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Danelectro Owners Club

#4,041
HelpImaRock said:
So that's what I thought. But looking through pics of early 60s Silvertones, it appears the strip tuners came later. I haven't opened the electronics cavity, but this is a '64 or earlier because the 3 neck bolts are in a straight line. It also has a textured control cavity, which I also thought was a replacement, but I've seen in other examples as well.
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The best way I've found is to look at Danelectro through the eyes of Nat Daniels. He was a super inventive guy who always favored doing everything in-house as simply and cheaply as possible while maintaining rock solid functionality. That's why he used 3 bolts instead of 4 like others, did his own lipstick pickups, used counter-top material, and etc. Machining sets of strip tuning machines is fast and simple and is what appears on all his other guitars. Doing those individual enclosed machines is expensive in terms of tooling, parts, manufacture and installation so he wouldn't have done them in-house (the design is nothing like how he designed) and he certainly wouldn't have purchased them from an outside supplier. I could be wrong but I'd argue in favor of those being replacements.
 
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#4,042
Verne Andru said:
The best way I've found is to look at Danelectro through the eyes of Nat Daniels. He was a super inventive guy who always favored doing everything in-house as simply and cheaply as possible while maintaining rock solid functionality. That's why he used 3 bolts instead of 4 like others, did his own lipstick pickups, used counter-top material, and etc. Machining sets of strip tuning machines is fast and simple and is what appears on all his other guitars. Doing those individual enclosed machines is expensive in terms of tooling, parts, manufacture and installation so he wouldn't have done them in-house (the design is nothing like how he designed) and he certainly wouldn't have purchased them from an outside supplier. I could be wrong but I'd argue in favor of those being replacements.
Click to expand...
Would you say the same about the bridge?
 
#4,045
Verne Andru said:
The best way I've found is to look at Danelectro through the eyes of Nat Daniels. He was a super inventive guy who always favored doing everything in-house as simply and cheaply as possible while maintaining rock solid functionality. That's why he used 3 bolts instead of 4 like others, did his own lipstick pickups, used counter-top material, and etc. Machining sets of strip tuning machines is fast and simple and is what appears on all his other guitars. Doing those individual enclosed machines is expensive in terms of tooling, parts, manufacture and installation so he wouldn't have done them in-house (the design is nothing like how he designed) and he certainly wouldn't have purchased them from an outside supplier. I could be wrong but I'd argue in favor of those being replacements.
Click to expand...

At first glance, I agree with you. But there are multiple examples out there with the same combination of textured electronics cover, 3 in line bolts, and reverse tuners. It's not a coincidence.

Also, what looks like a filled tuner screw hole was just dirt. It came off with a microfiber towel.
 
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#4,046
HelpImaRock said:
So that's what I thought. But looking through pics of early 60s Silvertones, it appears the strip tuners came later. I haven't opened the electronics cavity, but this is a '64 or earlier because the 3 neck bolts are in a straight line. It also has a textured control cavity, which I also thought was a replacement, but I've seen in other examples as well.
Click to expand...
I have I think exactly that bass. I was told mine is a ‘63. I need to dig it out to check the neck screw alignment. What I do recall is that the tuners aren’t the sturdiest, but they do hold tune ok. The bass was heavily played and worked on.

Later:

My tuners are replacements, they look like guitar tuners. However, inspecting the back of the headstock reveals evidence of original tuners - not that I would really know for sure, but it looks like an impression was made between the replacements and there are screw holes. Looking closer at your pic, mine may have been the very same - hard to be sure.

The 3 neck bolts are triangular, and there’s a hole for what I’m guessing is a tilt-neck adjustment.

I also have the original case - no plush lining, just felt.

I’ll try to get pics up tomorrow. Could you post a pic of the neck screws on yours?
 
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#4,047
1964
https://reverb.com/item/64306657-19...-short-scale-bass-guitar-orig-hard-shell-case
1746944309593.png
1746944337737.png


1965

SILVERTONE 1444 BASS GUITAR – VintageSilvertones

SILVERTONE 1444 BASS, 1 pickup, black, "Dolphin" headstock, made by Danelectro of Neptune, New Jersey in 1965.
www.vintagesilvertones.com www.vintagesilvertones.com
1746944074832.png
 
#4,048
Yep, that “.com” photo shows the exact layout of my neck screws and tilt adjustment. The strip tuners are almost certainly what mine once had, based on the impressions. Very helpful info, great photos, very fun bass!

