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Danelectro Owners Club

#503
mp112849 said:
I'm close to pulling the trigger on a '64 Danelectro Shorthorn. I cannot look at it physically but it looks really good in the pics I've seen. My first question is what problems could exist that may not be apparent in the pictures? Second, I asked the current owner if this bass had a neck adjustment or a truss rod in the neck and the reply was "yes". Is that true?
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Loose frets, neck twist or warp, body top lift or crush by the bridge. Generally Dano necks are straight but often you find they were neglected severely and damaged.

Make sure date stated is correct. A lot of guys get them wrong. For the shorthorn pickguard is "seal shape" post 1960 and any thing post 1962 has triangular three bolt neck attachment and neck tilt screw. Not always able to date using pot codes as it wasn't always first in first out usage of parts. Best way is to look for skate key tuners (first appear in 1963) neck bolt pattern (three inline up to '63) "TotallyShielded"sticker on headstock '62-'63) and Kluson Deluxe tuners(not past '62). Also 1950's models have plastic strap buttons on some.
 
#507
wodock said:
I just picked up a danelectro longhorn bass here on talk bass. I just put on some TI shortscale flats and I'm loving it. There was no case with the bass - can anybody recommend a gig bag I can get for it?

Here's a picture of it

View attachment 354107
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Nice color. I really like it. Mine is the perwinkle blue/white burst. I don't know what the official name of it is.

I also put TI flats on mine and I love them. They've been on for years at this point and still sound great. Definitely worth the investment.

As for the case, I'm still looking. Mine came with a generic guitar gig bag from a guitar store so it will fit in one. They had tweed hard cases when it came out in the late 90's so I'd like to pick one of them up if I can get it for the right price. I've also shopped around for gig bags, but would prefer the hard case since the bass isn't exactly sturdy construction wise.

The tone is killer however, especially with the TI flats! I'd like to keep it that way if you know what I mean. ;)
 

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#508
Hi - just acquired a 63 shortscale.... which is in need of some TLC.

To remove the strings I ended up having to remove the bridge (ball ends too snug for the bridge holes). Now I come to refit it, I can't remember if the back screw was screwed tight into the body so that the back of the bridge is flat against the body - there's a 1/4 inch gap when the bass is restrung. A side on picture of anyone who has one would be extremely helpful.

At some point the jack seems to have been badly replaced, and now extends about 1/3 of an inch from the plate.... is that normal?

Pickup volume seems quiet (compared to my Precision). Had a tinker with pup height adjustment screws but I'm not sure what the normal-ish output should be. Anyone have a view as to how it should stack up to a Fender P with a standard setup and US pickups?

Lastly.. any tips on getting the action lower - it looks like the saddles are flat to the bridge and the two screws at the front of the bridge are screwed tight and won't lower further (iphone pic attached)?

Thanks for any advice / help.

Cheers

Zig
 

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#509
The front screws are under the bridge, right? They go under not thru. When I got mine whoever had it before me had the bridge a mess.
I found that putting the front screws at 1/8" and the rear of the bridge 1/16 lower set the action about perfect. Set the rosewood all the way back on the "E" string and just a little ahead on the "G" so it is slanted a little. I think you just have to mess with it to find where it's as good as it's going to get. At least on mine the lower the back of the bridge got the worse it played.

It is a fun bass to play, I play mine everyday.
 
#510
Rosewood? I think we've got slightly different saddles... mine are made of the same brushed chrome that the rest of the bridge is made of.

WRT the screws at the front... I can't seem to get mine lower than as shown in the picture....lowering them a touch would solve the problem but they just won't go lower without forcing them.

