Brass 14 fret Style O midway between Style O and Tricone?

[Ceabeceabe]

I am starting to get it into my head that I "need" a National to fully pursue slide blues, Hawaiian slack key, and to take full advantage of the instrument's dynamic range. (Have had and released other resos such as Fender and Recording King.)

Can it be that the 14 fret Style O brass is midway between a 12 Fret Style O and a Tricone in terms of tone, overtone and sustain? That is what it seems like to me; but am I dreaming? If I'm not dreaming, then what is the explanation?

Haven't done a side by side comparison in a while...

Curtis

[Cone Head]

I have a 1936 Style O (14-fret). I don't think it sounds remotely like a Tricone.
In general, the single-cone Nationals sound much more "explosive" and have far more bass.

I am not a huge fan of Tricones. They sound great when someone else is playing them, but when I find one in my hands it is like those old tv ads..."where's the beef?"

14-fret Nationals don't get the love they deserve. They have a very different sound than the earlier 12-fret models, they tend to "swell" more than "sustain" and the lows are very punchy (think low E string going "boom boom boom" instead of "bonk bonk bonk" like the 12 fretters). I keep hearing people say they have "less bass" but the very opposite has been the case for me, I currently have a 14 fretter and two 12s, and have had a bunch of other old Nationals over the years.