Here’s mine, showing its age:

IMG_1210.jpegIMG_1209.jpeg
IMG_1205.jpeg
IMG_1208.jpeg
 
#4,050
Verne Andru said:
The best way I've found is to look at Danelectro through the eyes of Nat Daniels. He was a super inventive guy who always favored doing everything in-house as simply and cheaply as possible while maintaining rock solid functionality. That's why he used 3 bolts instead of 4 like others, did his own lipstick pickups, used counter-top material, and etc. Machining sets of strip tuning machines is fast and simple and is what appears on all his other guitars. Doing those individual enclosed machines is expensive in terms of tooling, parts, manufacture and installation so he wouldn't have done them in-house (the design is nothing like how he designed) and he certainly wouldn't have purchased them from an outside supplier. I could be wrong but I'd argue in favor of those being replacements.
Click to expand...
Do you know, has the Dano book been re-released yet?
 
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#4,051
TomB said:
Rock, Are you certain yours is a ‘64? Take a look at the features on this ‘62 at Austin Vintage Guitars. (Or is theirs really a ‘62?).

Store

www.austinvintageguitars.com www.austinvintageguitars.com

Do the neck screws and tuners look familiar? I know we have experts in this thread.
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I don’t yet. I’m saying is it’s a 64 at the latest, and Dano didn’t use the one piece tuner assembly on bass until later, when they also changed to a triangle bolt layout and micro tilt.
 
#4,052
Yours looks like the ‘62 layout (in Austin), and my (reputedly) ‘63 has the later tuners and neck bolt screws. Maybe we’re on to something, or maybe these things are just hard to date. JIO mentions a book…
 
#4,053
TomB said:
Yours looks like the ‘62 layout (in Austin), and my (reputedly) ‘63 has the later tuners and neck bolt screws. Maybe we’re on to something, or maybe these things are just hard to date. JIO mentions a book…
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A friend had Neptune Bound years ago. But I don’t have a copy. I’m going to open up the cavity later and check the pots.

EDIT: later came sooner than expected. If I'm reading this correctly, it's a '61.

IMG_6304.jpeg
 
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#4,054
HelpImaRock said:
A friend had Neptune Bound years ago. But I don’t have a copy. I’m going to open up the cavity later and check the pots.

EDIT: later came sooner than expected. If I'm reading this correctly, it's a '61.

View attachment 7223974
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Lo, my volume pot, the only one not obscured by solder, reads ‘65. It won’t photograph well, but it’s getting clearer!
 
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#4,055
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#4,057
Verne Andru said:
I'm just guessing and could very well be wrong. Nat was frugal. Not heard of the book release yet.
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The first edition is out of print. The second edition was slated to be released around Covid but so far has yet to happen. Original copies from '08 now sell for collectors prices - I have looked in the past and the only ones available were around $200 and up. But I just checked and bought Volume 1 for $44 on Amazon! Score!

So to have a complete first edition, you need Volume 1 & Volume 2 ... I will order Volume 2 tomorrow. The combined price is still less than 1/2 what a full first edition is selling for.

1747023584013.jpeg
 
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#4,058
JIO said:
The first edition is out of print. The second edition was slated to be released around Covid but so far has yet to happen. Original copies from '08 now sell for collectors prices - I have looked in the past and the only ones available were around $200 and up. But I just checked and bought Volume 1 for $44 on Amazon! Score!

So to have a complete first edition, you need Volume 1 & Volume 2 ... I will order Volume 2 tomorrow. The combined price is still less than 1/2 what a full first edition is selling for.

View attachment 7224456
Click to expand...


From Doug's page regarding Dan Armstrong's modified guitars
www.danelectro.guru

Articles/Blogs — Danelectro.Guru

www.danelectro.guru www.danelectro.guru
"the “skate-key” tuners that Nat Daniel made in-house from about 1963 on."
So if mine's a '61, then it makes sense there's no evidence of the skate key tuners. Nat hadn't started making them yet.
 
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#4,059
HelpImaRock said:
From Doug's page regarding Dan Armstrong's modified guitars
www.danelectro.guru

Articles/Blogs — Danelectro.Guru

www.danelectro.guru www.danelectro.guru
"the “skate-key” tuners that Nat Daniel made in-house from about 1963 on."
So if mine's a '61, then it makes sense there's no evidence of the skate key tuners. Nat hadn't started making them yet.
Click to expand...
...and by the same reckoning, my (now known to be) '65 had those skatekey tuners. Obviously somebody along the way didn't like them :).
 
#4,060
TomB said:
...and by the same reckoning, my (now known to be) '65 had those skatekey tuners. Obviously somebody along the way didn't like them :).
Click to expand...

I may have an answer for this.

So I took the '61 to my tech today. He's a Dano/Silvertone aficionado as well. He said that the tuners are stock for 61, and that's just how bass tuners worked then. And that Dano was just copying Fender. He also said that when they went to the skate key tuners, they kept the left handed orientation.

At some point, I'll need to change these tuners and will swap them out for right handed versions. But while they still work, I'm keeping them.
 
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