Danelectro Owners Club

[mcgreivey]

I've owned several Dano products over the years - guitar, basses, pedals. Since picking up a new bass I thought I'd catch up on the history and lore behind these things. First, I read all 162 pages of posts on this thread. I learned a couple of things while doing that. I learned here that there's a book "Neptune Bound" that covers all things Dano. Amazon is sold out so I checked eBay. Hmmm only $2,000 USD from some seller in Kentucky.

There's a new, updated version of Neptune Bound in the works. Not sure why it's been delayed. But $2k for the original version seems like a joke, as good as it is.

 

[don21480]

NBD - just landed this 1998 Longhorn - looks like its never been played with the original case! Love the burgandy burst. Wearing some rounds with no silk and no colored balls but they sound nice and funky.

 

[EdO.]

Now THAT'S a find! Cool rare color too plus with case which to my knowledge is even more rare. Way cool.

 

[msb]

I message Doug about twice a year asking about the new edition . Still optimistic !
Lovely Longhorn 21480 ! And a fine looking case ! Those old rounds just sound better as they age .

 

[FlyingPigSound]

My three Dano basses (59 DC short-scale in vintage cream, 59 DC long-scale black, 59 DC long-scale copperburst) are back from my luthier after replacing all the tuning machines. All three instruments are new within the last month, and each one had at least one tuning machine fail using D'Addario ECB81 Chromes Bass Guitar Strings, Light, 45-100, Long ScaleD'Addario ECB81 Chromes

I purchased two sets of Gotoh Vintage-style oval knob 3+3 tuners from Stewmac, and so far so good...
Gotoh Vintage-style Oval Knob 3+3 Tuners - StewMac

They dropped in perfectly with the existing holes and look almost identical to the cheap originals

NEW TUNERS...

OLD TUNERS...

 

[mongo2]

I purchased two sets of Gotoh Vintage-style oval knob 3+3 tuners from Stewmac, and so far so good...
Gotoh Vintage-style Oval Knob 3+3 Tuners - StewMac

They dropped in perfectly with the existing holes and look almost identical to the cheap originals

View attachment 4644572

The "cheap originals" on my original early '60s Danelectro Silvertone Model 1444 basses are single line Kluson Deluxe tuners.

 

[FlyingPigSound]

Surely better than the junk my new basses came with. Bad batch perhaps or bad luck…

 

[JIO]

There's a new, updated version of Neptune Bound in the works. Not sure why it's been delayed. But $2k for the original version seems like a joke, as good as it is.

I'm waiting for the re-print also ... if and when it happens - someone here please post a 'heads up'.

 

[mongo2]

I'm waiting for the re-print also ... if and when it happens - someone here please post a 'heads up'.

I have Guitars From Neptune by Doug Tulloch. It's a nice introduction to Danelectros of old. I'm a huge Danelectro fan having grown up in a town between Red Bank and Neptune where Dano had factories. They were all over around here and my nextdoor neighbor had a Convertible guitar and eventually, so did I. I even converted a first reissue version Dano Convertible guitar body to a bass by cobbling on a Longhorn neck. I'd love to see a book about Danelectro guitars having 400 pages but at that price it ain't gonna happen. My favorite Dano is the Silvertone Model 1444 bass and I've rescued a few from yard sales. It's ergonomics fit me much better than the Longhorns.

 

[mcgreivey]

My three Dano basses (59 DC short-scale in vintage cream, 59 DC long-scale black, 59 DC long-scale copperburst) are back from my luthier after replacing all the tuning machines. All three instruments are new within the last month, and each one had at least one tuning machine fail using D'Addario ECB81 Chromes Bass Guitar Strings, Light, 45-100, Long ScaleD'Addario ECB81 Chromes

I purchased two sets of Gotoh Vintage-style oval knob 3+3 tuners from Stewmac, and so far so good...
Gotoh Vintage-style Oval Knob 3+3 Tuners - StewMac

They dropped in perfectly with the existing holes and look almost identical to the cheap originals

NEW TUNERS...
View attachment 4644571

OLD TUNERS...
View attachment 4644572

Do you have a picture of how they failed? I'm curious.

None of my Danos are this new, and none of my tuners have ever failed. If yours are all new, maybe the tuners are all from the same batch of bad tuners? Something like that.

 

[JIO]

I have Guitars From Neptune by Doug Tulloch. It's a nice introduction to Danelectros of old. I'm a huge Danelectro fan having grown up in a town between Red Bank and Neptune where Dano had factories. They were all over around here and my nextdoor neighbor had a Convertible guitar and eventually, so did I. I even converted a first reissue version Dano Convertible guitar body to a bass by cobbling on a Longhorn neck. I'd love to see a book about Danelectro guitars having 400 pages but at that price it ain't gonna happen. My favorite Dano is the Silvertone Model 1444 bass and I've rescued a few from yard sales. It's ergonomics fit me much better than the Longhorns.

I get the rareness ($$$) of a sought after OoP book is normal in book-world. But why let those capitalist profiteers take $ away from a simple second edition. ~ duh! ~ A second edition is money waiting to be made and the "worth" of the 1st edition will plummet - as it should.

 

[kevmac]

Do you have a picture of hour they failed? I'm curious.

None of my Danos are this new, and none of my tuners have ever failed. If yours are all new, maybe the tuners are all from the same batch of bad tuners? Something like that.

I'm a Dano rookie with my recently purchased Longhorn.Needless to say I'm smitten and the tuners work pretty well.I am toying with the idea of adding an adjustable metal bridge.

 

[FlyingPigSound]

Do you have a picture of how they failed? I'm curious.

None of my Danos are this new, and none of my tuners have ever failed. If yours are all new, maybe the tuners are all from the same batch of bad tuners? Something like that.

To show it, I would have to open and disassemble the tuning machines.

The gears inside are cheaply made and strip out, they don’t have the strength to tighten and hold a heavier bass string

 

[bassmacguffin]

today's rig, we played at the Redbud Classic

 

[jpmcbride]

I've never seen this color on a Longhorn before. Any idea what its is? Newer model, 90's reissue?
Thanks.

 

[EdO.]

From the control knobs I'd say it's a 90's reissue but I've never seen that color before. Either a rare one off or maybe it's been refinished? Is the side tape still there?

 

[don21480]

Hard to read from this but I think its aged Daddy O Yellow

 

[jpmcbride]

Seller just got back to me and said it was the original color Daddy O Yellow. I did some googling and it appears to be a 90's reissue.

Its missing the tape. I saw a pic of one in yellow with black tape and it looked great. If I buy it I might have to add the tape.

I have a 90's reissue (blue burst) and it plays great. I've been told the 90's Korean reissues are better than the new ones they make now. Is this the consensus?

 

[WillyW]

Seller just got back to me and said it was the original color Daddy O Yellow. I did some googling and it appears to be a 90's reissue.

Its missing the tape. I saw a pic of one in yellow with black tape and it looked great. If I buy it I might have to add the tape.

I have a 90's reissue (blue burst) and it plays great. I've been told the 90's Korean reissues are better than the new ones they make now. Is this the consensus?

the only one I think is borderline crappy is the MIC Wild Thing, but it’s still a solid geetar. But I had a wild thing bass that was ok.

that longhorn does look like a 90’s Korean.

My new orange DC is flawless.

 

[msb]

jpmcbride the first batches that were made in the Shinko factory are said by many to have been the best of the reissues .