National ESTRALITA 1930s

Back in October last year I had the pleasure to visit Mike Lewis' Fine Resophonic workshop outside Paris for the first time. Mike then showed the neck of a guitar he was restoring - a National Estralita from the 1930s (a VERY rare National). This guitar had surely been played over the years - the neck wood had been worn off along the sides, in some places severely! I had never seen anything like it! It was a wreck.

Anyway, earlier this month I visited Mike again and dropped my Dobro off for a set-up and some work (which by the way improved its sound and playability vastly!) and Mike showed me the Estralita again, now fully restored.





It looks amazing! (The photo does not do it justice). I could never have guessed that this guitar once had big chunks of wood missing from its neck - it looks like it was made last week!

And the SOUND! I have no vast experience of biscuit single cones, but this is the best sounding one I have heard. It sounds absolutely beautiful! To my ears, many biscuit bridge resos sound on the thin and tinny side - not this one. The sound is warm, rich, loud and full!

I had seen the pics of Mike's restoration of the gold-sprayed National Havana 12-string and was very impressed, and having seen this Estralita "before and after" first hand I am amazed! Mike Lewis is a first class craftsman, to say the least.

I am sure many would like to see a 1930s National Estralita, hence this illustrated post.

Cheers,

Fred

hey Fred!

Is it the only picture you have?

Salut Lionel!

I have no more detailed pics I'm afraid. I have one like the one I posted but taken inside the workshop, but it is a bit dark and not as good.

Bonne nuit!

Fred

It's really beautiful Mike is really a charming person and a real passionate

It's very difficult to understand what you say in english...
Would you speak french please ?

Desolé Zalex, mon français est nul!

Lionel - there are more pics of this 1934 Estralita over at Michael Messer's forum:

http://michaelmesser.proboards7.com/index.cgi?board=tin&action=display&thread=1457



Bonne weekend les gars!

Fred

Non, ne sois pas désolé !

C'était pour ceux qui n'ont pas l'accès à l'anglais!!
bon week-end et SEE YOU LATER...

Fred Kinbom a écrit:

Desolé Zalex, mon français est nul!

Lionel - there are more pics of this 1934 Estralita over at Michael Messer's forum:

http://michaelmesser.proboards7.com/index.cgi?board=tin&action=display&thread=1457



Bonne weekend les gars!

Fred

thanks fred! Asbsolutely beautiful work!

was it a chicken foot coverplate on Estralitas?

Lionel a écrit:

thanks fred! Asbsolutely beautiful work!

was it a chicken foot coverplate on Estralitas?

I guess so, as this is the only one I've seen (Mark Makin said that this is only the 5th known original Estralita in the world!). Mike has re-plated the coverplate, but it is original as far as I know, and the guitar has its original cone. And it sounds amazing!

Fred

ohhh ok...cos' i haven't been able to find of a picture of these original estralitas. So, it must be the original coverplate Another piece of history brought back to life

Hi,fred, my english is very no good , Im very enjoy for you , it's beautifull guitar ,I would be glad to posses it

Ben Mig, c'est sympa pour lui, mais elle ne lui appartient pas! bon, c'est sympa quand meme hein!

Ah bon , quand je le dit que je suis nul en anglais , c'est la preuve .

Mike 'la recupéré en piéces et l'a renovée. cela m'etonnerait qu'il s'en sépare...

Merci lionel ,de toute façon, c'est hors de porté de ma maigre bourse

Il y en a 5 connues dans le monde, alors cela n'a pas de prix, pas de cote....quoique, ce serait interressant de regarde rds le Bluebook of acoustic guitars.

fred, it would be interresinting to check if there's a rate in the Blue book of acoustic guitars, no?

Fred Kinbom a écrit:

Lionel a écrit:

thanks fred! Asbsolutely beautiful work!

was it a chicken foot coverplate on Estralitas?

I guess so, as this is the only one I've seen (Mark Makin said that this is only the 5th known original Estralita in the world!). Mike has re-plated the coverplate, but it is original as far as I know, and the guitar has its original cone. And it sounds amazing!

Fred

i Fred i saw mike few weeks later and he show me this Estrelita
amazing sound and very beautiful finish
He show me a picture before refinished oh my god !!!!wonderful job

Hello everyone
I thought you might like some further information about Estralitas.
There are now 7 known. They are all numbered in the "N" series. The first three (N004, N005, N017) all have black and gold logos and the name is spelt "Estralida". N026 is the first with a red logo spelt "EstraliTa" . N041 is known but the logo is missing.
My instrument (the one you're all talking about) is N126 and appears to have a factory fitted "chicken feet" plate. All the earlier ones have standard "drilled" coverplates. N141 above mine is known but I have no more details.
These instruments were introduced in 1934 as replacements for the 12 fret El Trovador. By this time the 14 fret body was desirable - so the body was extended at the bottom to keep the volume of sound. They were designed as "grand concert" orchestra guitars.
Interestingly - in 1935 a Trojan/Duolian was around $35, an Estralita was $55 and a Don was $85

Hey,


so you seem to say that u have the sixth out of the seven known, right? Do you know if number N 141 has a chicken foot coverplate, too?

Hi Mark,

Nice to see you here! I saw Pascal and Mike Lewis in London in the weekend and as we bid farewell they headed up to hand over the Estralita to you. How do you like it? I think it sounded amazing, and Mike's restoration work (or, "resurrection work" ) is stunning.

Cheers,

Fred

Hello Lionel
As I say - I have no more details about N141. I assume that it should have a chicken feet plate. These instruments were obviously not made in great numbers. If the earliest ones are early 1934 and mine has a chicken feet cover which appeared in late 1935 then they are only making around 50 a year!

Hi Fred
I was at Michael Messers on Sunday to see Mike and Pascal and he said he had just seen you at Mike Lewiss stand on Saturday.
You are right - it is a spectacular piece of work that Mike has achieved. I have seen him doing this stuff for 30 years and it is still a shock to see the magic he creates.
Incidentally Fred - I noticed your comment to Michael Lee Allen about the all chromed New Yorker - these appeared for one year in 1936. Remember (just to complete the set!) there is also the National Princess - which is a New Yorker with a Supro through-field type pickup and all-over pearl binding from 1941.