[Maintenant avec text en français - further down! ]Bonsoir,
I am selling my
1941 National New Yorker lap steel, and I thought I'd offer it here on the forum to see if anyone is interested (if not I will list it on eBay this weekend). I will post a French translation of this text soon (just need some help with le français
). First of all, here is a youtube demo of the guitar:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M07Nkcq2JUw
As you can see and hear, it's a very cool lap steel (and it was so fun to play for this demo, that I started feeling regrets about selling it
, but I have bought another guitar and need to sell something). Here is the text I have prepared for eBay, and pics too:
This is a great player's lap steel guitar. It is not in pristine collector's condition, but it is fully functional and sounds and plays great.
The art deco look is very cool, with multi-coloured Roman numbers on the fretboard, and it is a piece of lap steel history - a 1941 "war years" National New Yorker lap steel, with a (Supro-style) "string-through" pickup that is the best pickup for overdriven/distorted sounds I have ever heard (this is the pickup praised by Ry Cooder and many others for its great sound). A very "hot" pickup with a really fat sound, great for gritty blues and rock. The clean sound is really good too - crisp and defined.
Let me list the cosmetic flaws:
- Most of the tuner buttons had crumbled when I bought this lap steel. I have replaced the buttons with nice grained off-white "ivoroid" replacements from Stewart-MacDonald.
- The logo is missing from the headstock.
- The volume knob is non-original and should be replaced, as its screw does not tighten enough to grab the pot shaft properly. The important thing is that the pot works just fine, and I have left it on full volume (it can be turned easily with pliers), so the guitar is fully playable as it is.
- The (metal) fretboard is bulging between the screws that fasten it in places, and the nut is leaning at a slight angle (see photos). I first thought I would have to fix this in order for the intonation to correspond with the scale of the fretboard, but it was not necessary - the guitar plays in tune all along the fretboard. So this is a purely cosmetic flaw.
- The guitar has the normal dings and scuffs you can expect from a 66-year old instrument, but overall it is in good condition for its age and most players would call the signs of age "mojo" rather than a flaw.
All in all, a great vintage player's guitar (and one of the most desirable lap steels from the 1930s-40s). If you want more pictures of any part of the guitar, or want to ask anything, just sent me a MP.
The technical specs:
- National New Yorker lap steel guitar.
- 23" scale length (great for easy slants)
- Supro-style string through pickup.
- Three way "Hawaiian/Chimes/Harp" tone selector switch with "chicken head" knob - Chimes is the brightest and the other two are more mellow sounds.
- Wooden pickup cover/handrest (a rare "war years" feature - access to metals was limited as the United States were on the brink of entering World War II).
- Made in Chicago, USA, in 1941 (according to the serial number guides for vintage National guitars - the serial number is 413X G (the "X" is also a number, but I omitted it for the buyers privacy)).
- Amphenol connector common on old lap steels and microphones - I include a brand new cable (ampenol connector to standard 1/4" plug) bought for $15 from Elderly Instruments in the USA.
- I also include a brand new gig bag (for tenor ukulele - just the right lenght) and I will pack the guitar well in a proper box for shipping.
- It is strung with a brand new set of Asher Electro Hawaiian strings (great for open D and low bass G).
If you require any more info, just send me a MP. I hope the many photos and particularly the youtube demonstration clip will speak for themselves - this is a
very cool old lap steel, it is located in Europe (so no cross-Atlantic shipping, import duty, VAT or worries for European buyers) and it is a great opportunity to get true vintage tone at a good price.
I ask €650 for this National, plus shipping at actual cost (I will find out the cost in the next couple of days - I don't like being over-charged for shipping as a buyer, so I do not overcharge as a seller). A good and fair price, and you can see in the youtube clip if you like the sound or not. I would rather sell it directly here than on eBay, so please send me an MP within the next few days if you are interested. I will list it on eBay on Sunday if it is not sold here or on the other sites I will advertise it on. Payment by bank transfer would be best, but PayPal is acceptable too, if we go half-way to split the PayPal fees.
Merci beaucoup!
Fred