National Vintage Steel Deluxe 2002

This 2002 National Vintage Steel Deluxe is a steel-bodied resonator guitar built in the spirit of the original steel Nationals from the 1930s. The raw nickel finish and the biscuit bridge with single-cone resonator give it that warm, slightly sweeter tone steel Nationals are known for, while the wide V-shaped neck makes it just as suitable for slide as for regular playing.

National Reso-Phonic Guitars was founded in 1989 by Don Young and McGregor Gaines in San Luis Obispo, California, breathing new life into the National name after decades of silence. From the start, they focused on recreating the sound and feel of the original National resonator guitars from the 1920s and 1930s. The Vintage Steel series is the clearest expression of that mission, built with the same biscuit bridge and single-cone construction that made the originals famous among blues, jazz, and old-time musicians nearly a century ago.

The mahogany neck features a sturdy V-profile and a 25-inch scale length, with a rosewood fingerboard with mother-of-pearl inlay, ivoroid binding, and headstock: details that clearly indicate this is the Deluxe version. Grover Deluxe tuners and the National tailpiece complete the hardware.

This example features a raw nickel finish over the steel body, with rounded f-holes and a biscuit bridge driving the single-cone resonator. Clear signs of wear are visible on the nickel finish; the guitar has been converted from left-handed to right-handed, during which the biscuit bridge and nut were replaced. Despite these years of use, the guitar remains in very good condition and comes in the hardshell case along with the TFOA passport.

This instrument has been carefully inspected for originality, condition and playability, then set up to our Gold Standard by a luthier. We make sure it arrives in your hands exactly as it should: sounding its best, playing effortlessly and ready to be enjoyed from the very first note.