A National Tricone in the future
 

Hi guys,

I'm thinking about adding a modern National Tricone of some sort. This is a long way out since I bought 3 guitars in the last 16 months. More of a retirement present to myself in the future.

What are your experiences with modern National brand tricones? I was looking at something like this: https://www.12fret.com/instruments/n...ne-black-rust/

As much as I love the appearance of mirror finish nickel tricones they wouldn't be very practical for me since I don't see myself polishing it after every use. I think it would start to look terrible pretty fast.

I've owned steel and Brass national tricones. The best way I can describe it is steel is Fender, and Brass is Gibson. German Silver is Gibson through the most harmonically complex clean amp you've ever played :D

I did sell my steel Polychrome tricone when I got my German Silver, a modern one bought used. But not because the steel sounded bad. I just couldn't justify keeping both, and the German Silver sounds amazing, and "classic", but also was my bucket-list guitar. When I started playing guitar as a child I took one lesson from the old guy across the street. He was a musician from back in the day who played with Turk Murphy's band, and he had a "real" Tricone on the wall. It made an impression I never recovered from! I never dreamed I could own one, let alone a modern one with the "right" material.

Buy used for three reasons:

1. There's a significant depreciation when you drive it off the lot.

2. Most people buy these and never play them. They are "harder to play" than a flat-top for many reasons. There's a learning curve, but it's worth it!

3. The finish is probably already compromised under the forearm, where the neck meets the body, and on the strap. So no worries!

I bought a 2001 Style N for $850. Is the finish mint? No. Does it look like Nickel National that was bought in 1931 and played actively until 1951? YES! No idea how that could ever be considered a bad thing!

Now if you find a used nickel one that looks mint, just give it a good clean and polish when you get it, and give it a good going over with pure Carnauba wax (like for a car). That will last you for months, and all you'll have to do is wipe it down after playing. The first time it isn't enough. Schedule in a cleaning and waxing. Easy peasy!

I had a tri cone and it was a machine. They have wide necks - FYI. Tri cones are not what I would recommend for blues.

That's why I love this forum, so many different opinions! I would recommend a Tricone for blues all day long. To me the Tri-cone is the most versatile National Reso, and if I was to only have one National, it would probably be a German Silver Tricone! The second choice would be a 14 fret Style 0 in German silver. There is just something about that sound!

And after listening to J-Doug's Soundcloud page, I think it would be nice for him to have a guitar that bridges the sound of his wood bodied acoustics to the metal resos.

+100 on everything said in this post

I love my Tricone for blues. But I may be unique in my lack of appreciation for the steel single cone sound. So if that is your definition for a great blues sound, we disagree right off the bat, which is of course the way it should be.

I don't hate steel single cones. I just don't like them well enough to own one for its sound. I've been tempted by those Polychome steel singles with the yellow body and the spray painted Hawaiian scene for their appearance. I kinda dig that look more than the style O! And that's saying something because... You know... Style O!

One of the advantages of the tricone is the longer scale length. More string tension for slide and for lowered tunings. Celtic, Slack Key, Open G and D. Tricones FTW IMO for all styles. But my single cone brass Style N (plain style O with no Hawaiian scene) is what hangs on the bedroom wall for grab and go. We are sometimes attached to what is not necessarily the "best tool" for our style. Can't explain it, but there it is!

When I was playing aggressive blues with my harmonica playing partner, I loved the instant attack of the single cone steel Triolian, and for that, the Tricone would come up short. But when I play solo country blues, which is my favorite, it's the Tricone or the Spider cone all day long. They just sound more musical. I just put a Krivo pickup on my Spider Cone for just that...

https://i.imgur.com/vxposx3.jpg

Instant attack is the right word! I had to sell my wood Radio-tone Bendaway because it literally hurt my ears. The only reso I've owned that did that. I had to wear "Hearos" when I played it or my ears felt numb after 20 minutes. And I have a squareneck tricone that literally shoots the sound up into my face!

That sharp instant attack... I can't take it!

Thanks for all of the responses guys!

I know this sounds like heresy, but I think a lot of that has to do with the response of the hot rod cone, sound just jumps of the the biscuit style. I have an old Johnson reso with a new neck and when I put a hot rod cone into it it changed the sound for the worst for just that reason. Sometimes I like the pre hot rod cones better as they are more mellow. But when you need the attack, like I did in my blues duet, the hot rod kills in a good way!

I love tricones!

Do remember that there is a distinction between the "German silver" (really just nickel, but National dubbed the stuff German silver in the 1920s and 1930s) and the nickel-plated brass guitars. The "silver" version is solid nickel, not brass plated with nickel.

