Ordering a National or Scheerhorn is easy.
All I need is your name, shipping address, phone number, email address, payment, and of course, what you want. Email me at catfishkeith@catfishkeith.com
FREE SHIPPING in USA (except Alaska & Hawaii), comes with hard case, NO SALES TAX in USA (except California & Iowa).
1. Check, cashier’s check, money order, or bank draft on a USA bank or bank draft on the Royal Bank of Canada. No fees for any of these. Send, made out to my given name, by first class mail to my bank, to:
Keith Kozacik (my “real” name)
c/o West Bank
401 10th Ave.
Coralville, IA 52241 USA
2. Bank Wire Transfer adds $10. Please ask for instructions, I’ll email them to you. This can often be almost instantaneous. This uses bank routing number and account number, and other info. Pretty easy and fast.
3. Paypal adds costs of 3% in the USA, 4% outside of the USA. I will email you a Paypal Invoice with the percentage added in. You can use credit or debit card, or your bank account. Paypal uses my email address: catfishkeith@catfishkeith.com Ask me first, for full details. Email or call me at 319-338-3614.
4. Venmo is USA only. Use my Venmo address: @Catfish-Keith Email me first, please, for full details.
Instruments that are In Stock, Available Now:
These can usually ship right away. All instruments usually ship directly from the National Factory in San Luis Obispo, California, to you. The shipping method in USA is usually UPS or Fed Ex Ground. All shipping outside of USA and Canada, or Overnight, 2nd Day or any other premium shipping services are the actual cost of those services.
Action:
Instruments are shipped ready to play, with good action. The normal setup on a guitar is so both picking and slide can be played on it. Usual strings on a regular scaled National Guitar are Medium (.056-.013) or Light Gauge (.053-.012) John Pearse Phosphor Bronze. You can request a custom action (BEFORE THE GUITAR IS COMPLETED ONLY), and National will make every effort to get it the way you want it. Good idea to have a local luthier or repair person available if you want to tweak the action further.
Trussrods:
All Nationals are made with a double trussrod, and are fully adjustable, using a 1/8″ Allen Wrench. BE CAREFUL if you attempt to adjust this yourself. It’s easy to do BUT If you do it wrong, and get a sloppy fit with the Allen Wrench, you can snap the trussrod. I advise to CALL ONE OF THE STAFF AT NATIONAL and have them walk you through the process. Main thing is a firm snug fit with the wrench before you turn the rod. And, only go a 1/4 turn at a time. Mostly, you will not need to adjust it at all.
If you do, call: 805-546-8442 ext. 11, ask for Shanon, she will get someone to walk you through it. Their hours are Tue-Fri, 9:00am-3:00pm Pacific Time.
Build Orders:
For a guitar that is not in stock, or coming in stock soon, I encourage you to make a build order to get exactly what you want. Timeframes on a build order vary and can take many months. Engraved guitars take the longest.
National is very good about getting my orders done as quickly as they can; it depends on their workload and how many guitars are in the queue. Since I always have many guitars ordered, it is quite likely you will get your guitar faster through me than through most any other dealer (or National themselves). I can’t promise this, but I CAN promise I sure do try! I do talk to the staff at National almost daily, and will get you an answer as quickly as I can on whatever you need or desire in a National or Scheerhorn.
Custom Orders:
One of the beautiful things about getting a National is how customizable and unique your guitar can be. Any options they do, you can order. That includes finishes, neck and body woods, metals, cutaways, Baritone and 12 String necks, lefty guitars (no extra charge for any lefty), bindings, headstock overlays, custom engravings, etchings, tuner upgrades, fingerboard inlays and more. Many of these are at a reasonable cost. And National will combine option costs sometimes; if they don’t charge more, I pass that savings to you. So, please, just ask me. Dream up your super dream National, I’ll make it happen.
Most of the custom finishes and features do not make a guitar take longer to build. Only highly engraved guitars (like the Don, and Style 1.5, 2, 3, and 4 Tricones) can have a longer timeframe.
Shipping:
I usually use FedEx or UPS to ship. When you order from me, shipping in the lower 48 states of the USA is FREE. Every instrument comes with a hard case. Other than that, I charge the actual shipping cost. Please enquire.
When it ships you get a tracking number which is usually accurate as to what day your guitar will arrive.
Import Duty (outside of USA only):
Instruments shipped outside of the USA are usually charged an import duty by the country’s government when the instrument arrives. It is the customer’s responsibility to pay this when it arrives. Duty price is based on the declared value. National declares value of 60% of the list price, so you are dutied on an amount quite a bit lower than the actual price you pay on the guitar/uke/mandolin.
If you are coming to the USA, I can arrange to have your guitar shipped to you for free. This can save you a LOT of money and I’ve done it several times, successfully. This includes customized guitars.
Return Policy:
You can return an instrument if it and the case are still brand new (no scratches or wear of any kind) within 2 days of receiving it. You must pay for shipping both ways, fully insured, and any transaction fees that were charged to me, the seller. Custom and/or customized instrument sales are final. This includes instruments that have any custom alterations/options including adding pickups, strap button, etc.
All of these pickups are passive (no battery) and sound great through an electric or acoustic guitar amp.
All of them pick up some of the body and cone sound.
National can expertly install any of these for you.
Highlander pickups are no longer available.
National Slimline built by Jason Krivo (for any single cone, tricone or spidercone guitar) $300, installed. These are bright nickel or rubbed nickel, or, can be painted to match the guitar for $50 more.
Hotplate (for single cone guitars and National mandolins) $400, installed. This is a nifty coverplate replacement designed by Mike Dowling that has a Lollar pickup, volume and tone control knobs, and jack plugin all within the coverplate. Warm, big tone. The coverplate can be plated or painted to match your guitar, just ask.
Charlie Christian Lollar (for any single cone, tricone, or spidercone guitar) $400, installed, only on build orders. Great sound, cool look. They also require a hole in the top of the guitar. These are installed on the BLACK RUST DELUXE models.
P90 Lollar (for any single cone, tricone, or spidercone guitar) $400, installed, only on build orders. These are passive also with an electric guitar tone, huge sound, the classic P90. They require a rectangular hole in the top of the guitar, so must be ordered before the body is built.
Fishman Nashville Series (for Scheerhorn spidercone guitars) $350 installed. These are made specifically for spidercone guitars such as Scheerhorns and Dobros.
Volume and Tone Knobs (for any guitar) $100 additional. Can be installed on the guitar top, anywhere you like.
National can likely install any pickup. Just ask!
