COLUMN
QUIRKY VINTAGE: CIRCA ’63 NATIONAL GLENWOOD 99 Bob Cianci
In the world of oddball vintage guitars, there are In terms of playability, this Glenwood 99 was
few that deserve the term “quirky” more than almost perfectly in tune after being mounted
the infamous National Res-O-Glas map guitars on the wall of Lark Street Music for what must
of the early 1960’s. While some claim that the have been months, if not years. I tuned the D
USA shape was purely coincidental, this author string and tweaked the others, and it played
is not convinced; some crazed, madman beautifully and stayed in tune. The neck does
designer at Valco, National’s parent company, not have a truss rod, but does contain a very
must have thought this one up after a three- large magnesium core that has kept the neck
martini lunch on July 4th. dead straight for nearly fifty-four years. Not too
shabby, I’d say. Maybe those wild visionaries at
Res-O-Glas was a type of fiberglass consisting
Valco were onto something after all.
of glass fiber and resin, which in the case of
these guitars, was sprayed into a mold that Back in the day, Glenwood 99’s sold for $350,
contained a colored gel coat. The advantage and a form-fitting case was another $52.50,
to Res-O-Glas was the finish was impregnated which was a lot of money back in ’63. The
into the body, so it was nearly impossible to Gibson ES-335 and the Fender Jazzmaster
scratch it off from heavy use. These sturdy were
guitars seem indestructible. The bodies were conventional looking instruments, so it’s no
formed in two halves and then joined together wonder that the Res-O-Glas map guitars were
with screws, with a wooden center block and a not big sellers. Production totals must have
rubber gasket that encircled the body and hid been small; the true numbers are unknown,
the seams. and it’s no secret that Glenwoods are rare
the
same
price
and
were
more
guitars, although they do come up for sale fairly
National Res-O-Glas guitars were originally
often.
marketed in red and white, but around 1963
turquoise foam green was added to the line, Perhaps the most well known user of National
along with gold hardware on the top of the line Glenwood map guitars was Bob Dylan, who
Glenwood 99 models. played one on his Rolling Thunder Revue tour,
the wooden saddle unit. At the time, this was and then was never seen with it again. Robert
This all original, good condition Glenwood 99 considered a groundbreaking development in Smith, of The Cure, also used a Glenwood,
features a chunky bolt-on neck with a rosewood guitar pickups, and is actually the forerunner and blues guitarist/educator Arlen Roth was
fingerboard, beautiful stylized diamond inlays, of the modern piezo pickup. The Silver Sound pictured with a Res-O-Glas National on the
21 small frets, including a zero fret just below the sounds absolutely puny by today’s standards. cover of one of his solo albums.
nut, Grover tuners, and National’s ubiquitous Then again, music was a lot different in 1963 “Gumby” headstock. All hardware is gold than it is today.
This Glenwood is on permanent display at
plated and is now highly tarnished, with much
Lark Street Music in Teaneck, New Jersey,
of the plating gone. The Bigsby still functions Valco’s Vista-Tone brand neck and bridge and is part of the owner’s private collection.
smoothly. There are three volume and three pickups sound smooth and demure when If you want to add a Glenwood 99 to your
tone controls, a master volume, and a three- played clean, but growl and bark when arsenal, prepare to spend upwa