022 0:46:21 GMT
The tail-piece is very much like one I had on a 1930s Regal resophonic. The hole in the middle of the cover plate strap, and the split saddle with the screw in the middle suggests a spider-type cone. It appears to be a small spider type resonator, and the only small cone unit I ever had hands on had a 4-legged spider sitting on the cone.
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Post by snakehips on Jun 15, 2022 7:20:42 GMT
Nice condition !
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Post by Bo Grohl on Jun 15, 2022 12:41:24 GMT
Hi Mark. Although it may be obvious, what is page A03, and what other 'new' pages could be available? TT
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Post by Mark Makin on Jun 15, 2022 15:00:04 GMT
Hi TT Well spotted Tone! It is part of a 'lockdown' project of mine which resulted in an additional 28 pages (which I called an appendix - hence the A). I felt I needed to investigate all the stuff which was contemporary with the Dopyeras, i,e all the companies who were selling guitars with 'hubcaps' at the same time as National and trying to get a piece of the action in the marketplace - Schireson cones, papercones, birch soundboard cones and 'faux' cones.
So I now have pages of Harmonys, Stellas, Schiresons, Brashers, French beuschers, European Radiotones, Australian Waynes and Castlemaines, Regal Cathedranolas, Kay DelOros, Beltones, Melofonics.
What I will do with them, I haven't a clue.
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Post by Pickers Ditch on Jun 15, 2022 16:13:00 GMT
...may be a chance for an Appendix in pamphlet form?
...HP Indigo digitally printed, stitched with soft cover, perhaps?
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Post by snakehips on Jun 22, 2022 15:44:00 GMT
Hi TT Well spotted Tone! It is part of a 'lockdown' project of mine which resulted in an additional 28 pages (which I called an appendix - hence the A). I felt I needed to investigate all the stuff which was contemporary with the Dopyeras, i,e all the companies who were selling guitars with 'hubcaps' at the same time as National and trying to get a piece of the action in the marketplace - Schireson cones, papercones, birch soundboard cones and 'faux' cones. So I now have pages of Harmonys, Stellas, Schiresons, Brashers, French beuschers, European Radiotones, Australian Waynes and Castlemaines, Regal Cathedranolas, Kay DelOros, Beltones, Melofonics. What I will do with them, I haven't a clue. Hi Mark ! What about this Monarch resonator guitar ? Have you seen these (I'm calling them) paw-print coverplate hole design before ? www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234596087798?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D239486%26meid%3Ded2143a2fd144c0e928204d1b1678301%26pid%3D101113%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D325235799638%26itm%3D234596087798%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2563228%26algv%3DDefaultOrganicWeb&_trksid=p2563228.c101113.m2108
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Post by snakehips on Jun 22, 2022 15:48:07 GMT
"It is part of a 'lockdown' project of mine which resulted in an additional 28 pages (which I called an appendix - hence the A)."
With all the extra information you have accumulated - more rare model (& version) finds, more serial numbers, and new sections, PERHAPS it's time for a new edition of your book ? Or perhaps an e-book version - even just for the people that have bought hard copies of your books already - and even just for all the new stuff ? Any new purchasers of your book could be given links to the extra stuff too ?
Otherwise all the extra work and extra info will not get seen AND appreciated.
Something to mull over ? !!
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Post by Mark Makin on Jun 23, 2022 7:49:53 GMT
Hi Richard Are you trying to get me to post all 28 pages one at a time ? Yes, I know this guitar. The Monarch Recording Model was an American Kay-made instrument (note the similarity to the El Trovador). It was marketed and distributed in the UK by John E. Dallas & Sons (JED&S) through the Dallas Catalogue. They were based on Store Street, off Tottenham Court Road in London. These people also marketed the European Radiotone resonator guitars with the 'fish-shaped' coverplate screen holes. These Kay-built Monarchs were 'almost' El Trovadors. The body quality was not quite the same but the f holes and body shell are the same. They were not fitted with cone wells because they used the Schireson 'pudding bowl' cones. It was the production of these guitars and their various other re-brandings that caused National to cancel the El Trovador project earlier than they originally intended in 1933. They could not be seen to be working with a company that was actively using cones made by a company they were attempting to sue!! Of course, Kay refused to back down. Attachments:
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Post by snakehips on Jun 23, 2022 9:10:55 GMT
So how does "Paw-Print" sound, for a suggestion for the coverplate design ?
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Post by Mark Makin on Jun 23, 2022 9:46:23 GMT
As good as anything else, doesn't it ?
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Post by waffle on Jun 23, 2022 18:51:13 GMT
I love Mark's knowledge he's ace! Great Guy to be honest 👍
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Post by Pickers Ditch on Jun 23, 2022 19:10:07 GMT
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