That's odd. The company never even offered this option. The short-scale basses were offered in red burst only. Maybe the store where you saw this instrument bolted the neck from a short-scale bass onto the body of a long-scale bass?...
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Danelectro 63 Long Scale
- Thread starter Skapunkgiz
- Start date
Oh, OK. I'm still surprised that an aqua Dano '63 reissue made it into the U.S. at all. I'm sorry that I didn't get a chance to buy one. Still, my black Dano '63 is pretty sweet. Next weekend I'm finally going to get a chance to use it on a gig. Woo-hoo!
Hey, my '63s black too. And it is pretty sweet. It just needs a good setup- for some reason setting up my Dano has been difficult- I can do my Fenders just fine, but the Dano isn't exactly the most user-friendly instrument.
Any tips on getting it set up- like truss rod wrench sizes, how to adjust relief without removing the neck ten times, and how to get that infernal bridge to budge?
Any tips on getting it set up- like truss rod wrench sizes, how to adjust relief without removing the neck ten times, and how to get that infernal bridge to budge?
Oric, I took the easy (but expensive) way out: As I noted earlier in this thread, I had the bass set up by a tech using a Plek machine. I had previously shimmed the neck, since the bridge saddles were as low as they could go and the action was still high. The tech took the liberty of removing my existing shims, which were cut from old plastic credit cards, and putting in a new shim made of some sort of sheet metal. I didn't see the necessity for that, but it did give the shop an additional item that they could charge me for. 
Anyway, the setup cost more than the bass itself, but the instrument does play very easily now - rivaling the playability of any other bass I've ever tried.
Unfortunately, bass neck truss rods do need to be tweaked now and then, and on a stock Dano '63 there's no way to do that without removing the neck. (I've read about someone who modified his instrument by cutting a channel into the top where it meets the base of the neck, enabling him to insert a hex wrench and adjust the truss rod without removing the neck. I don't intend to try this myself, though.) I see that with the new Longhorn reissue (the third reissue of this instrument, I believe), Danelectro has finally gotten the right idea and moved the truss rod adjustment to the headstock where it belongs!
P.S. My bass came with two hex wrenches - one for the neck, and one for the bridge saddles. Didn't yours?
Anyway, the setup cost more than the bass itself, but the instrument does play very easily now - rivaling the playability of any other bass I've ever tried.
Unfortunately, bass neck truss rods do need to be tweaked now and then, and on a stock Dano '63 there's no way to do that without removing the neck. (I've read about someone who modified his instrument by cutting a channel into the top where it meets the base of the neck, enabling him to insert a hex wrench and adjust the truss rod without removing the neck. I don't intend to try this myself, though.) I see that with the new Longhorn reissue (the third reissue of this instrument, I believe), Danelectro has finally gotten the right idea and moved the truss rod adjustment to the headstock where it belongs!
P.S. My bass came with two hex wrenches - one for the neck, and one for the bridge saddles. Didn't yours?
No hex wrenches. What sizes are the ones that came with it? I have pretty much every hex wrench size out there. I'm pretty much planning on getting it set up professionally.
hey 62bass thanx a lot for the answer
it really helped me!
I mostly use fender pbasses but i want this bass for a change
thanx again
it really helped me!
I mostly use fender pbasses but i want this bass for a change
thanx again
... did Danelectro require you to take the neck off to adjust the truss rod? I'm all for vintage, but the finish on the neck chips off REALLY easily. For those of you with one or who have one on order, be very careful with setting the relief. My neck pocket was shimmed and I needed to monkey with the truss rod to get the relief where I wanted it (which is close to Fender factory specs from their Web site).
They are cool looking basses, but they scratch and chip very easily - especially the area by the neck screws and the saddles of the bridge (the screws cut into the baseplate if you aren't careful).
Of course, YMMV. I had a short scale '63 in Red Burst that may have just been a bit of a lemon.
They are cool looking basses, but they scratch and chip very easily - especially the area by the neck screws and the saddles of the bridge (the screws cut into the baseplate if you aren't careful).
Of course, YMMV. I had a short scale '63 in Red Burst that may have just been a bit of a lemon.
Unfortunately, I don't know the sizes; the wrenches aren't marked. Since you have a collection of wrenches, just try a bunch until you find one that fits!
I just received email notifications from Music123 and Guitar Center. They now have aqua-colored Danelectro '63 reissue long-scale basses in stock. In case anyone still cares...
