The Twelfth Fret ~ Since 1977 ~

Valco

❌SOLD❌Airline Pocket Bass by Valco, Black 1964

❌SOLD❌Airline Pocket Bass by Valco, Black 1964

Here is a rarity,  an Airline Pocket Bass by Valco, Black dating to 1964, a short scale bass regarded by some as one of the best recording basses ever made.  The Airline Pocket Bass was built from 1962 to 1968 at the Valco shops in Chicago, Illinois, along with other Valco brands including National and Supro. Valco also branded their instruments for other companies, many of which were distributors or catalog retailers like Montgomery-Ward and Sears Roebuck. Valco amplifier production followed the same pattern but their customers included established builders like Harmony, Gretsch and Kay.

Vintage
Price: $1,500.00 CAD

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❌SOLD❌ Royal Aire by National Solidbody Electric Guitar Sunburst, 1951

❌SOLD❌  Royal Aire by National Solidbody Electric Guitar Sunburst, 1951

Here is a rarity – a Royal Aire by National solid body electric guitar, dating to 1951 and one of the earliest production electrics for National and its parent Valco.  Clearly a National model given its construction and components,  Royal Aire branded instruments are few and far between.  Around 1947, Valco contracted with Gibson to produce some Royal Aire flat top acoustics, based on the LG-3.  Here,  Valco / National used a National neck with its shield logo plate engraved to read Royal Aire. 

Vintage
Price: $1,299.99 CAD

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❌SOLD❌National Model 1008 Console 8 String Steel White, 1961

❌SOLD❌National Model 1008 Console 8 String Steel White, 1961

From the early 1930s until the rise of Rock ‘n Roll, steel guitars like this National Model 1008 Console 8 were very popular, and for novice players, often their first instrument. In fact, the very first production electric guitars were Electric Hawaiian steel models, and the first of those was almost certainly the 1932 Ro-Pat-In Steel. Ro-Pat-In quickly improved their name to ‘Rickenbacher’ and soon also introduced the very rare 1935 ‘Ken Roberts’ guitar, arguably the first production Electric Spanish style guitar. Rickenbacker at this time was also building metal parts for both National and DoBro.

Vintage
Price: $650.00 CAD

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❌SOLD❌ National Val Pro 82 Vermillion Red, 1962

❌SOLD❌ National Val Pro 82 Vermillion Red, 1962

The National Val Pro 82 was the single-pickup version of the ‘Map Body’ Val Pro line, built during 1962 and 1963 by Valco in Chicago, Illinois.  National itself began in 1927 with the invention of the Resophonic guitar, but in 1928 the original builders – the Dopyera brothers – left to form Dobro, and in 1932 the Dopyera’s bought a controlling interest in National and merged the two companies.

Vintage
Price: $1,750.00 CAD

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❌SOLD❌ National Dynamic Lap Steel Red and White, 1962

❌SOLD❌ National Dynamic Lap Steel Red and White, 1962

The National Dynamic Lap Steel was built from 1961 to 1968 for National String Instrument Corporation by Valco in Chicago, Illinois. National at this point had fallen far from its heyday after inventing the Resophonic guitar (plus mandolin and ukulele) to provide more volume to working guitarists. It was founded by guitarist George Beauchamp and luthier John Dopyera in 1927. Dopyera left National to form, with his brothers, the DoBro company in 1928 and produced single cone resonator models. Dopyera purchased a controlling share of National in 1932 and merged National and DoBro production. Many instruments like the National Dynamic lap steel were produced, along with matching amplifiers.   

Vintage
Price: $750.00 CAD

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❌SOLD❌ Eastwood Airline Deluxe 3P LTD Indigo, 2010

❌SOLD❌ Eastwood Airline  Deluxe 3P LTD Indigo, 2010

Eastwood Guitars started in 2001 to re-create the many wild designs of brands like Airline, Supro and Mosrite. Eastwood is based in Brampton, Ontario and uses three factories in China and Korea; they ship from North America and Europe. Here we’re looking at an Eastwood Airline Deluxe 3P in a limited edition Indigo finish; it is serialized as 10 of 24. This model is also described as the Airline 59 3P DLX.

Used
Price: $1,100.00 CAD

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THE TWELFTH FRET

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