National Reso-Phonic Guitars

National Reso-Phonic Guitars is an American specialist manufacturer focused on resonator guitars and other resonator instruments. The company was established in 1989 by Don Young and McGregor Gaines in a Southern California garage, adopting the National Reso-Phonic Guitars name as it began production. Its business is rooted in the revival and continued development of the resonator-guitar tradition associated with historic National instruments, whose distinctive metal bodies and acoustic resonating systems give them a louder, sharper voice than conventional flat-top acoustic guitars. The company moved its factory to San Luis Obispo, California, in 1990. From that base it developed a broad catalog organized around several important resonator architectures, including tricone instruments, biscuit-bridge guitars, and instruments using the inverted-cone design associated with Dobro-style resonators. This range allows the brand to serve players seeking different tonal responses, visual designs, playing configurations, and historical references within the resonator category. National Reso-Phonic Guitars operates as a specialist, craft-oriented instrument maker rather than as a mass-market general guitar company. Its catalog has included more than 50 models, and the factory has been described as producing more than 300 instruments annually. The company also repairs and restores vintage National instruments, extending its role beyond the manufacture of new guitars into preservation of the historical instruments and construction techniques that define the brand’s identity. The brand’s product scope includes resonator guitars and related resonator instruments, with model families spanning metal-bodied designs and different cone and bridge configurations. The Tricone format uses three resonating cones, while biscuit-bridge and inverted-cone formats represent other major branches of resonator-guitar design. The company has also offered Scheerhorn guitars within its product range, indicating a connection to the high-end modern resonator tradition. National Reso-Phonic Guitars remains based in San Luis Obispo and is identified as being owned by president and owner Jason Workman. Its positioning centers on specialized resonator expertise, historically informed design, American manufacture, custom-level craftsmanship, and the servicing of vintage instruments. Public reference material does not provide a complete account of distribution channels, revenue, detailed ownership history, or current executive structure, so those areas remain limited in this entry.

National Reso-Phonic Guitars was formed in 1989 by Don Young and McGregor Gaines in a garage in Southern California. The founders began making resonator guitars under the National Reso-Phonic Guitars name, establishing a company devoted to an instrument category with a strong historical connection to early twentieth-century American guitar making. Resonator guitars use internal metal resonating systems to project sound, and their distinctive construction gives them a characteristic tone and appearance. In 1990, the company relocated its factory to San Luis Obispo, California. That move became the foundation for its continuing manufacturing operation. Rather than limiting itself to a single design, the company developed instruments based on several major resonator formats. Its range includes Tricone guitars, which use three resonator cones; biscuit-bridge models, which use a different cone and bridge arrangement; and inverted-cone instruments associated with the Dobro style of resonator construction. The company’s catalog subsequently expanded to more than 50 models, covering different body styles, materials, configurations, and historical or contemporary interpretations of resonator instruments. Reference material describes annual production as exceeding 300 instruments, a scale consistent with a specialist manufacturer serving players who value distinctive construction and relatively limited production. Scheerhorn guitars have also been included in the company’s model range, broadening its relationship with the modern high-end resonator-guitar field. A significant part of the company’s identity is its connection to vintage National instruments. In addition to building new guitars, National Reso-Phonic Guitars repairs and restores vintage National instruments. This service preserves older examples while giving the company practical knowledge of historic construction, materials, hardware, and resonator systems. It also reinforces the brand’s role as a custodian of the National resonator tradition rather than simply a producer of new musical instruments. The company is currently identified as being owned by Jason Workman, who also serves as president. It continues to operate from San Luis Obispo and is described as producing resonator guitars and other resonator instruments. Available reference material does not establish a full chronology of model introductions, ownership transitions, sales channels, financial performance, or international subsidiaries. Consequently, the documented history is strongest on the company’s founding, relocation, product architecture, production scale, restoration work, and current ownership.

• 1990

  Factory moves to San Luis Obispo

  [1]National Reso-Phonic Guitarsen.wikipedia.org

  The company moved its manufacturing operation to San Luis Obispo, California, where its factory has continued to be based.

• 1989

  Company founded

  [1]National Reso-Phonic Guitarsen.wikipedia.org

  Don Young and McGregor Gaines established National Reso-Phonic Guitars in a Southern California garage and began producing resonator guitars.

A specialist American maker of high-quality resonator guitars, combining historically informed designs, multiple resonator architectures, small-scale production, and repair and restoration expertise.

• Resonator guitars

  Tricone resonator guitars

  Tricone instruments use three resonator cones rather than a single cone. This configuration is one of the defining historical branches of resonator-guitar design and forms a major part of National Reso-Phonic Guitars’ catalog. The company offers Tricone models as part of its broader range of specialized resonator instruments.

• Resonator guitars

  Biscuit-bridge guitars

  Biscuit-bridge models represent another principal resonator architecture in the company’s product range. Their design uses a biscuit-style bridge and resonator arrangement associated with a direct, focused resonator sound. National Reso-Phonic Guitars produces these instruments alongside Tricone and inverted-cone formats.

• Resonator guitars

  Inverted-cone resonator guitars

  The company’s inverted-cone instruments use the resonator design associated with Dobro-style guitars. They provide a distinct alternative to Tricone and biscuit-bridge constructions and demonstrate the breadth of the manufacturer’s approach to resonator instruments.

• Resonator guitars

  Scheerhorn guitars

  Scheerhorn guitars are included among the company’s model offerings. They connect National Reso-Phonic Guitars’ catalog with the modern high-end resonator tradition and broaden its range beyond reproductions or interpretations of only one historical design family.

• Repair and restoration service

  Vintage National instrument repair and restoration

  National Reso-Phonic Guitars repairs and restores vintage National instruments. This service supports owners of older instruments while preserving the construction knowledge and historical continuity associated with the National resonator-guitar name.

1. 1National Reso-Phonic Guitarsen.wikipedia.org