Danelectro Owners Club

[danosix]

SO - Danelectro family, a question.

I have been contemplating putting a strap-button on the upper horn of my longhorn for a while now (that is, I knew one was eventually coming and had resolved to do so when it came even before I had struck any specific deal on any specific bass).
Having said that - and having had confirmation that it is indeed feasible an doable - I am having second thoughts now that it's here.
My reasons are twofold - but neither is entirely rational.
1. I fear putting a screw into a piece of wood that narrow has too much potential for splitting. While the nature of plywood and masonite does alleviate that threat somewhat, it is an AWEFULLY narrow spot and the potential to just plain mis-calculate and come out the side is pretty high. This is the more rational of the two concerns - but I know it is doable and I've put buttons into nec heels and such in the past with no ill effects, so I am being a little paranoid.
2. This thing is closer to 20 years old now and has managed to stay in pretty darn good shape (it's actually better than the picture makes it look cause I cleaned it up AFTER I took the pics) and I feel that it is getting close to collectable status. I KNOW these are cheapies (trust me, if I can afford 4 of them, they gotta be cheap) and that there are LOTS of them around, so it's not really a matter of "vintage value" or anything like that, I just feel that if something manages to last that long in near-mint condition, I owe it something. I would almost certainly do it without hesitation if I was a new one (which will, naturally some day b an old one) or if it was in rough shape; like I said - it's not entirely rational.

So my question. Am I:
A. Being too precious? "This is an instrument (and a cheap one at that) - it should be made to do its job the best way it can and adding to its functionality by improving its balance and the access to all frets far outweighs the value of keeping it 'original'."
or
B. Being smart? "DUDE" that things practically a classic! You don't want to mess with it - the difference of strap position is nominal and who plays 'up-there' anyway"?
or
C. Asking stupid questions? "Why the heck would you ask a bunch of strangers what to do with YOUR bass? Can't you make a decision on your own?"

What do you all think?

 

[GretschWretch]

SO - Danelectro family, a question.

I have been contemplating putting a strap-button on the upper horn of my longhorn for a while now (that is, I knew one was eventually coming and had resolved to do so when it came even before I had struck any specific deal on any specific bass).
Having said that - and having had confirmation that it is indeed feasible an doable - I am having second thoughts now that it's here.
My reasons are twofold - but neither is entirely rational.
1. I fear putting a screw into a piece of wood that narrow has too much potential for splitting. While the nature of plywood and masonite does alleviate that threat somewhat, it is an AWEFULLY narrow spot and the potential to just plain mis-calculate and come out the side is pretty high. This is the more rational of the two concerns - but I know it is doable and I've put buttons into nec heels and such in the past with no ill effects, so I am being a little paranoid.
2. This thing is closer to 20 years old now and has managed to stay in pretty darn good shape (it's actually better than the picture makes it look cause I cleaned it up AFTER I took the pics) and I feel that it is getting close to collectable status. I KNOW these are cheapies (trust me, if I can afford 4 of them, they gotta be cheap) and that there are LOTS of them around, so it's not really a matter of "vintage value" or anything like that, I just feel that if something manages to last that long in near-mint condition, I owe it something. I would almost certainly do it without hesitation if I was a new one (which will, naturally some day b an old one) or if it was in rough shape; like I said - it's not entirely rational.

So my question. Am I:
A. Being too precious? "This is an instrument (and a cheap one at that) - it should be made to do its job the best way it can and adding to its functionality by improving its balance and the access to all frets far outweighs the value of keeping it 'original'."
or
B. Being smart? "DUDE" that things practically a classic! You don't want to mess with it - the difference of strap position is nominal and who plays 'up-there' anyway"?
or
C. Asking stupid questions? "Why the heck would you ask a bunch of strangers what to do with YOUR bass? Can't you make a decision on your own?"

What do you all think?

Do like the slot-head guitarists do? Modify a strap so one end loops over the top cutaway horn directly, without need of a strap button.

 

[danosix]

Do like the slot-head guitarists do? Modify a strap so one end loops over the top cutaway horn directly, without need of a strap button.

Interesting - very interesting. That would totally avoid the risks while still making the bass balance better and get the strap out of the way of the neck (though I honestly don't play up there). Of course - the horn is very tapered and angles upwards, so I'll have to find a method of keeping it on.
Thanks!

 

[JEBassman]

Hi Danosix,

Your bass collection certainly supports your user name. I had no doubts, since we've been trading notes for a few days now. That's a nice looking Dano family you've got.

Thank you for your case advice. I don't want the hard case, as you realize fully. I'll look around during the upcoming holiday season, for a guitar-sized gig bag. I just need it for occasional storage at this point.

