1930 National Polychrome Triolian

The Triolian was National’s first single-cone instrument upon its introduction in 1929. The earliest of these featured wood bodies, but by later in that year the Triolian became a steel-bodied guitar. The yellow lacquer-finished models with airbrushed color highlights were given the name Polychrome Triolian, and their own “P”-suffix serial number. This guitar is a very early Polychrome with a low two-digit P serial number and a 1929 wood body stencil pattern.

In exceptional condition, this 1930 National Polychrome Tricone likely spent many of its years in a case. It appears to have been only played lap-style with a nut riser, and as such there is no playwear to the frets or neck. In recent years the guitar has seen its neck reset, and scratched-in numbers on the fretboard have been touched up tastefully. There is a small, repaired chip on the neck’s heel that is shown in the accompanying photos. The cone and biscuit bridge are newer National-made replacement parts, but the balance of the guitar is factory original and unmodified. In our shop the original frets were seated and dressed, and the guitar set up with 13-53 strings. The action measures 5.5 – 6 64ths and is well suited to fingerstyle and slide hybrid playing.

The guitar sounds incredibly good, with rich harmonic overtones, ample sustain, excellent definition, and a warm low end. It intonates much better than most ‘30s Nationals, too, which is a definite plus. 

The neck has a modern feel and a rounded carve that’s best described as 80% round, 20% V. The first fret depth measures .838”, and the nut width is about 1-13/16”. 25” scale, 2-3/16” string spread at the bridge. 

With its combination of great vintage looks, excellent tone, top-notch playability, and relative rarity, there’s not much that this 1930 National Polychrome Triolian should leave you wanting.

With modern hardshell case.

1930 National Polychrome Triolian resonator guitar

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An important piece of Canadian music history, this 1938 Martin D-18 has been one of legendary Canadian Blues/Folk musician and Producer, David Essig’s, mainstay guitars since buying it in 1965. Throughout the 1970s and into the ‘80s this D-18 was the resident highstrung (Nashville tuned) acoustic at Bob and Daniel Lanois’ Grant Ave Studios in Hamilton, Ontario, where Essig regularly worked as a producer and musician. Essig produced the first three Willie P. Bennett albums, Fred Eaglesmith’s first three albums, and Cathy Fink’s first two albums – all of which featured this very D-18. Stan Rogers was a close friend of David’s, and casually played this guitar often, although it was not featured on any of Rogers’ recordings. Essig estimates that he recorded 20 of his own albums with this guitar. In short, this guitar and its long-time owner were an integral part of Canada’s folk and roots music landscape through the last 50 years.

As with most professionally used instruments, this 1938 D-18 has seen its share of repair and restoration. It has numerous repaired top cracks, a 70’s Martin style rosewood bridge plate, which itself has worn and been capped, an oversized ebony bridge, and, most notably, a replacement neck. The guitar’s back and sides are largely original including well-worn finish. The top has areas of finish repair overtop of worn original finish and spliced cracks, and its original forward-shifted scalloped bracing remains intact and in excellent condition, with no evidence of repair or regluing. The same can be said of the back’s original bracing. There are a few repaired back and side cracks, and a ‘popsicle’ brace has been added to reinforce top cracks along the fretboard extension’s edges. The neck was fitted with the guitar’s original headstock overlay, and a set of modern Martin vintage style tuners. It has a full carve and a big 30’s wide-neck feel. There’s a filled-in strap button hole on the side adjacent to the neck heel, and the endpin has been enlarged for a pickup’s endpin jack, but there is no longer a pickup in the guitar.

A bold, dark and big sounding guitar, this 1938 D-18 offers a huge bass response, thick and woody trebles, and a strong and supportive midrange. It’s an excellent flatpicker, and we have it set up with medium strings and bluegrass action. Tone for the dollar, this guitar probably won’t be beat.

The neck was built with graphite reinforcement rather than the T-bar that would be in an original. As such, the guitar is a bit lighter and offers some of the overtone development and warmth of a wartime D-18 but remains tonally in the wide-neck camp. The neck is one-piece mahogany with style 45-quality wood and an ebony fretboard. 1-3/4” nut width, neck depth of .908” at the 1st fret which tapers to 1.135” at the 9th fret. String spread at the saddle is 2-5/16”. Playability remains excellent for a heavy flat-picker, with full height modern frets and slightly higher action of 5-8 64ths at the 12th fret. We’re happy to adjust the action lower upon request.

