1931 Polychrome Triolian

Here is a pretty worn 12-fret, 1931 Polychrome Triolian. “Polychrome” was a term National used to describe these multi-colored finishes. They were mostly green and tan, but some, like this one, had a lot of blue in it too. They also had the Hawaiian scene on the back. As they wear, layers of under-color show through and they get real interesting looking. Polychrome Triolians have maple necks and maple fretboards. This one has the original cone, tailpiece and tuners. Plus it has the short-lived hooks coverplate. Instead of the coverplate being held on with nine small screws, it has a series of hooks stamped into the coverplate that interlock with the body. One screw is used to hold it all in place. In theory, it is a big time saver, but the hooks are fragile and don’t always hold everything together tight enough to avoid buzzes and rattles. It is all working quite well though, one this particular guitar.