I'm having fun in my own role as a new member of the Danelectro owner / player family. Thanks Danosix, and other TB players, for your advice and encouragement with choosing the Longhorn. It's a blast to play! It's not going into any case right now; I need it sitting in its stand, ready to make music

 

[danosix]

There had been rumours that Fender was going to do a 51 re-issue , and most of the early rumours were that it would be Mexican . On the first day of NAMM a Japanese 51 bass appeared on the Fender website . I went immediately down to the local Fender dealer when they opened at ten that morning and we were able to place the order . Somebody might have placed an order in Newfoundland , but I doubt it . That's why I think I might have ordered the first one in Canada . They told me it might be a couple of months but I got it in just a couple of weeks . I haven't bought many basses unseen , but my 51is a really good one . My Longhorn has a nice story too , the same store put an ad in a Thursday paper featuring a big blow out sale , among the sale items was mention of Danelectro Longhorns for $200 .I didn't see the ad until Thursday evening , but I had my nose pressed up against the glass door when they opened Friday morning . One had been sold at the sale price just before the sale , and the other was on layaway . There were only two . I asked if my name could be on the list if it wasn't picked up . On the last day of the layaway the buyer picked it up . I figured it wasn't meant to be . About six or seven weeks later the store called me and asked if I was still interested in the Longhorn , one had been found in the warehouse ... I was there in twenty minutes . I got it for the sale price . It sat in a corner for a good number of years before I actually started to use it . Now it's my #1 .

That's a hell of a deal - the exact opposite of the kind of deals I was offered when I got my first Longhorn.
I was living in BC, which was a temporary situation so I only had two guitars with me - my main bass at the time, my JV Jazz and a JV Strat. I had wanted a Danelectro since basically before I really cared about guitars (my Dad was a guitar nut so I spent a lot of time ins stores as a kid) and well before the reissues came out.
So they came out while I was in BC and they were like $399. I bring in my MIJ Strat and ask what I'd get in trade. The douche in the store gives me this song and dance about "oh, these were $500 new and we'll sell it for less than that and we give half of trade-in value - so in essence he was offering me a $400 bass in trade for a Fender Strat and "only" $250 difference. Now I know stores need to make money, but they had a similar age MIJ Strat that had been modified (ALWAYS brings the value down and the finish was cracked all over - it looked like a crackle finish except it was real cracks) and the three individual switches the guy had installed on the thing were broken off so you had to sort of get your finger into the hole to switch them on and off - they were asking $700 for that one - mine was virtually mint). So if he'd offered me even half the price they were selling a broken down one for I could have had the longhorn for $50 and they could have made a decent profit.
Needless to say I walked. Again, I don't begrudge a profit, I despise dishonesty (we'll sell it for less than $500...)
In the end, when I cam back to Ontario I did indeed trade the strat for a longhorn, but even. That way we were BOTH happy - the dealer got to make money, I got a bass Id' wanted since before they came out.

 

[msb]

I had always wanted a Longhorn and was really excited when the first re-issues came out . The original Longhorns were non existent here on the east coast . First time I saw one I played it and the shorter scale really threw me , I was a longtime Pbass player . I almost bought one about a dozen times but each time I was about to buy I had big reservations about the short scale and walked out . Finally when the blow out sale came up I decided I couldn't pass it up . I had my hopes up for a black one . It wasn't to be . There had been two , one was a light blue burst , the one on hold was Commie Red . When the store called weeks later and they told me one turned up I immediately asked what finish it had . It was black ! It was mine twenty minutes later .
Danos are what they are , and many people do not care for them . That's fine with me . They have completely changed my views on what makes a bass good . Mine had one slightly high fret that I simply tapped down and required a slight truss rod adjustment and bridge tweak . I learned a lot setting it up . I came to appreciate the simplicity of the bridge design . I have not had to touch the set up since , that was about fifteen years ago . The neck is one of the most stable I own and does not require seasonal tweaking , unlike most other basses I own . I've only had one problem with it . A wire in the jack somehow became detached . The jack had been a little loose and it must have twisted off . Quick solder job and I was back in action . I use it on gigs as my main bass for the last five or six years . They are tough little rigs despite the light weight and Masonite construction .
I tell people to try them before buying if possible because not everyone likes the light weight , overall feel or the sound . They are pretty bright with fresh strings , that changes as the strings wear in . Mine has a gorgeous deep old school thump . It's still wearing the original factory strings . I'll probably switch over to flats if I ever break a string .
I love the cheap little thing .