With 70’s hardshell case

1938 Martin D-18 vintage acoustic guitar

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The Gibson-made Kalamazoo KG-32N is a dressed-up 16” archtop that was offered in the late 1930s and early 1940s. With its blond finish, checkerboard bindings, bound tortoise pickguard, and mosaic-button tuners the KG-32N presented better than Gibson’s L-50, despite being an off-brand model. Eighty-five years on, it still wins the contest. These are gorgeous guitars that would make a vintage guitar nut out of most anyone.

The Kalamazoo KG-32N features a solid spruce top that’s pressed into shape and braced. The maple back and sides are most likely laminated, with an outer layer that shows a subtly attractive figure. Cream bindings add a touch of class, along with the shiny nickel-plated tailpiece. Rosewood fretboard and adjustable bridge, mahogany neck, ebony nut, and Kluson tuning machines with the unique mosaic buttons that are unique to the early 1940s, as far as we’ve seen.

This example is 100% original and unmodified. Every part of the guitar remains as it was when it left Kalamazoo in 1941. We particularly love the early ‘hot crossed buns’ looking Philips screws and the rope strap.

Set up in store, this Kalamazoo archtop plays very well with normal action and a correct neck angle. There is no truss rod in the neck, so there is a bit more relief than is ideal but this can easily be corrected with a refret if so desired. Expect a punchy archtop tone with strong mids and a little bit of overtone flower. A medium right hand attack brings out the most warmth and thickest tone.

The neck has the deep and round carve typical of 1941, with a first fret depth of .970” and a nut width of 1-11/16”. The neck depth at the 9th fret is 1.075”, scale is 24.75”, and string spread at the bridge is 2-1/8”.

With original soft shell case

1941 Kalamazoo KG-32N vintage Gibson archtop guitar

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With its ebony neck reinforcement and extra-light wartime construction, this 1942 Martin 0-18 is a dreamy sounding guitar. It is expansive and expressive and offers that magical combination of endless headroom and incredible touch-sensitivity. It’s an unanimous shop favorite.

This 0-18 features a red spruce top with scalloped bracing, 13.5” wide 0-size body, 24.9” scale neck, and 1-11/16” nut. It remains in excellent condition and crack-free; there are no repairs to its bracing or bridge plate. The neck has been reset, the bridge is a replacement, and the tuning machines are from the later 1940s. The work was done elsewhere and in recent years. Although the reset could have been done more cleanly, the angle is excellent and the guitar’s action was well served. There are small repaired chips on the bass side of the heel, the cracked ebony heel cap has been off and on, and is some scarring alongside the fretboard extension. If you can live with a few fairly minor cosmetic flaws you’ll be rewarded with one of the best sounding 0-18s around.

The neck has a comfortable and fairly compact feel. The carve has a C shape in the first position and evolves into a very soft V up the neck. First fret neck depth is a contemporary .838”, and the thickness at the 9th fret measures .971. String spread at the saddle is 2-1/8”. The guitar’s frets have recently been dressed and play cleanly. We’ve set up the action at 5-6.5 64ths with 12-54 strings.

With modern hardshell case.

1942 Martin 0-18 vintage acoustic guitar

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It’s no secret that we’re big fans of smaller-bodied mahogany guitars here at Folkway, so we’re naturally pretty excited about this ’47 00-17. We’ve known this guitar for years, as its previous owner is a client of more than 20 years. About a decade back we reset the neck, and replaced the saddle, pins, and tuner buttons. The original frets remain in excellent shape, there is not a crack to be found, and the finish is in beautiful condition. The guitar’s only minor flaw is a bit of flaked-away finish in front of the bridge, which was reglued at one point.

The early post-war guitars have a unique neck carve that’s deeper and rounder than those we find from a year or two later. We mostly associate this neck carve with 1946, but this 1947 00-17 features this style of neck, which is quite a lovely plus. The nut width is 1-11/16″ and the 1st fret depth is .865”. Folks who prefer 1-3/4″ widths will find this one easy to play thanks to its chunkier feel.

