Danelectro Owners Club

[mcgreivey]

Thanks , Andy
I had the same feelings about my shortscale DC , and thanks to McGreivey dropped in a rosewood saddle. There’s an immediate difference , I’ll hear it at room volume next weekend , but at low volume at home … it works. The tone is deeper and woodier. I put some tape down to mark the E&G saddle positions and managed to put the bridge in the perfect spot on the first attempt. Intonation is fine. And if I ever want to , I can put the adjustable metal saddles back any time.View attachment 4866526

You might want to lower the back of the bridge a little (if you haven't already since the picture was taken). This will give a little more of a break angle over the front of the saddle. Sometimes if the string is too flat over the surface of the saddle, there can be a bit of "sitar'ing" on the top of the flat surface of a Jerry Jones saddle. Danelectro saddles are bit taller at the front, and have a concave surface.

 

[mcgreivey]

Thanks , Andy
I had the same feelings about my shortscale DC , and thanks to McGreivey dropped in a rosewood saddle. There’s an immediate difference , I’ll hear it at room volume next weekend , but at low volume at home … it works. The tone is deeper and woodier. I put some tape down to mark the E&G saddle positions and managed to put the bridge in the perfect spot on the first attempt. Intonation is fine. And if I ever want to , I can put the adjustable metal saddles back any time.View attachment 4866526

By the way, I have a long-scale '90s shorthorn / DC bass. It has a popsicle stick bridge. It sounds great, so I play iot, even though I prefer short-scale. Someday I'll get my hands on a short scale modern shorthorn and check it our, I hope.

But what I really want is the old-style, 15-fret guitar-size shorthorn with the bridge right by the tail, but I I don't want to pay $too-much$ for a nice old one, and they've neer reissued them.

I keep saying this every so often in case Evets-Danelectro reads this forum.

 

[msb]

I keep suggesting they reissue the Commando amp.
The shorthorn DC is quite a bit larger than the Longhorn , but I like it. It’s more like the size of the 56 bass.

 

[mcgreivey]

I keep suggesting they reissue the Commando amp.
The shorthorn DC is quite a bit larger than the Longhorn , but I like it. It’s more like the size of the 56 bass.

I have a 56 bass, also. And an extra single-cut body that I'm thinking of making into a guitar-size bass, but I'd have to make the neck, and I've never made a neck before. I should just dive in and do it.

 

[mongo2]

I have a 56 bass, also. And an extra single-cut body that I'm thinking of making into a guitar-size bass, but I'd have to make the neck, and I've never made a neck before. I should just dive in and do it.

I've converted a few guitars to basses. They worked fine but required reworking my right hand approach so as to not over-pluck the lower tension of the strings in standard tuning. After a while it felt a bit cramped while playing seated but standing was fine.

I've had a loaded '59 Danelectro Silvertone Model 1444 three screw in-line neck mount body for about 30 years hoping to find a neck for it. I finally gave up that hope this past weekend and I installed a neck scavenged from a damaged Epiphone Viola, but that's an onging story for another day.

 

[mcgreivey]

I've converted a few guitars to basses. They worked fine but required reworking my right hand approach so as to not over-pluck the lower tension of the strings in standard tuning. After a while it felt a bit cramped while playing seated but standing was fine.

I've had a loaded '59 Danelectro Silvertone Model 1444 three screw in-line neck mount body for about 30 years hoping to find a neck for it. I finally gave up that hope this past weekend and I installed a neck scavenged from a damaged Epiphone Viola, but that's an onging story for another day.

I think you mean that you converted guitars to basses with guitar scale length? If so, then no, I mean 30" scale like the '60s 3412 shorthorn. It's a guitar neck, but with a different fretboard.

You probably know that a longhorn bass neck should work on a 1444/single-cut body, if you can't find a dolphin-headstock bass neck. Or a 24-fret baritone/bass-6 neck (if you don't mind having 2 empty holes in the headstock). But I don't think I've seen any of those options for sale recently.

 

[JIO]

By the way, I have a long-scale '90s shorthorn / DC bass. It has a popsicle stick bridge. It sounds great, so I play iot, even though I prefer short-scale. Someday I'll get my hands on a short scale modern shorthorn and check it our, I hope.

But what I really want is the old-style, 15-fret guitar-size shorthorn with the bridge right by the tail, but I I don't want to pay $too-much$ for a nice old one, and they've neer reissued them.

I keep saying this every so often in case Evets-Danelectro reads this forum.

'67 Dano Hawk - not mine, but would be a very cool fine. (pretty rare) They also made a 6 & 12 string version.

 

[mongo2]

I think you mean that you converted guitars to basses with guitar scale length? If so, then no, I mean 30" scale like the '60s 3412 shorthorn. It's a guitar neck, but with a different fretboard.

You probably know that a longhorn bass neck should work on a 1444/single-cut body, if you can't find a dolphin-headstock bass neck. Or a 24-fret baritone/bass-6 neck (if you don't mind having 2 empty holes in the headstock). But I don't think I've seen any of those options for sale recently.