Cheers

Zig
 
#516
Let's see:

-Fuzzbass; I had this problem on one of mine. You've probably got the screws down to the end of the threads; that's why they won't go any further. Other than different screws, or carefully cutting some of the body away to let the screws go down a little further (which is what I wound up doing), not much you can do. As for the back screw, there is supposed to be a gap between the body and the bridge; I seem to remember it's about the thickness of a dime or something. That's what mine have, anyway. They both work like they should. And, as for pickup output; my DCs are about on par with my P-Bass, but yes, you need to tinker with the height. You can get them too close to the strings, and the output can drop off, same as being too far away. There is a sweet spot in there that you have to find. It's in there somewhere, though. ;)

-Bullitt; Depending on what you have and where it was made, IMO the answer is - maybe. My early Korean DCs have a block of wood running up the center of the body that is certainly long enough for a different bridge, although there isn't much room between the bridge pickup and the tail of the pickguard; 3 5/8", in fact, so it would be a very tight squeeze on mine. The two front screws for my bridges are 3" apart, center to center; any bridge with the outer mounting screws no further apart than that would probably work. Personally, unless I knew exactly how wide the center block was, I'd be very reluctant to go any wider. I'm sure there's a bridge out there somewhere that will work, if you want to try. Good luck with the project! :)
 
#517
GIBrat51 said:
Let's see:

-Fuzzbass; And, as for pickup output; my DCs are about on par with my P-Bass, but yes, you need to tinker with the height. You can get them too close to the strings, and the output can drop off, same as being too far away. There is a sweet spot in there that you have to find. It's in there somewhere, though. ;)
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Thanks GIBrat51 - after a few months! of tinkering I've got the action / bridge more or less where I like it. Still can't quite get the pup volume sorted though.

The 63' has a 3-way switch neck pup, both and bridge pup.

Middle position (both together) the volume's loudest and the most useable.

On the neck pup the sound is fat but a bit quieter.

On the bridge, the sound is super thin... not even Jazz bass thin...

Any ideas?
 
#519
Yeah, a couple of ideas.

-First, you're dealing with a DC electrical circuit, and 2 things to keep in mind: 1) DC circiuts are very sensitive to bad solder/ mechanical connections, and can lose a lot of voltage if they're bad, and 2) You don't have a lot of voltage to loose. So, make sure all the solder connections are good, and that the mechanical ones (screws, contacts on the 3-way switch and output jack). are clean and solid. Be sure you have a good ground,too.

-Second, as I said before, pickup height plays a large part in getting good output. For most pickups, IME, too close to the strings can be just as bad as too far away. Gretsches, for example, are notoriously sensitive to proper pickup height. I know; I have one. Trying to get a Gretsch's pickups just right can try a saint's patience. A lot easier on a Dano, but it will take some fiddling and listening.

-Third, it's possible that the bridge pickup is just weak or bad. You can check the output with a multimeter (or have someone do it, but it isn't hard); it should be at least the same as the neck pickup. Also, it's possible that there's a capacitor in the bridge pickup circuit (like a Rickenbacker, for example), which will reduce the output. Not likely, but possible. If there is, removing it (or cutting it in/out with a switch-again, like a Rick) will help a lot.

-Fourth, and you won't like this one, is- that's just the way it is. Plucked strings have "nodes" along them, where the vibration (and potential for the strongest output) is. It's known as the Sweet Spot; that's why a P-Bass' pickups are where they are. Strings also vibrate least at the ends-the bridge and the nut. Danos, unfortunately, have the bridge pickup very close to the bridge. Rickenbackers do, too; "Why is my bridge pickup so weak?/Why is it so thin and trebly?" are very common posts on Rick sites. Proximity to the bridge is the reason. Ricks try to compensate with a hotter pickup there. Without a lot of success, even without the cap in the circuit; I have 2, and it's just the way they are. You can equalize the output with some careful fiddling with the volume controls; just mark the positions so you don't lose them! If it really bothers you, a much hotter pickup at the bridge is the only real solution, other than going to a single pickup in the Sweet Spot. Really, though, the whole idea of 2 pickups is to have a different sound from each. How you blend them, and use one or the other, is what makes the arrangement so versatile. :)
 

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