Danelectro Coral Deluxe Bass project

[JIO]

Late (early?) entry - the Silvertone was finally delivered today. I just opened the box after attending a fun holiday party (very late/early but curious George and all...) Hah! If I can this will be a night & day turnaround project. Will inspect further in the (later) AM, but this bass is close to what most would consider WCS. "Raw material" is basically what I would call this. Considering I'm also currently working on a very high-end version of what this bass represents.., (Scarab Deluxe Bass) it only heightens the challenge to make this sad DIY nightmare a playable and cool bass (again?) - no, it will be better than it ever was. Watch me.


The Silvertone project continues here : "How bad is it?" Silvertone Hornet resurrection

 

[wraub]

...found this on another forum, though I'd put it here-

 

[Cyberhippo]

Somehow it’s both the same white guy and yet 4 different white guys “rocking out” simultaneously.

 

[JIO]

Somehow it’s both the same white guy and yet 4 different white guys “rocking out” simultaneously.

Brother band? They all just hit a ringing power chord - no right hands touching guitars. Drummer is touching the snare with his stick (not sure what's happening holding the other stick upside down) and left his brushes on his floor tom.

 

[Cyberhippo]

Given the state of electricity at that point in history, I’ll cut them some slack. They seem understandably reluctant.

If they are a brothers band, I’m pretty sure the majority of my original sentiment applies (ie. simultaneously a brothers band and yet not at all).

I’m definitely with you on the upside down stick - it’s a drawing, not a photograph. What series of events led to the design direction “that one should be upside down...like he’s pulling it from his stick bag mid-song”?

 

[wraub]

Personally, I like the placement of the snare drum in a different time zone, but, there are many fun details here imo

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Hey! If you buy the full kit they’ll send you your initials to stick on the bass drum! Cool!

 

[JIO]

Persoanally, I like the placement of the snare drum in a different time zone, but, there are many fun details here imo

Yah, that is pretty funny! If I had photoshop skills I'd put bows in all their hands ala Jimmy Page.

 

[JIO]

Hey! If you buy the full kit they’ll send you your initials to stick on the bass drum! Cool!

Back then Ampeg offered the lighted glass plate on their flip-tops engraved with your name for a nominal fee.

 

[saltymonkey]

Back then Ampeg offered the lighted glass plate on their flip-tops engraved with your name for a nominal fee.

I have a B-12 named "Tony". Are you still selling this bass when you are finished tweaking it? I remember back when the thread started you said it'd probably be for sale.

 

[JIO]

I have a B-12 named "Tony". Are you still selling this bass when you are finished tweaking it? I remember back when the thread started you said it'd probably be for sale.

The Coral? or the Silvertone? Not the Coral and possibly the Silvertone.

 

[saltymonkey]

The Coral? or the Silvertone? Not the Coral and possibly the Silvertone.

The Silvertone. I forgot it was a combined thread. I had a nice one a while back I let go.

 

[JIO]

The Silvertone. I forgot it was a combined thread. I had a nice one a while back I let go.

No worries, I do that a lot morphing one thread into another so it's understandable one could be mislead... I used it on it's first "trial of fire" live show today - did not disappoint. Actually got compliments on my tone. Let me think about it.

 

[JIO]

Back to the thread topic bass - I bought an inexpensive Fender product on eBay - a black suade (under the red), brown (strap) and Fiesta Red (shoulder pad) leather strap which works great on my Coral. Used it at rehearsal today - minimal and functional. The pad also comes in Daphne blue and Surf green. Search around if interested - you should be able to find one for under $17 shipped.

 

[JIO]

OMG! I just saw this on Reverb - a 1963 Dano E Series Dane Bass -!- in dead MINT condition! I mean - it looks brand new, like never out of the OHSC! I had no idea Danelectro made what was later rebranded as the Coral Deluxe Bass in the early '60s. Wow Bob Wow

1963 Danelectro E Series Dane Bass | Garrett Park Guitars

 

[b/o 402]

OMG! I just saw this on Reverb - a 1963 Dano E Series Dane Bass -!- in dead MINT condition! I mean - it looks brand new, like never out of the OHSC! I had no idea Danelectro made what was later rebranded as the Coral Deluxe Bass in the early '60s. Wow Bob Wow

1963 Danelectro E Series Dane Bass | Garrett Park Guitars

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Wow indeed!
That's local to me.
Pretty, shall we say, aggressively priced...

 

[JIO]

Wow indeed!
That's local to me.
Pretty, shall we say, aggressively priced...

Ummm, maybe you are kidding. It's sold (luckily for me) as I would have very seriously considered buying it. I love my Coral - it is an awesome bass. I got it for a good price because it had been mucked with, a few times over its 52 year history. I spent $ to have a bridge cover clone fabricated and refinished it in its original colour. That bass was/is a time capsule - shiny new w/o the slightest mark of wear and 57 years old. If it were a '63 Fender J in that kind of condition - it would be way over $10k. Under $2k? This is not the time to spend that kind of money - but I would have considered that a very fair price for what it is.

 

[TN WOODMAN]

But alas, baby blue sold 3 years ago. That is a museum piece for sure. How do you price stuff like this? It’s worth what someone will pay if you want it bad enough.

And I agree. Not a bad price for what it is in that condition. I also agree now is not the time to spend money on luxury items however tempted we are.

 

[JIO]

But alas, baby blue sold 3 years ago. That is a museum piece for sure. How do you price stuff like this? It’s worth what someone will pay if you want it bad enough.

And I agree. Not a bad price for what it is in that condition.

I only knew about the Coral version more recently and was wowed by it. I knew about the short scale Coral Wasp bass which has similar lines/details so when I saw the 34" scale Deluxe Bass - I sought one out that I could afford. After some work - it's become a bass I play and record with. I bet that baby blue bass sold as soon as it was posted.

 

[TN WOODMAN]

JIO I had hoped you had snagged it. You have a genuine appreciation for this era of gear. I’d never seen a 34” scale bass either, much less in that condition. That one is truly the kind you hear that was under the bed for 50 years.

Between David Lindley and my friend Mike Henderson here in Nashville I gained a truer appreciation for what can be done with Danolectro , Silvertone and the like. Mike even has a lipstick tube pickup in his main Tele, an original Japanese Squier, but they’re a whole ‘nother story .