Need help dating Rosita

[peterg]

Hi! New to this forum and resonators. I found this Rosita in a family member’s closet. I had a luthier change the strings and polish the frets, otherwise it has been untouched for quite a while. It is stamped A668, and I didn’t have any luck dating it with any other resources. Anybody care to share info they might have?

It also was in a hard shell case that is very old, but in decent condition. It has a lot of Seebees decals on it, not sure if that’s the way it was made, or applied later. Quite unique.

share.icloud.com/photos/084Ew9vEJSNFiPZ6KR5vUwf8A

share.icloud.com/photos/0f7ndmSAqaFZmD4_Biw5dGTRg

[snakehips]

Hi there !

More photos of the actual guitar would be most helpful :

The back of the whole guitar, the front & back of the guitar body, front & back/side of the headstock, side-on pictures of both sides of the guitar.

This guitar looks in fabulous condition though - one of the best I've seen, perhaps !

Very often, the guitar neck has bowed, or at least moved upwards (from the angle it is supposed to be set at).
It may benefit from an expert luthier (well known for having a good reputation working on vintage National guitars).
If you tell us where you live, we might be able to offer you advice on where you might have it checked over by an expert.
(Maybe it won't be needed)

[peterg]

Thanks for the reply snakehips! I am in Nashville, so no shortage of expert luthiers. Here are some more pictures:

[snakehips]

Hi again !

That looks in lovely condition (don't worry about scratches on the back and some wear through the finish on the back of the neck, it's still amazing for it's age).
How does it sound though ???
Are you a guitar player ? I see keyboards in the background ! Is that an organ close on the top deck ? (the wooden panels is what makes me suspect that. A Kork CX3 ?)

[peterg]

Yes, I play guitar but very little experience with resonators. Sounds good to me, but I don't have any history to compare it to. The keyboard in the picture is a Moog. Any idea how to date this Rosita? I can't find anything on serial numbers starting with "A".

[snakehips]

Sorry, I forgot to check with my Mark Makin book last night - BUT he might chime in himself, or someone else with the same "bible" on all things National.

[Mark Makin]

Hi Peter
Usually Rositas have a four figure serial number on top of the headstock. The earliest Rositas and Trojans date to around late 1934 which was when National (and most other guitar companies) decided a change to a 14 fret neck access was desirable.

By the end of 1935, when the newly amalgamated National Dobro Corporation moved to Chicago, they instituted a range of serial number listings that identified instruments consecutively not, as before, in groups specific to that instrument. These were the A, B and C Chicago series. So now, there might be a mandolin, followed by ten lap steels, followed by a Duolian etc...all with consecutive numbers. We don't know exactly WHY there are three lists but the A series seems to be slightly earlier than the other two. All of them cover the period 1935 to 1939/40. After these, for the short time remaining before World War 2 from 1940 to 1941, National used the G series which had a small brass tag added to the back of the headstock.

Now then, yours (A668), would seem to have been made by Harmony (back, sides and neck,) and had its hardware assembled in Chicago at the National factory. It dates to somewhere close to the beginning of 1936.

[peterg]

Thanks so much for the info, Mark. I am thinking about finding a home for it where it will be played. Any guess on value? I know it's difficult with just pictures.

[Michael Messer]

Hello Peter

Welcome to our forum.

You have a very nice guitar there and you have got the information about it from the person acknowledged as the world's leading authority on the subject of National guitars.

I had a feeling that its value was going to be the next question. Speaking for myself and I think I can speak for Mark, that neither of us will put a value on any instrument that we see online and not actually in our hands. It is just not possible to do accurately and would not be good for us if the valuation is not correct. "Michael Messer and/or Mark Makin said it is worth X amount", so that is why neither of us will put a price, or even a ballpark price on any guitar shown to us online.

If somebody else on here wants to offer their opinion of what it is worth, that is up to them, but really you should talk to some dealers and get their opinions. If you are in Nashville you should show it to Carter Vintage Guitars and Gruhn's Guitars. Both of those stores are knowledgeable about the value of this type of guitar.

I hope that is helpful

Shine On
Michael

[peterg]

Thanks Michael, I figured that would be the case. I am familiar with both stores and will take it in soon. 

Thanks to all three for answering an outsider's questions!

[Michael Messer]

Jan 25, 2023 18:46:52 GMT peterg said:

Thanks Michael, I figured that would be the case. I am familiar with both stores and will take it in soon. 

Thanks to all three for answering an outsider's questions!

My pleasure, Peter. I am pleased that we (our community) have been able to help you.

Shine On
Michael