National built but few of the German silver guitars in its early days and issued a few reproductions a decade or so ago.

Anyway, here's my 1930 German silver/nickel tricone:

I'm afraid it's not pure nickel. It's an alloy. Very similar to, if not identical to, some formulas of fret material. They are nickel plated. I have a '32 square-neck, and there are places where the plating is near gone.

Hey Doug,

Have you considered a wood bodied tricone? National makes one of those too, and its a very cool instrument.

I'm open to all options: steel, brass, German silver and wood. I have a lot of time to research, hopefully play more and finally decide.

Right, it's copper, zinc, and nickel! And in my opinion sounds closer to brass than steel. And funny enough, has no silver in it:)

For the amount of money a good National would cost, I would definitely go play every one you can get your hands on. There is HUGE difference in sound between the materials they use on Tricones. While you're at it, try out a wood bodied Spider bridge if you can, as I think they are the best of the National wood bodied instruments. I personally don't like wood bodied single cones and tricones, they seem like a compromise instrument to me.

Thanks!

I obviously simplified the description. I meant to point out only that the nickel-plated brass guitars a quite different from the “German silver” guitars.

I have played quite a few Nationals over the years but sadly the only dealer nearby is the Twelfth Fret in Toronto which is a five hour drive one way and plus we're in lockdown. So it remains a long term goal to get there again and run through the National racks a few times over.

I know you're not ready yet ;)

But if/when you are I'm not convinced one needs to have a specific model in mind before shopping. Narrowed down, yes. Tricone vs. biscuit vs. spider (don't forget this is partially a question of scale length), brass vs. steel, etc. is a good idea. But be open-minded other than that. It's like getting a first electric. "Well I got a tele. It's the right one, and I'll never question if it does everything I need..."

Have at least $2000 banked and make a list of instruments "you would be happy with". Search every other day. Guitar Center Used instruments, Reverb, Ebay. The usual suspects. Be aware of what they have been selling for. When you see the deal that is too good to resist, pounce. A used style O might be $1,750 to $2,200, but a used style N might be $1,400. Forgive me if my numbers are out of date :D The only difference is no hawaiian design. If you search Style Os that's what you'll find. If you search brass single-cone and are okay with a plain body...

Other than a steel reso-rocket, which I feel is the WORST choice for a first reso (It's absolutely brutally aggressive), any quality reso will teach you a ton, and learning how to get the most out of it will make you a better player!

This approach is how I scored my Brass Tricone Baritone. I wasn't looking for one. I was looking a brass tricone (this was before I got the German Silver). It just showed up, I had a "National Fund", I made an offer, and it was accepted. It was before baritones were so easy to get from so many factory makers so it sat a while and I got a great price. It is a mind-blowing guitar, and I never would have considered it if I wasn't open minded.

Oh and it also kind of proved the point about people buying and not playing Nationals. The second string nut slot was cut too shallow. I had to work on it before it was what I considered "playable". that one string was crazy high and affected both fretting and slide!

My M1 is the most played of my Nationals,I wouldn´t say it is the best but being much lighter then the metal ones allows for much longer sessions

I have owned as few single cones and tricones. I ended up deciding that I prefer the wooden body ones. However if $$ was not an issue I would have one of each. In my experience there is a lot going on harmonically with resonator guitars. This can be missed if you just play aggressively on a single cone. The tri cones and single cones have an incredible dynamic range and with the tricones especially there is a very rich sound that can be explored.

When you are ready to pull the trigger watch all the classified listings for used instruments. There are many good bargains to be found if you are diligent and patient.

Mostly the same, but like you I've developed preferences. So much so that I "only" want 2 or 3 more than I have :roll:

If you're thinking about my birthday that would be a Trovador, a wooden tricone, and a reso to be named later... :D

I've been staring long and hard at this: https://www.12fret.com/instruments/n...one-wood-body/

I'll be in the vicinity of the Twelfth Fret for a bit in May so my wife is encouraging me to drop by and play all the tricones they have in stock. I warned her that one may wind up following me home if I do that and she's fine with it. And oh yeah she's insisting I buy a shiny one lol.

Treat it like a child with a puppy. Ask her "Are you going to clean and polish it? Somebody will have to clean and polish it!" :D

Sounds like a fun sortie! I don't really have a guitar store bucketlist, but I feel I'd have to go to the 12th Fret if I was anywhere nearby.

Lol too funny. As a parent I know what that experience is like.