A very fine sounding guitar that’s hard to put down. As compared to the more common 0-17 or 0-15 models, this 00 offers bigger lows and mids without compromising any of the roundness and fullness we love so much in these small all-mahogany Martins. The trebles are very sweet and robust, and there is a wonderful linger and decay throughout the frequency range. Its big enough to strum on and it takes a heavy flatpick really well, as it does a heavier right-hand attack. Under a lighter touch the guitar’s tone is pretty, warm, and inviting.

All mahogany construction, tapered X bracing, 24.9″ scale, 2-1/8″ string spread at the bridge. Set up with 12-54 strings and an action of 5-7 64ths at the 12th fret with perfect frets and a full height saddle.

With non-original hardshell case

1947 Martin 00-17 vintage acoustic guitar

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Brought to us by the niece of its original owner, this 1948 Martin D-28 was purchased new in 1948 and spend the next many years in northern Alberta. It remains in excellent condition and has survived surprisingly well, given the climate it spent so many years in. The guitar is nearly crack free and completely original, but for new frets and bone saddle.

An incredible sounding Martin Dreadnought, this late 1940s D-28 is powerful, dry, rich, and balanced. It has muscular trebles, well developed and open bass with just enough definition, and a clean midrange with excellent fundamental presence. Strung with 13s, it’s the consummate flatpicker and excels picking bluegrass and fiddle tunes. We give this one very high marks relative to every other post-war D-28 we can remember.

Sitka spruce top with straight bracing, quartersawn Brazilian back and sides, late 1940s chunky/full feeling neck carve, gorgeous brown tortoise celluloid pickguard, first year Kluson Pat. Pend. tuners, and Made in USA export stamp on the headstock’s rear.

Original finish throughout with some honest playwear but no touchups. The original bracing remains in great shape, as do the original bridgeplate and bridge. The neck has recently been professionally reset and refretted. New saddle and set up by our shop. The frets are freshly dressed and show no wear, the original nut is well adjusted, the action is set at 5-7 64ths, and the guitar’s original red eye pins are still in the bridge. The top is ostensibly crack free but there are two very tiny checks in front of the bridge from a reglue that appears to have happened many years ago. There is minor finish disturbance around the bridge that was surely caused at the same time. No pickguard cracks, no other top repairs. There is one tightly repaired 5” back crack running north from the bottom of the guitar about 3/8” off the center strip. No side cracks.

The guitar’s neck is full and deep with a soft V carve, 1-11/16” nutwidth, .905” first fret neck depth, and a circumference of 2.68”. (Get used to hearing about neck circumference but remember where you heard it first!) Scale is 25.4”, string spread at the bridge is 2-1/8”.

With your choice of the 1930s Geib 18” archtop hardshell case pictured, or a new Deluxe HSC of the correct size.

1948 Martin D-28 vintage acoustic rosewood guitar

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1949 Gibson L-4C

Gibson’s 16” archtops were “Advanced” to 17” in 1935… all of them but the L-4, which remained a 16” model until finally being retired in 1971 after 60 years of production. The L-4C was first offered in 1949, the year this example was produced. On October 11th of that year this L-4C and another just like it were shipped to Heaton’s Music in Columbus, Ohio – two of 140 L-4Cs shipped in the first year of production.

The L-4C’s more famous fraternal twin is the ES-175, which also debuted in 1949. The ES-175 featured a P-90 pickup and a plywood maple top but was otherwise identical to the L-4C.

This example is in lovely condition and entirely original but for a nicely made bone nut. Apart from a reglued center seam under the tailpiece this L-4C is without repairs. Original first year patent pending Kluson tuners, original bridge, tailpiece, pickguard, frets and finish. Well below average playwear, excellent set-up care of our shop.

Carved Sitka spruce top with tonebar bracing, laminate maple back and sides. Bound rosewood fretboard with pearloid fretmarkers and 24.75” scale. Full depth hollow body with Florentine cut-away.

Round neck carve with 1-11/16” nut and 1st fret depth of .921”. 1st fret neck circumference measures 2.72”. A pretty sounding 1949 Gibson L-4C archtop with classic post-war Gibson cut and midrange focus.

With modern deluxe hardshell case.

1949 Gibson L-4C vintage archtop guitar

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