The National name goes way back to the early 1920s, when John and Rudy Dopyera started producing banjos in Southern California. Guitarist George Beauchamp approached the company with an idea on how to solve the lack of volume in the instruments of the Vaudevill Orchestra. His idea was to place an aluminum resonator in a guitar body to amplify the sound. With this idea, John Dopyera and four brothers formed National in 1925. This was the birth of possibly the greatest resonator guitar company.
National ran into financial hardship because of the Depression in the early 1930s. Louis Dopyera owned more than 50% of Dobro and bought out National in the early 1930s. He merged the two companies together and called it National-Dobro. In 1936, the company moved to Chicago, IL, where many companies were mass producing instruments (Kay, Harmony, etc.). Victor Smith, Al Frost, and Louis came together in 1943 to change the name of the company to VALCO (The initials of their three first names). Valco worked on war materials during WWII, and returned to start producing instruments afterwards.
Amplifiers first appeared in the 1930s and had a strikingly similar appearance to the acousic resonator instruments that they also produced. Some of these amps are known as "chicken feet." In the early 1940s, National began to produce amps with their National badge as the front grille. They also had some models with elaborate designs on the grille, such as the moon and stars.
After the war, Valco began producing amplifiers under the name National. Valco also produced amplifiers for other companies including Super, Oahu, Gretsch and Airline. Most of these amps were built between the late 1940s and the 1960s, and there is plenty of crossover in designs between all the brands.
In 1969 or 1970, Valco went bankrupt and the assests were auctioned off. The rights to the National trademark were bought by Strum & Drum in Chicago, IL. However, Strum & Drum didn't have a factory to produce National instruments, so they took the Norma brand guitars and amplifiers and applied the National logo to some of them. Naturally, this did not last long and all National-branded amplifiers were gone by the early 1970s. In 1988, Don Young and McGregor Gaines revived the National trademark under National Reso-Phonic Guitars but they focus strictly on resonator guitars. Early company history courtesy Bob Brozeman, The History And Artistry Of National Resonator Instruments.
Amplifiers previously produced in Chicago, IL under the company Valco between the late 1940s and early 1970s.

NATIONAL Guitar Amplifiers Models

NATIONAL BASS AMP 70/75 (N6475B) Image

NATIONAL BASS AMP 70/75 (N6475B)

- 35W, 2-12 in. Jensen speakers, five tube chassis, single channel, front chrome control panel, two inputs, three knobs (v, tone, three-way range selector), black with random colored stitching covering, Saran light brown/gray grille, 27.625...

NATIONAL 1201 WESTWOOD Image

NATIONAL 1201 WESTWOOD

- 5W, 1-8 in. speaker, three tube chassis, single channel, top chrome control panel, two inputs, single volume control, tweed covering with a black center stripe around the cabinet, rectangular brown grille, 15.5 in. wide, 11.75 in. tall, 7...

NATIONAL 1202 Image

NATIONAL 1202

- 18W, 2-8 in. speakers, five tube chassis, two channels, top chrome control panel, four inputs (three inst., one mic), four knobs (inst. v, mic v, t, b), tweed covering, brown suede rectangular grille with bird/National graphic, 18.75 in....

NATIONAL 1210 TWIN-TONE Image

NATIONAL 1210 TWIN-TONE

- 5W, 2-11 X 6 in. elliptical speakers, three tube chassis, single channel, top chrome control panel, three inputs, two knobs (v, tone), tweed covering with a black center stripe around the cabinet, three rectangle grille openings with the...

NATIONAL DYNAMIC 20 Image

NATIONAL DYNAMIC 20

- 20W, 2-8 in. Jensen speakers, five tube chassis, preamp: 2 X 6EU7, power: 2 X 6973, rectifier: 5Y3GT, single channel, front chrome control panel, three inputs (one treble, two regular), two knobs (v, tone), black with random colored stitc...

