Beauchamp saw one of these and went looking for someone to build him one. Several inventors had already tried to build louder stringed instruments by adding megaphone-like amplifying horns to them. Musician and vaudeville promoter George Beauchamp, sought a louder, improved guitar to play at his gigs. Many frustrated guitar players that wished they could be compete with brass and reed instruments like the banjo did, but sound sweet like an acoustic guitar. It was not loud enough to be a lead instrument. Guitars were un-amplified string instruments in those days and were relegated to just adding to the rhythm section. In this era, many guitarists sought instruments that could complete in volume with other instruments in the orchestra. In Los Angeles, the early 1920’s was quickly becoming the entertainment capital of the world. The company was originally formed by John Dopyera, the luthier who invented the resonator, and musician George Beauchamp, a steel guitar player who had suggested to Dopyera the need for a guitar loud enough to play a melody over brass and other wind instruments. National also produced resonator ukuleles and mandolins. The National String Instrument Corporation was formed to manufacture the first resonator guitars, known as resophonic guitars.
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