2004 National Style 1 Tricone Baritone Resonator Guitar w/ Case

Up for sale, a 2004 National Style 1 Tricone Baritone in exceptional condition, complete with the original hardshell case. A rare variant of National's enduringly popular Style 1, the Baritone version has a full 27" scale, retaining the trio of 6" cones and the nickel-plated solid brass body central to the sound of National's Tricone design. Paired with a Honduran mahogany neck and bound slab ebony fingerboard, this guitar delivers an enviable range of lower pitched sounds.

The brightness, tonal breadth and overall authority to the tricone sound is a perfect platform for the longer scale and heavier string gauges of this baritone. There’s a distinctive guttural quality to the sound, especially on the wound strings, yet with a roundness and treble sparkle that keeps each string and note defined. The overarching sound balances warmth and articulation, with a smooth note attack and ample sustain. This National has been professionally dialed in here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar to play its best with 16-70 bronze strings.

The Honduran mahogany neck has a soft V-shaped profile carve with plenty of heft at the nut and more roundness and shoulder as you travel up the fretboard, measuring .935" deep at the 1st fret and 1.005" at the 9th. This National has 13 frets clear of the body, and the ebony fingerboard features ivoroid binding and dot inlay. The medium jumbo frets are remarkably clean, showing just a hint of wear beneath the plain strings on the crowns of frets 1-3, and the guitar plays cleanly up the 27" scale with a straight neck and responsive, optimally adjusted truss rod. The carved bone nut measures a full 1.925" in width. The slotted headstock features Grover Deluxe Kluson-style double line strip tuners that turn smoothly, and unlike later versions of this model that feature only a decal on the headstock, this National's logo is a raised metal badge.

The dated label is visible through the grate on the bass-side lower bout, and the nickel-plated brass body has extremely clean, bright plating, with only a couple areas of extremely faint surface patina. The finish on the neck profile is flawless.

The original black tolex hardshell case is included.