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Danelectro Owners Club

#3,502
It might seem like sacrilege to the traditionalists here, but the binding that kept pulling away in the neck area was really bugging me.

So I just pulled it off. It took about an hour of work, and copious amounts of GooGone, but after a coat of Meguiars Mirror Polish, I'm pleased with the way it turned out.

I must warn anyone that's considering doing the same, that mine is a fairly recent version with a solid frame, but with that said, there are a couple minor imperfections in the paint job on the lower horn. Apparently the painter assumed that the tape would cover them anyway...
IMG_20221218_122952833.jpg
 
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#3,503
Backwards said:
It might seem like sacrilege to the traditionalists here, but the binding that kept pulling away in the neck area was really bugging me.

So I just pulled it off. It took about an hour of work, and copious amounts of GooGone, but after a coat of Meguiars Mirror Polish, I'm pleased with the way it turned out.

I must warn anyone that's considering doing the same, that mine is a fairly recent version with a solid frame, but with that said, there are a couple minor imperfections in the paint job on the lower horn. Apparently the painter assumed that the tape would cover them anyway...View attachment 4907189
Click to expand...
Looks nice!

Tape on the re-issues is pretty much cosmetic; on the originals it covered a horrible unfinished mess so I wouldn't try this on anything vintage unless you want to create a major project for yourself.
 
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#3,504
Backwards said:
It might seem like sacrilege to the traditionalists here, but the binding that kept pulling away in the neck area was really bugging me.

So I just pulled it off. It took about an hour of work, and copious amounts of GooGone, but after a coat of Meguiars Mirror Polish, I'm pleased with the way it turned out.

I must warn anyone that's considering doing the same, that mine is a fairly recent version with a solid frame, but with that said, there are a couple minor imperfections in the paint job on the lower horn. Apparently the painter assumed that the tape would cover them anyway...View attachment 4907189
Click to expand...


Looks so good without the binding tape!
 
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#3,506
mcgreivey said:
Black Chinese dolphin basses had matte black paint. Not sure if the blue/seafoam Chinese ones had matte paint, or gloss. But the hardware on the Chinese dolphin basses was matte, not glossy. And they had popsicle stick bridges, and VVT controls (no switch). The Danelectro logo on the headstock runs parallel to the nut

Then, about 2010, they moved dolphin bass production back to Korea. The first Korean run looked looked just like the Chinese ones: matte hardware, and matte black paint, VVT controls, popsicle stick bridge, logo parallel to the headstock, except for the "Made in Korea" sticker on the headstock. I have one of these. Again, not sure if the seafoam ones had matte, or gloss paint.

Then the Korean ones started having gloss paint and gloss hardware, and I think bridges with individual metal saddles, not possible sticks, and I think a pickup selector switch. And the logo moved 90⁰, perpendicular to the nut. And I think there was no seafoam paint option anymore. Maybe the second paint color became sparkle grey?

The recent short scale DC isn't really a reissue. It's quite different from the '50s/'60s shorthorn/double-cut bass. The new short scale DC is the same size (or about the same size) as a long scale DC bass; the bridge is moved 4" closer to the neck, and the frets are closer together. The old shorthorn was about the same size as a shorthorn/DC 6-string guitar; the bridge is moved all the way to the tail, which adds 5" to the scale length, and the frets are farther apart then the guitar, of course.

And on a dolphin bass, the bridge is in the same place as on a 6-string single-cut guitar. When you add a 24-fret 30"-scale bass neck in place of a guitar neck, it works out.

That's about right.

AND I STILL AM WAITING FOR THE DAY WHEN DANELECTRO PUTS OUT A guitar-size short scale bass again. They've never done that. I want that. I haven't gotten around to building my own. THE CAPS ARE TO GET THE ATTENTION OF anyone FROM Evets/Danelectro who might read this. (SORRY FOR SHOUTING!).
Click to expand...
I have a short scale dano neck from the 50s or 60s. contact if interested, and a 90s long scale double cut body, fully loaded, pickups and elecs.
 
#3,507
There is a 59 DC long scale in silver sparkle for sale local to me that I am very tempted by. I don't know anything about Danelectros though. Anything I should be aware of? The strap button under the bridge is pretty messy on this one. Is it an issue to move that to the traditional upper horn location?
 
