1947 National New Yorker Lap Steel

A while ago we looked at a 1962 National New Yorker lap steel, a double pickup version of today’s Catch. (Click here to read about the guitar and some of National’s very complex history.) I’ve always liked the Art Deco look of the New Yorker, which is very stylish. This is the one guitar that pretty much requires a musician in a tuxedo to play it. This particular example was made in 1947 and the store selling it got it from the original owner, a woman named Betty, who was a music teacher in the 1950s and 1960s. She must have been a very fastidious person because I don’t think I’ve ever seen a vintage guitar that was this clean. I like every feature of this guitar, from the stairstep headstock to the Plexiglas pickup cover, which is a holdover from National’s World War II stint making windows for bombers. But I especially like the tone control, which rather than adjusting the treble and bass, claims it goes from Hawaiian to Chimes to Harp. The New Yorker is a good sounding guitar, and this a model that looks really good hanging on the wall. This pristine example is priced at $995 and it’s for sale at Folkway Music.

Click here for the original listing.