In Burl walnut, no less…
http://cgi.ebay.com/Custom-National-Resophonic-RM-1-Mandolin-1-of-a-Kind_W0QQitemZ280272806838QQihZ018QQcategoryZ10179QQssPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247
Put some fancy inlay on the neck, and it’d be Burl Ivy! 
That’s a beauty, love the walnut.
Aaarrgggg!!!
Take note that the description says the logo is a decal. Not so. Decals are often the mark of a cheapie. The National logo is an embossed plate fixed to the headstock. Very classy.
The thing I love about my National RM1 is that I can play in moderation and still be heard. I do not have to bang away just to be in the mix, so I actually have dynamics at my disposal in a fairly large session. Would not trade it for the world. I am not sure why one would be somewhat hard to play, unless it was just set up too high (a set up person can fix that fast). The only tiniest negative is that you lose the ability to mute by putting your hand on the bridge, since the cover goes over the bridge - but I can sure live with that. It has been accepted with open arms wherever I have taken it - after they hear it at least.
With regular strings, the thing is pretty raucous (great for blues) but to get the maximum warm, wooden tone with really no metallic sound, I use Jazzmando strings, which have the other advantages of lasting about 5 times as long (for me) while retaining their tuning and sound, and are quite comfy on the fingers, being flatwound. And a heavy pick (Blue Chip 50 or even 60) to bring out the depth of the bass and really project. I also tried lots of other strings including the TIs but they seemed to lack projection in a crowd. But to each his/her/its own.
Blue Chips, huh? I’ve been tempted, but $30 is a lot for a darned pick. So it’s really that good?
Depends on who you ask. Picks are as personal as toothbrushes. I’ve tried them. Hate them. Really admire those who get the most out of them. I’m willing to spend the money, but not the effort. I think they sound ‘Bluegrassy’. But I think that of heavy picks that cost thirty cents. Thick picks don’t ring for ITM to my ears. To each his own. Why not try one? You can sell it on mandolin cafe in about a minute.
Picks are definitely a to each his own kinda thing. The Blue Chips and lots of other high end picks are also beveled and so it becomes critical that you know if you play in what they consider “right handed” angle (in your right hand with down edge of pick further from bridge) or “left handed” (left hand mirror of that OR in your right hand with the up edge of the pick further from the bridge - which is how I play), so that you get the right orientation of pick. The way I play (even though I am right handed), a right handed pick sounds dull and quiet but a left handed pick sounds tremendous.
For me, the Tortis, Wegen, and BC picks are all great and worth the money if you are careful not to lose them but the Dunlop picks with the rhino on them are almost as good for way cheaper per pick. On my National, the string choice is more of a factor than the pick choice.