Yes I used bolt on and set neck guitars for some conversions. I also a couple of Dano guitars (U2 and U3) into basses by substituting 30" scale Longhorn necks. All I had to do with the Danos was widen the neckpiocket a tiny bit and change the bridge. The bridge didn't have to be located.

Yes I know that about the Longhorn necks. That was my second choice. If I had seen a vintage Dano neck for sale in the last 30 years I would have used that. The issue with the '59 1444 body is that the neck mounting screws are 3 in a line so only original vintage Dano necks will work since the don't have a trussrod in the middle of the neck. I thought of using my recent Longhorn neck I have on a recent Convertible guitar body but the trussrod depth leaves too little wood for what I consider a secure attachment. The screws might also butt up against the trussrod when fully tightened. Shortening the screws would clear that hurtle if there was enough wood for secure attachment but that doesn't seem to be the case. I could attach the recent Longhorn neck using four screws but I want to maintain the original 3 in line pattern.

 

[msb]

You might want to lower the back of the bridge a little (if you haven't already since the picture was taken). This will give a little more of a break angle over the front of the saddle. Sometimes if the string is too flat over the surface of the saddle, there can be a bit of "sitar'ing" on the top of the flat surface of a Jerry Jones saddle. Danelectro saddles are bit taller at the front, and have a concave surface.

I raised the front when I initially set it up , no sitar’ing at all.

 

[Stealth57]

NOS Korean reissues

 

[ryco]

Don't know if this counts but have a Jerry Jones Neptune 6.
Danelectro copy made by a Nashville luthier. He closed up shop 2012, I believe.
A tic-tac baritone VI.

My brother gave this to me for my birthday late'90s. He put the stickers on it.
Don't know what year it was produced, but the serial number is #1184
Doesn't get played much by me, but my guitar friends really like it.

 

[Verne Andru]

NOS Korean reissues

View attachment 4868898

Those are good prices if they are current. Where is the seller?

 

[Stealth57]

Those are good prices if they are current. Where is the seller?

Richmond, VA, just posted yesterday on Facebook's Music Gear Flea Market.

 

[Mastermold]

Richmond, VA, just posted yesterday on Facebook's Music Gear Flea Market.

Wish I needed another one, I’d jump on this.

 

[EdO.]

Wish I needed another one, I’d jump on this.

Me too. $275 for a 1st run Korean Longhorn is a steal IMO. I have one and wouldn't even remotely consider selling it at that price. Plus the colors that have been unavailable since then.

 

[Mastermold]

Me too. $275 for a 1st run Korean Longhorn is a steal IMO. I have one and wouldn't even remotely consider selling it at that price. Plus the colors that have been unavailable since then.

I posted mine above on last page. It's a keeper!

 

[Stealth57]

I asked about my neck pickup being more twangy and less bass than the bridge pickup. I looked up the schematic for the wiring and it's all as it should be. Decided that I'd take the opportunity to take another shot at the setup. I went from tapes to EBCF so the tension really changed. So, my first shot at changing the truss rod didn't get me as low as I wanted. The neck angle was also not what I thought would be needed for a nice relatively low action. So, 1/4 turn tightening of the TR and a business card shim at the butt end of the pocket and the setup is very nice.

The surprise was the tone changed. I now have a more bass sound from the neck pickup. I have never noticed that before on other pickups but also never had any experience with lipsticks either.

 

[BassGreaser]

So I’ve done my second rehearsal with the Longhorn and messing with the controls… they definitely interact with each other, but the weird thing is..

when I solo the bridge pickup it’s super quiet and thin.. but when I solo the neck pickup it sounds full and loud. (They are both set probably to the string height)

I did try keeping them both on full (how I usually play) and messed around with the tone knobs a bit and found very slight difference in tone with both tone knobs rolled down compared to say jist the neck tone know roll down and the bridge wide open.


Giving all this.. I really am going to change the wiring to a Master volume and Master tone control.

 

[JimmyM]

So I’ve done my second rehearsal with the Longhorn and messing with the controls… they definitely interact with each other, but the weird thing is..

when I solo the bridge pickup it’s super quiet and thin.. but when I solo the neck pickup it sounds full and loud. (They are both set probably to the string height)

I did try keeping them both on full (how I usually play) and messed around with the tone knobs a bit and found very slight difference in tone with both tone knobs rolled down compared to say jist the neck tone know roll down and the bridge wide open.


Giving all this.. I really am going to change the wiring to a Master volume and Master tone control.

I go the opposite…both pickups on full with the neck tone open and bridge tone off. I’m way more a fan of the neck pickup than the bridge or both on full tone, but with that setting I get extra level and it sounds pretty much like the neck pickup soloed, and it cancels hum. But that’s me…ymmv.

 

[BassGreaser]

I go the opposite…both pickups on full with the neck tone open and bridge tone off. I’m way more a fan of the neck pickup than the bridge or both on full tone, but with that setting I get extra level and it sounds pretty much like the neck pickup soloed, and it cancels hum. But that’s me…ymmv.

Jimmy does it sound like my controls are working the way they are designed?

Also I’ll try that setting next time!