Introduced during the early years of the Great Depression, the Triolian was designed as a more affordable alternative to National's higher-end resonator models. At a time when musicians needed dependable instruments but money was increasingly scarce, the Triolian offered the volume, durability, and distinctive tone that working players demanded. As National's first single-cone model, it quickly became the company's bread-and-butter instrument and remains one of the most important resonator guitar designs ever produced.
Long before electric guitars became powerful enough to fill a room, National was solving a very different problem: volume. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, guitarists were often drowned out by horns, pianos, banjos, and percussion, particularly in dance bands, string bands, and travelling ensembles. Amplification was still years away from becoming a practical solution, so National developed its resonator guitars to give players the projection they needed to be heard. Few instruments would become more important to the sound of blues, country, and Hawaiian music than the National Triolian.
This 1930 example is a Walnut-finish Triolian, identified by its "W" suffix serial number. Nearly a century of use has left its mark on the original finish, with extensive wear and flaking revealing the steel body beneath. The result is an appearance that simply cannot be replicated, reflecting decades of honest use and the working-musician heritage these instruments were built for. The body retains its steel coverplate with drilled sound holes, handrest, and distinctive f-hole cutouts, while the neck is crafted from beautifully figured tiger-stripe maple with a substantial V profile. The bound ebonised maple fingerboard and slotted headstock remain classic features of early Triolian production.
There have been a handful of changes throughout its life, including the installation of a National pickup, three fastening screws through the fingerboard at the 17th and 20th frets, and a strap button fitted to the neck heel. These modifications do little to detract from what makes this instrument special: the sound. A great Triolian has an immediacy and projection that remains difficult to replicate, with a sharp attack, powerful midrange presence, and the distinctive metallic character that helped define countless early blues recordings.
Nearly a century after it was built, the National Triolian remains one of the most important resonator guitar designs ever produced. For collectors, recording artists, and players searching for the real sound of pre-war America, there are few substitutes.
Specifications:
Year: 1930
Model: National Triolian
Serial Number: 1636W
Finish: Walnut Sunburst
Body: Steel
Neck: Figured Tiger-Stripe Maple
Neck Profile: V Shape
Fingerboard: Bound Ebonised Maple
Fingerboard Radius: 10"
Scale Length: 25"
Neck Joint: 12 Fret
Resonator: Single Cone Biscuit Bridge
Coverplate: Steel with Drilled Sound Holes
Tuners: 3-on-a-Plate Open Gear
Pickup: National Pickup (Later Installation)
Case: Original Hard Shell Case
Crafted in: Los Angeles, California, USA
