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DANELECTRO LONGHORN

T

tomber

Sep 8, 2010
20
0
#1
Hey, I was just thinking about getting a Danelectro Longhorn reissue. But I just want to make sure that it's a good bass and that it gets good reviews first? So, if any of you have a Danelectro Longhorn, tell me what you think of it.
 
#3
msb said:
Get it .


About as much fun as you're allowed to have with your clothes on .
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+1

Just don't take it too seriously, even though I gig with mine with no reservation. It is a short scale, so it's fast and fun, and it's made of some pretty cheap, light materials. However, the tone. Oh, the tone.

I think they can easily be had for around the $250 mark. In my experience, the 90s reissues are pretty consistently well-made, good players. I'm not sure about the latest reissue, I've heard mixed reviews.
 
#4
Who'd a thought Masonite would turn out to be the ultimate tone wood ? Those folks in Neptune NJ .... that's who . Some scoffed and spent small fortunes on other instruments but there was something about those Danos .

Some say the ones with the traditional wooden bridges sound better . Mine is wooden and the intonation is good . There is a sweet spot for that bridge .

They do sound deadly through a good amp .
 
#5
Don't get the mercifully discontinued "Dead-On '58," an utterly atrocious piece. There are some Longhorn models that aren't hopeless trash, but this isn't one of them.

People who like Danelectros seem to be able to muster a suspension of disbelief I find incredible, but you just can't make enough excuses for the '58 if you took all week. It has a mind-blowing array of really stupid problems.
 
#7
Here's a clip of Andre Tarzy (ET) w/ a dano bass he's been rockin for yrs.


Yes Dano's are pretty much a one trick pony but it's a fun trick.
Yes the originals are pretty bad the reissues are pretty good and you can buy an aftermarket bridge that has adjustable saddles if you think you need it. But I find the original bridge works well enough.
Yes if I need more versatility I have plenty of other options but the Dano is still FUN and that's one of the reasons I've been playing music for 50 yrs. haha

peace Kirk
 
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#10
Bongolation said:
Don't get the mercifully discontinued "Dead-On '58," an utterly atrocious piece. There are some Longhorn models that aren't hopeless trash, but this isn't one of them.

People who like Danelectros seem to be able to muster a suspension of disbelief I find incredible, but you just can't make enough excuses for the '58 if you took all week. It has a mind-blowing array of really stupid problems.
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Really?? I have a "dead on 58" and, for $300, it's fine. What are the problems you found?

Longhorns are nice, playable instruments. Just don't expect to set the world on fire, tone-wise.
 
#11
If you have room in your budget and don't mind buying used, you may want to check out the Jerry Jones basses. I have not liked every one I have tried but the ones that I did like were awfully nice.

I do agree the posts above that the 1990s Dano reissues are pretty nice too. I owned the "pro" version for a number of years and really enjoyed it.

Peace,
S
 
#12
pinebrookjohn said:
i have one and love it. Just thinking about changing out the tuners cause there guitar turners and its a hassle to put on the e string.
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The tuners are pretty crappy . On my early re-issue I have to take the neck off to tweak the truss rod . ( it's not the most substantial truss rod ) the wooden bridge is a marvel of simplicity but there's only one sweet spot for placement . They are single coil pickups and in some places give up the old 60 cycle hum . They are pretty primitive instruments . I have heard the early re-issues were set up much better than the originals .

On the upside , they are a joy to play , sound great , and weigh next to nothing . My longhorn is not my main bass , I have a bunch of them .... but it is one that is fun to play , and one I have truly come to love .
 
#13
I just scored my second Korean longhorn... It's a '95, which makes it one of the earliest re-issues. Needed some cleaning and a setup, but it's a beast! Blood Red, wearing new D'Addario Nickel round-wounds... Gigged it twice this weekend and received nothing but compliments... My other is a '99 Limo Black wearing D'Addario Chromes... Both are fantastic players...

One of the secrets for me is getting the pickup height adjusted correctly. Neither bass had enough foam under the pickups for proper adjustment... A little weather-stripping added under each pickup helped immensely. To my ear, these sound best with the pickups adjusted relatively close to the strings, running as hot as possible...

I liked the 'Dead-On' series better than the second series of re-issues (the ones with the pickup toggle)... Either can be a player... Neither was comparable to the first series RIs (IMO)... And yeah, the Jerry Jones basses are in another league altogether...

-robert
 
#15
smcd said:
Really?? I have a "dead on 58" and, for $300, it's fine. What are the problems you found?
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The same ones you have: Tone controls that don't work because they are grossly the wrong values, guitar machines (and crappy ones at that) that are far too overloaded, "Totally Shielded" hype that consists of not a single square centimeter of shielding in the whole instrument, nonexistent Chinese QC, a grossly overloaded bridgeplate that collapses in the middle in every example I've seen, inadequate bridge mounting, etc., etc., etc.

It's a complete and total piece of junk.
 
#16
Imo the mid 90's to early 2000 Dano's are well made for what they are... My mid 90's Baritone is a keeper. I recently installed a GK2a on my DC. Makes a groovy synth controller. Later models seem to be going downhill except for the recent Pro model. A buddy has one for slide and it seems to rock.
 
#17
I have no idea what vintage mine is or how to tell.

I think the Dan Electro Bass is the most underated Bass on the Market. Somebody ( a long time ago) designed something with inexpensive materials that just happened to work like a charm. $169.00

They are very funky. I just caused a bit of a stir with my thread on Gibson Thunder Birds, about guys that don't get it.Well I get the whole Dan Electro thing.
 
#18
love it.
 

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#19
I got mine used couple of months ago. It has earned its place in the herd. A unique and pleasurable addition. Reminds me of my long lost Hofner Beatle Bass in thump. Easy to play. Fresh from China.

You should get it!

:bassist:
 

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#20
Bongolation said:
The same ones you have: Tone controls that don't work because they are grossly the wrong values, guitar machines (and crappy ones at that) that are far too overloaded, "Totally Shielded" hype that consists of not a single square centimeter of shielding in the whole instrument, nonexistent Chinese QC, a grossly overloaded bridgeplate that collapses in the middle in every example I've seen, inadequate bridge mounting, etc., etc., etc.

It's a complete and total piece of junk.
Click to expand...

I dunno, the tuners seem the same as the ones on the originals, ditto the lack of shielding. The pots work fine, IMO, for what it is. The bridge on mine hasn't shifted nor collapsed. The build quality is on par with all others I've seen. Perhaps you expect too much from this bass?
 

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