#3,508
Kleebs said:
There is a 59 DC long scale in silver sparkle for sale local to me that I am very tempted by. I don't know anything about Danelectros though. Anything I should be aware of? The strap button under the bridge is pretty messy on this one. Is it an issue to move that to the traditional upper horn location?
Click to expand...
Since these are semi-hollow, not sure how much structure there would be to screw into. I added a thumb rest with two screws and filled the holes with Titebond. That worked fine, but a strap button is going to be under more stress. I left the buttons alone and just went with a skinny strap with a padded shoulder.
 
#3,509
Kleebs said:
There is a 59 DC long scale in silver sparkle for sale local to me that I am very tempted by. I don't know anything about Danelectros though. Anything I should be aware of? The strap button under the bridge is pretty messy on this one. Is it an issue to move that to the traditional upper horn location?
Click to expand...
Unlike traditionally made semi-hollows the Danos use a wooden frame so it's okay to move the button to the upper horn. Because of the long scale you will get neck dive no matter what you do.
 
#3,511
I didnt have a problem with moving the strap button (from the neck heel, not from the bridge though as you asked) to the upper horn. Personally, other than being able to fit a wider strap, I didn't notice any difference. Also, I have never experienced neck dive on any of the 3 late 90's DC Basses I have owned. They were very well balanced.
 
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#3,512
EncoremMP said:
I didnt have a problem with moving the strap button (from the neck heel, not from the bridge though as you asked) to the upper horn. Personally, other than being able to fit a wider strap, I didn't notice any difference. Also, I have never experienced neck dive on any of the 3 late 90's DC Basses I have owned. They were very well balanced.
Click to expand...

Oops, yeah I meant neck heel not bridge.
 
#3,514
Kleebs said:
There is a 59 DC long scale in silver sparkle for sale local to me that I am very tempted by. I don't know anything about Danelectros though. Anything I should be aware of? The strap button under the bridge is pretty messy on this one. Is it an issue to move that to the traditional upper horn location?
Click to expand...

I picked up a silver sparkle DC earlier this year and tried moving the strap button to the horn. I found that it balanced worse, so I moved the button back and filled the hole with a spare screw.
 
#3,516
mcgreivey said:
Black Chinese dolphin basses had matte black paint. Not sure if the blue/seafoam Chinese ones had matte paint, or gloss. But the hardware on the Chinese dolphin basses was matte, not glossy. And they had popsicle stick bridges, and VVT controls (no switch). The Danelectro logo on the headstock runs parallel to the nut

Then, about 2010, they moved dolphin bass production back to Korea. The first Korean run looked looked just like the Chinese ones: matte hardware, and matte black paint, VVT controls, popsicle stick bridge, logo parallel to the headstock, except for the "Made in Korea" sticker on the headstock. I have one of these. Again, not sure if the seafoam ones had matte, or gloss paint.

Then the Korean ones started having gloss paint and gloss hardware, and I think bridges with individual metal saddles, not possible sticks, and I think a pickup selector switch. And the logo moved 90⁰, perpendicular to the nut. And I think there was no seafoam paint option anymore. Maybe the second paint color became sparkle grey?

The recent short scale DC isn't really a reissue. It's quite different from the '50s/'60s shorthorn/double-cut bass. The new short scale DC is the same size (or about the same size) as a long scale DC bass; the bridge is moved 4" closer to the neck, and the frets are closer together. The old shorthorn was about the same size as a shorthorn/DC 6-string guitar; the bridge is moved all the way to the tail, which adds 5" to the scale length, and the frets are farther apart then the guitar, of course.

And on a dolphin bass, the bridge is in the same place as on a 6-string single-cut guitar. When you add a 24-fret 30"-scale bass neck in place of a guitar neck, it works out.

That's about right.

AND I STILL AM WAITING FOR THE DAY WHEN DANELECTRO PUTS OUT A guitar-size short scale bass again. They've never done that. I want that. I haven't gotten around to building my own. THE CAPS ARE TO GET THE ATTENTION OF anyone FROM Evets/Danelectro who might read this. (SORRY FOR SHOUTING!).
Click to expand...
 

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