I've got an old National steel bodied guitar with a replacement neck on it. The body has also been repainted. So how do I tell if it was a Duolian or a Triolian ?

Do the old Duolian and Triolian bodies differ in any way ? I've heard that Triolians had thicker gauge steel and that Duolians tended to have whatever was available. Or are they actually the same ???(apart from original paint finish - which is not there any more on my guitar) ???

The guitar has a 12 fret body and flat-cut f-holes so would be circa 1929-1932 ? (has a non-ribbed coverplate)

A 12 string neck was made for it in 1986 by Don Young (National Resophonic) when he still worked at DOBRO.

I'm thinking of having the neck replaced for a Baritone neck (6 string of course - but a 12 string baritone might be very interesting !!!!!!!)

Anyone out there know how to tell which of a Duolian/Triolian it is ?

That sounds like a real interesting guitar. Hambone has something similar, I think.

I'm not sure about the difference in the metals between the Triolians and the Duolians. I have heard similar claims that the metals were heavier in the Triolians but I don't know if this is always the case. I have picked up some 12 fret Triolians and have noted them to be definitely heavier than my '31 Duolian but then again I didn't weigh them. And then there's the differences in wood used. Nor did I take a magnet to the Triolians that I've played to see if they were made of anything other than steel. You appear to have it dated correctly as far as I can tell.

I would like to add a question to your thread if I may? Were the paints used on the Triolians and Duolians lead based?

[This message has been edited by Sherwin-Williams (edited March 03, 2003).]

I would think that lead must be in the paint.
Either that or something just as poisonous.

I presume that any health hazards for these paints would mainly be present during the painting process / aerosol formation etc etc.

My guess is that the Duolian paints have different qualities depending whether top coat or undercoat.

I think that the undercoat is applied and allowed to dry. Greasy fingers (but especially thumbs) are then applied to leave grease marks all over the guitar body.
The top coat (grease repellent) is then sprayed on, and it separates out into the patterns previously applied with greasy fingers.
Perhaps an additional top coat is then added to seal all of this over.

Just imagine thats how they might have found this paint finish, by accident, using unwashed hands to paint an early duolian ???