Duolian description puzzling

[tractorking]

Hello All,

Happy Thanksgiving! I just purchased this Duolian. It hasn’t arrived yet. When it does I will be curious to do a detailed exam, because the description in the ad was a little puzzling (edited to leave the relevant portions):

“1931 National Duolian Resonator set up for finger picking and slide on a straight neck, original cone, tail piece and biscuit, sounds like expected. Eight years from being 100 years old! It has been cared for and played. I am currently needing to take another photo of the serial number to update this listing, but it is one of the 1931 0 series Duolians of which there were 1750 made that year, so this one was 111 from the completion of that years production.”

All sounds good, except it is a rolled f-hole, 12 fret, ribbed coverplate model. We know these were not made in 1931, or in the O series, or with a 1639 serial number.

Is the seller just misreading the serial number? (my hunch).

Is it a 1933 rolled f-hole model that broke its neck and now with a 1931 neck? (a possibility).

Did they make an O series Duolian in 1931 with rolled f-holes? (seems the most unlikely).

I’ve asked the seller for a photo of the serial number.

Sorry but I can’t figure out how to post photos on this site, but here’s a link to the sold listing: reverb.com/item/76112430-1931-national-duolian-galvanized-green-grey

I’ll report back when the guitar is in hand, but does anyone have any thoughts?

[snakehips]

Hi there !

Looks like a "normal" 1933 rolled F-hole, 12 fret National Duolian to me.
Could the seller be mis-reading the O as a C, in the serial number ?

[tractorking]

Hey Snakehips,
That would be my guess too except 1933’s should have 6-7000 serial numbers, and the ad says this one’s is 1759-111. I’ll let you all know when I have a photo of the number, or the guitar in hand.