National Rosita 1934-35
Date: 1934 or 1935 (Estimated, due to incomplete factory information from that period)
The Rosita model was made between 1933 and 1939.
FEATURES:
Painted 2 tone mahogany finish, non cut-a-way wood body
Round single piece un-bound neck with ebonized fretboard & dot inlays
Serial number stamped into top of square slotted headstock with decal National logo
Single cone resonator with 9 diamond shaped hole clusters, ribs, nickel plated resonator cover
Bound top and back
Brass narrow frets
Flat fingerboard no radius
14 fret clear of body with 1 11/16 nut
Lyre shaped holes in upper body
NOTED EXCEPTIONS:
Uncommon tailpiece
Records state that National started 10 radiusing their fingerboards in 1934 with the 14 fret necks.
No evidence of the neck "sandwich": first the fingerboard, than a middle stiffening layer (about the same thickness as the fingerboard), and then the bulk of the neck. National started doing this technique in 1934 when they introduced 14 fret necks.
DATE ESTIMATE BASED UPON THE FOLLOWING:
f holes replaced the lyre shaped holes in 1937.
Prior to late 1934, all nationals had 12 fret necks.
Radiused fingerboards began in 1934 (previously flat).
National-Dobro began a move from California to Chicago in 1936
Most National serial numbers have a letter prefix except Duolians between 1935 and 1936:
o 879 to 3769 1935
o 3770 to 6750 1936
o There are apparently known exceptions to the prefix rule.
o Letter prefixes started in earnest in 1936
Square top, slotted headstocks on single cone models ended in 1936
Research compiled by Leonard Wyeth |
