Description
National Rosita 1934-35Date: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 bodyNOTED 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:o879 to 37691935o3770 to 67501936oThere are apparently known exceptions to the ?prefix? rule.oLetter prefixes started in earnest in 1936?Square top, slotted headstocks on single cone models ended in 1936Research compiled by Leonard Wyeth
