This is an incredible design, absolutely beautiful. Fitted with steel strings, this instrument has a remarkable sweet tone.
National advertised this body as being built as either a uke or a mandolin, "just request a 4 string or 8 string neck" (and the tailpiece and bridge of course).
Sadly not a great pair of pictures, but this is an even earlier tricone uke, this time with the style 2 engraving. The National catalogue lists style 1, 2 and 3 tricone ukuleles with round coverplates, we have never seen a style 3. (An even earlier style 3 with triangular coverplate recently turned up at a 'Goodwill' shop in Nebraska!)
Although these ukuleles with 3 cones under a round coverplate are from very early in the history of National, there are two tricone ukes known with triangular coverplates, which we believe predate even the instrument shown here.
I hope to post pictures of these soon. I have poor pictures of both and am hoping that the owners will be kind enough to supply me with better ones.
