1961 National Glenwood 95 - Advice?

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kinetic
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1961 National Glenwood 95 - Advice?

Post by kinetic » Wed Oct 25, 2017 10:43 am

Hey guys,

I recently came across this cool guitar. It was in a pawn shop priced well, and to top it off they had a 50% sale at the time. It's in pretty good condition, just needs a bit of a clean up. It didn't come with a case either.

I couldn't resist buying it...

Image

More pics: https://imgur.com/a/81fvc

Now I'm a little torn between keeping and selling. Value on sites like Reverb and guitar store sties seems to vary wildly. I imagine it won't be a quick sale, regardless. Does anyone have any good indicators for value?

Does anyone have any tips for cleaning up a Reso-Glass guitar like this?

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Re: 1961 National Glenwood 95 - Advice?

Post by marqueemoon » Wed Oct 25, 2017 11:49 am

I say flip away.

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Re: 1961 National Glenwood 95 - Advice?

Post by Con-Tiki! » Sat Oct 28, 2017 5:48 pm

I have owned a few. not that model, but the Jack White geetar.
i don't know what you spent, but that could be a $3k guitar to the right person. (not me :squint: ) National is the big-ticket brand of the Valco line.
you can clean up the body with something mild, like plastic polish. They were never super shiny, though, so don't kill yourself.
reverb to start, ebay if you have to.

me, I would be buried with that guitar.
Last edited by Con-Tiki! on Mon Oct 30, 2017 3:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
(Christopher, also)
I've been to one World's Fair, a picnic, and a rodeo, and that's the stupidest thing i ever heard come out a pair of headphones.

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Re: 1961 National Glenwood 95 - Advice?

Post by mgeek » Sun Oct 29, 2017 8:37 am

Doesn't appear to need cleaning at all! Great score.

Unless you're gonna treasure it, I say flip it, and I think if you've had it a matter of days and you're asking that question, you're not super into it. I know for sure my excitement about any new piece of gear is at a peak when I first get it ;)

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Re: 1961 National Glenwood 95 - Advice?

Post by eggwheat » Sun Oct 29, 2017 2:32 pm

I’ve owned that exact model. It’s quite valuable. I’d say in the UK about £2k. Having the original case with these is quite important value wise as it’s a strange shape to match the guitar. The Glenwood 99 in sea foam with gold hardware is the most prized and valuable. Followed probably by the Black Val-Pro 88(which I own one of).

They sound cool, big throaty midrangey pickups...often play like crap..but can be good after a decent luthier sorts them out.

Problems usually revolve around the neck..no truss rod..and the binding can crack quite badly

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Re: 1961 National Glenwood 95 - Advice?

Post by eggwheat » Wed Nov 01, 2017 12:56 pm

Also it's more likely 1962....as they came out in 62. Val-pro came out in '61.

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Re: 1961 National Glenwood 95 - Advice?

Post by jeff m. » Wed Nov 01, 2017 1:22 pm

Definitely one of my dream guitars, right there..only ever seen one 'in the flesh' at a vintage guitar shop here in Australia..had some ridiculous price tag on it..had obviously been set-up properly, as it actually played really well.

As Eggwheat points out, the original cases were shaped somewhat like the guitar itself, & certainly add to the value..as he also points out, 1961 is a little early for these guitars.

The little plate on the back of the headstock is your dating clue..the 'letter' at the beginning is the 'year code'.

I used to have a Valco date chart..lost it..but I know my National Dynamic lap steel is a 1951, and begins with a 'V'..so if you count backwards from there, i.e; U=1952..T=1953, you'll have the year it was made.

I'm not sure if this model made it much past '65, so I'm guessing you'll come up with somewhere between '62-'65.

Were it mine, I'd probably just put it in the corner & STARE at it :) ! It's a beauty..good luck whatever you decide to do.
Best,
Jeff.

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Re: 1961 National Glenwood 95 - Advice?

Post by kinetic » Wed Nov 01, 2017 1:27 pm

Loving the comments. According to the serial number mine comes out at '61 if this information is correct.

http://www.oldfrets.com/Valco/Dating.html

I've heard that they were made before they were released in the catalog, so that could explain why? Or the serial number system is off - who knows.

Jeff - I'm an Aussie living in Canada. Maybe we should chat. :P

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Re: 1961 National Glenwood 95 - Advice?

Post by eggwheat » Wed Nov 01, 2017 1:36 pm

they've got dates on the pots btw...

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Re: 1961 National Glenwood 95 - Advice?

Post by jeff m. » Wed Nov 01, 2017 3:24 pm

Kinetic.
That's funny..I recently did some session work for a Canadian living in Australia !

Back in '88 or so, the band I was in at the time did a tour of Canada..first time I'd been overseas, actually...I have fond memories of the bits that I can..er.. remember :whistle: ! Where are you over there?

Best,
Jeff.

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Re: 1961 National Glenwood 95 - Advice?

Post by kinetic » Wed Nov 01, 2017 3:25 pm

Jeff, I'm in Vancouver, BC. Over here working as a software developer. :)

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Re: 1961 National Glenwood 95 - Advice?

Post by jeff m. » Wed Nov 01, 2017 9:43 pm

Kinetic.

Vancouver ? Is the 'Town Pump' still there ? That gig always stuck in my mind, as the band before us were a kind of 'Stevie Ray tribute band'..guitarist lugged in THREE amps, hooked 'em all up..wore a Kimono & hat like the one on the cover of 'Texas Flood'..cranked 'em all up & pretty much proceeded to clear the room with the sheer volume :) . We ended up sitting outside drinking beer & having a great time getting to know the locals who'd come to see this 'Australian Country band'..they were surprised that there was such a thing ::) !

Turned out the drummer - who was incredible- was an expat from Melbourne..he was quite homesick..more so when we told him we'd played all the usual inner-city Melbourne gigs just a few weeks beforehand...good time was had by all !

I really don't know about the dating chart you linked to..the company that became Valco were generally pretty accurate with serial numbers, so who knows ?

Eggwheat seems to know a bit about these..I think you have to disassemble the 2 pieces of the body to access the pots, though, if you want to use those as a possible dating guide ?

Again, It's beautiful, mate :) . How does it play, tune up etc. ?
Best,
Jeff.
.

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Re: 1961 National Glenwood 95 - Advice?

Post by eggwheat » Thu Nov 02, 2017 1:22 am

Neck off, 2x bolts....middle one is a neck tilt adjust. 4x body screws. Inside is hollow. Wood block runs through the centre.

Common to see these listed as the wrong model. I have some of the original brochures and adverts from the day.

Often see the white glenwood 98 listed as a white 99. 98 back of neck is black, 99 back of neck is white. Later 99 is seafoam/gold.

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Re: 1961 National Glenwood 95 - Advice?

Post by Con-Tiki! » Fri Nov 03, 2017 2:21 pm

pot codes are the way to go.
those number plates turn up on ebay occasionally. it's not impossible someone replaced a missing one.
I was thinking the resoglas guitars didn't show up until '62 or '63, but i know more about the supro/Airline models than the National line.
(Christopher, also)
I've been to one World's Fair, a picnic, and a rodeo, and that's the stupidest thing i ever heard come out a pair of headphones.

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Re: 1961 National Glenwood 95 - Advice?

Post by kinetic » Mon Nov 13, 2017 10:36 pm

I'm not game enough to take it apart just to read the pot codes - however this guitar hadn't been touched in a long time before I got my mits on it... Seems like it did nothing in the internet period.

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