____________________________________________________________

JUST AVAILABLE & READY TO GO! - 07/02/2020 - Checked over & Upgrade Completed- ready to go, after re-string!

....photos now added, following machine head upgrade/replacement & pending minor overhaul/re-stringing.

NOW SOLD! - 24/03/2020 - and on it's way to buyer in Somerset!
____________________________________________________________

As far as I can see from the website for the Vintage brand's distributors, JHS, only the Vintage AMG1 remains in production & available to purchase new, and the two Tricome models, AMG2 & AMG3, therefore appear to have been discontinued. I can't verify it, but I have read that the AMG3 was produced between 2002 & 2005.

Here is a bit of history background on Tricones..........

-----------------------------------------------------------
**** WIKIPEDIA EXTRACT ****
-----------------------------------------------------------

"National tricone

John Dopyera, responding to a request by the steel guitar player George Beauchamp, developed the resonator guitar to produce an instrument that could produce sufficient volume to compete with brass and reed instruments. Dopyera experimented with configurations of up to four resonator cones and with cones composed of several different metals.

In 1927, Dopyera and Beauchamp formed the National String Instrument Corporation to manufacture resonator guitars under the brand name "National". The first models were metal-bodied, and featured three conical aluminum resonators joined by a T-shaped aluminum bar that supported the bridge—a system called the tricone. National originally produced wooden-bodied Tricone models at their factory in Los Angeles, California. They called these models the Triolian, but made only 12 of them. They changed the body meant for tricones to single-cone models, but kept the name."

Stock Number: VTG1577.

I have not been able to track down any Maker's or Distributor's Specifications for the AMG3, as the model appears to have been out of production for about 15 years, but brief details are.......

* Steel Body with Brushed/Satin Finish & Discrete Tooled Decorative Patterning resembling the "Wild Rose" Design of the Style 2 National Tricone.
* Biscuit Bridge with Maple Saddle.
* Resonator 3 x 6" Spun Aluminium Cones.
* Neck Mahogany with Rosewood Fingerboard, Dot Inlays, 19 Frets, 12 to the body.
* Scale 630mm./24.75", Nut Width 48mm.
* Machine Heads, originally fitted, are contemporary heavy chrome die-cast enclosed machines, which are out of character for the instrument, and have now been replaced & upgraded to New Replacement TonePros '50s Back Style Kluson Deluxe tuners with Cream Oval Buttons, more in keeping with the traditional style & origins of the guitar, and with dedicated Kluson conversion bushings.

I think that the traditional style tuners, with vintage style cream buttons give a far better character to the headstock.....although not attempting to reproduce the slotted headstock design of the '30s National Tricone, thankfully Vintage Guitars have kept a very clean traditional shape to the head, and that combines with the brushed/matt body finish to give, to my eyes at least, a much better overall look to what is an essentially very traditional style instrument....again a personal view, but I think much nicer that the much more common bright chrome version!

Newly arrived and available, following minor overhaul, tuner replacement upgrade, set-up & re-stringing. Excellent condition.....very little sign of any noticeable marking on body finish...any marks are minimal for approx. 15 year old guitar.

You have to look very closely to see absolutely minimal signs of the machine heads change....new units leave very little sign of the previous fittings...and also the tooled "Wild Rose" body-decoration, following the Style 2 National, which is very subtle.....have taken close-up photo hoping it can be better seen!

I have completed preliminary set-up, which will be re-checked, prior to sale, together with fingerboard & fret overhaul, including dressing slightly sharp fret ends. So far I have relaxed the truss rod to a degree, as previous adjustment was giving both an action which was too low for a resonator, and a slight back bow on the fingerboard. As a result the action has increased to approx. 2.75mm/3.5mm. at the 12th. fret, still within acceptable range for standard fretted play, but with strings very slightly higher than essential at the nut to aid Bottleneck play, but clearly can be lowered if required, and when I replace the strings I will also check & adjust the saddle, which may possibly reduce the differential between bass & treble strings.

Existing strings are old.....still sounds good though! Currently strung with what measure to be 15-56. I have now received an order from Newtone Strings, nearby in Derbyshire, for Michael Messer National strings, including a couple of sets of the same Nickel 15-56....one of which I will fit to this guitar before sale.

Smart, well-fitting, Kinsman hard case, with keys, is included.