NATIONAL GLENWOOD 90 (N6490TR) Image

NATIONAL GLENWOOD 90 (N6490TR)

- 35W, 2-12 in. Jensen speakers, nine tube chassis, preamp: 3 X 6EU7, 2 X 12AX7, 1 X 6973 power: 2 X 6L6, rectifier: 5U4, two channels, reverb, tremolo, front chrome control panel, four inputs (on rear control panel, two per channel), eight...

NATIONAL 1220 CHICAGOAN Image

NATIONAL 1220 CHICAGOAN

- 17W, 1-10 in. speaker, five tube chassis, single channel, top chrome control panel, three inputs, two knobs (v, tone), tweed covering with a black center stripe around the cabinet, rectangular brown grille, 15.75 in. wide, 15 in. tall, 8...

NATIONAL 1210 Image

NATIONAL 1210

- 20-25W, 1-15 in. speaker, eight tube chassis, two channels, right side chrome control panel, four inputs (three inst., one mic), four knobs (inst. v, mic v, t, b), tweed covering, offset brown suede rectangular grille with zebra graphic,...

NATIONAL 1224T TREMO-TONE Image

NATIONAL 1224T TREMO-TONE

- 17W, 2-11 X 6 in. speakers, six tube chassis, single channel, tremolo, top chrome control panel, three inputs, four knobs (v, tone, s, i), tweed covering with a black center stripe around the cabinet, two horizontal rectangular speaker gr...

NATIONAL 1212 Image

NATIONAL 1212

- 12W, 1-12 in. speaker, five tube chassis, single channel, rear chrome control panel, three inputs, unknown controls, tweed covering, brown suede grille with bird graphic, 15 in. wide, 18 in. tall, 8 in. deep, 20 lbs., mfg. circa 1950-mid-...

NATIONAL GLENWOOD VIBRATO (N6499VR) Image

NATIONAL GLENWOOD VIBRATO (N6499VR)

- 70W, 2-12 in. Jensen speakers, 14 tube chassis, two channels, reverb, vibrato, front chrome control panel, four inputs (on rear control panel, two per channel), eight knobs (Ch. 1: v, t, b, Ch. 2: r, i, v, b, t), chrome rear control panel...

NATIONAL 1230T SPORTSMAN Image

NATIONAL 1230T SPORTSMAN

- 35W, 2-10 in. speakers, seven tube chassis, two channels, tremolo, top chrome control panel, three inputs, four knobs (v1, v2, tone, s), optional footswitch, tweed covering with a black center stripe around the cabinet, two vertical recta...

NATIONAL 1215 Image

NATIONAL 1215

- 20-25W, 1-12 in. Jensen speaker, eight tube chassis, two channels, rear chrome control panel, four inputs (three inst., one mic), four knobs (inst. v, mic v, t, b), tweed covering, offset brown suede rectangular grille with zebra graphic,...

NATIONAL NEWPORT 40 (N6440T) Image

NATIONAL NEWPORT 40 (N6440T)

- 17W, 2-10 in. Jensen speakers, six tube chassis, two channels, tremolo, front chrome control panel, four inputs (on rear control panel, two per channel), six knobs (Ch. 1: v, tone, Ch. 2: s, i, v, tone), chrome rear control panel with ton...

NATIONAL 1220 Image

NATIONAL 1220

- 8W, 1-10 in. speaker, five tube chassis, single channel, rear chrome control panel, three inputs, two knobs (v, tone), tweed covering, brown suede grille, 15 in. wide, 14 in. tall, 7.5 in. deep, 18 lbs., mfg. circa 1950-mid-1950s.

NATIONAL 1240T AZTEC Image

NATIONAL 1240T AZTEC

- 38W, 1-15 in. speaker, seven tube chassis, single channel, tremolo, top chrome control panel, four inputs, three knobs (v1, tone, s), optional footswitch, tweed covering with a black center stripe around the cabinet, two vertical rectangu...

NATIONAL NEWPORT 50 (N6450TR) Image

NATIONAL NEWPORT 50 (N6450TR)

- 17W, 2-10 in. Jensen speakers, all tube chassis, preamp: 4 X 12AX7, 1 X 6973, power: 2 X 6973, rectifier: 5Y3GT rectifier, two channels, reverb, tremolo, front chrome control panel, four inputs (on rear control panel, two per channel), si...

NATIONAL 1280T STAGE STAR Image

NATIONAL 1280T STAGE STAR

- 40W, 4-11 X 6 in. speakers, seven tube chassis, two channels, tremolo, top chrome control panel, four inputs, five knobs (v1, v2, tone, s, i), optional footswitch, tweed covering with a black center stripe around the cabinet, two horizont...

NATIONAL NEWPORT 97 (N6497T) Image

NATIONAL NEWPORT 97 (N6497T)

- 35W, 1-15 in. Jensen speaker, six tube chassis, two channels, tremolo, rear chrome control panel, four inputs (on rear control panel, two per channel), six knobs (Ch. 1: v, tone, Ch. 2: s, i, v, tone), one-button footswitch, black with ra...

NATIONAL 1260 DELUXE Image

NATIONAL 1260 DELUXE

- 20-24W, 1-12 in. speaker, eight tube chassis, single channel, rear chrome control panel, three inputs, controls unknown, tweed covering, brown grille with 50s style graphics, 20 lbs., mfg. circa 1952-mid-1950s.

NATIONAL STUDIO 10 (N6410) Image

NATIONAL STUDIO 10 (N6410)

- 5W, 1-8 in. Jensen speaker, three tube chassis, preamp: 12AX7, power: 6V6GT, rectifier: 5Y3GT, single channel, front chrome control panel, three inputs, one volume knob, black with random colored stitching covering, Saran light brown/gray...

NATIONAL 1260T Deluxe Tremolo Image

NATIONAL 1260T Deluxe Tremolo

- similar to the 1260 Deluxe, except has a tremolo circuit with a separate control panel that has speed and intensity controls, footswitch included, mfg. circa 1952-mid-1950s.

NATIONAL VAL-PRO 80 Image

NATIONAL VAL-PRO 80

- 35W, 2-12 in. Jensen speakers, eight tube chassis, two channels, tremolo, front chrome control panel, four inputs (two per channel), eight knobs (Ch. 1: v, b, t, Ch. 2: v, b, t, s, i), black with random colored stitching covering, Saran l...

NATIONAL 1275 Image

NATIONAL 1275

- 12W, 1-10 in. speaker, five tube chassis, single channel, rear chrome control panel, three inputs, two knobs (v, tone), tweed covering, brown suede grille, 15 in. wide, 14.75 in. tall, 7.5 in. deep, 18 lbs., mfg. circa 1950-mid-1950s.

NATIONAL VAL-TREM 40 Image

NATIONAL VAL-TREM 40

- 17W, 2-10 in. Jensen speakers, six tube chassis, two channels, tremolo, front chrome control panel, four inputs (two per channel), six knobs (Ch. 1: v, tone, Ch. 2: v, tone, s, i), black with random colored stitching covering, Saran light...

NATIONAL VAL-VERB 60 Image

NATIONAL VAL-VERB 60

- 17W, 2-10 in. Jensen speakers, seven tube chassis, two channels, reverb, front chrome control panel, four inputs (on rear panel, two per channel), five knobs (Ch. 1: v, tone, Ch. 2: v, tone, r), black with random colored stitching coverin...

NATIONAL WESTWOOD 16 (N6416T) Image

NATIONAL WESTWOOD 16 (N6416T)

- 5W, 2-8 in. Jensen speakers, four tube chassis, single channel, tremolo, front chrome control panel, two inputs, three knobs (v, s, i), optional footswitch, black with random colored stitching covering, Saran light brown/gray grille with...

NATIONAL WESTWOOD 22 (N6422TR) Image

NATIONAL WESTWOOD 22 (N6422TR)

- 5W, 2-8 in. Jensen speakers, five tube chassis, single channel, reverb, tremolo, front chrome control panel, two inputs, four knobs (v, tone, s, r), optional footswitch, black with random colored stitching covering, Saran light brown/gray...