 

[danosix]

I had always wanted a Longhorn and was really excited when the first re-issues came out . The original Longhorns were non existent here on the east coast . First time I saw one I played it and the shorter scale really threw me , I was a longtime Pbass player . I almost bought one about a dozen times but each time I was about to buy I had big reservations about the short scale and walked out . Finally when the blow out sale came up I decided I couldn't pass it up . I had my hopes up for a black one . It wasn't to be . There had been two , one was a light blue burst , the one on hold was Commie Red . When the store called weeks later and they told me one turned up I immediately asked what finish it had . It was black ! It was mine twenty minutes later .
Danos are what they are , and many people do not care for them . That's fine with me . They have completely changed my views on what makes a bass good . Mine had one slightly high fret that I simply tapped down and required a slight truss rod adjustment and bridge tweak . I learned a lot setting it up . I came to appreciate the simplicity of the bridge design . I have not had to touch the set up since , that was about fifteen years ago . The neck is one of the most stable I own and does not require seasonal tweaking , unlike most other basses I own . I've only had one problem with it . A wire in the jack somehow became detached . The jack had been a little loose and it must have twisted off . Quick solder job and I was back in action . I use it on gigs as my main bass for the last five or six years . They are tough little rigs despite the light weight and Masonite construction .
I tell people to try them before buying if possible because not everyone likes the light weight , overall feel or the sound . They are pretty bright with fresh strings , that changes as the strings wear in . Mine has a gorgeous deep old school thump . It's still wearing the original factory strings . I'll probably switch over to flats if I ever break a string .
I love the cheap little thing .

I agree with the "try before you buy thing" as they are most certainly not what everyone is looking for in a bass.
Having said that - the problem is, as you mentioned, that they are VERY different. If someone has been playing basses that are at all conventional - long-scale and solid they feel SO different that they feel like something's wrong with them - which leads to the popular comments about them feeling "fragile" and "cheap". They are cheap - but in the best way and as far as fragile - they are LESS fragile than your average acoustic guitar (which people love to bring camping wrapped up in a shopping bag or other equally protective covering) and for all intents and purposes they are no more fragile than a "normal" bass if you simply treat it like an instrument - ie. DON'T DROP HEAVY POINTED THINGS DIRECLTY ON THEM and keep them in a case when in transit. I was the exact way you were when I got my first one: "What have I done? This feels weird! The frets are all in the wrong place, my hand position is weird and it doesn't have that re-assuring feeling of solidity a Fenders have (read my postings elsewhere - my PBass is SUPER HEAVY). Even when I finally got my newest aquisition on the weekend it just felt wrong for the first hour or so - and I've been playing Danos all along - the Bass VI is the same scale, but the bridge is moved forward to a guitar position so the nut is roughly were it would be on a P or a J even thought the frets are closer together.
But if they give it an evening of playing or a weekend at home, they'll get used to it really quick (especially if they play that OTHER instrument with 6 strings - the nut's in the exact same place - I new they were close but Ii never compared instrument to instrument until this weekend when I put the longhorn beside the U2.

 

[danosix]

In an effort to beef up up the sound, I wired the pickups in series like a big humbucker and replaced the concentric pots with regular CTS pots...

Weren't they series to begin with? That's how they come from the factory. Did you get it used and someone had re-wired it before you got it?

 

[danosix]

Here's a bit of information courtesy of @OldeAxeman, shared in another thread re: longhorn setup in answer to a comment of mine.

For those who have the 90s models - here's the official colour (name) list:

Nifty Aqua
Blue Suede
Limo Black
Daddy-O Yellow
Beatnik Burgundy
Commie Red
Aqua Burst
Blue Burst
Copper Burst
Black Burst
Burgundy Burst
Cool Copper

Also - the first catalogues for this (new) stuff was in 1998, so if you have a model from 1998 or 1998 that is indeed one of the first years - as you probably already suspected - now you can consider it confirmed (there may have been production in 1997 - but U2s only IIRC). I have long suspected that due to other less concrete evidence from my own life - including owning a guitar store at the time and getting married in that year, but now I have concrete evidence.

 

[fjadams]

So mine is Nifty Aqua? I think I'll just continue to call it Mint.

 

[msb]

I might even have one of those first catalogues somewhere !

 

[ack]

Just FYI - in case anyone here is looking for a Rumor P-bass:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[Cosmeticplagues]

I dunno if this has been mentioned before, but a Longhorn will fit perfectly in an Epiphone SG guitar case. I'll try other SG cases and report back.

 

[danosix]

View attachment 757740 I dunno if this has been mentioned before, but a Longhorn will fit perfectly in an Epiphone SG guitar case. I'll try other SG cases and report back.

Interesting - it is widely known (that is, among the 90 or so of us ) they'll fit a rectangular guitar case - but that is a new type of case that has now been "officially" confirmed. And good to know as some of us like form fit cases - the smaller the better I say - after the Hofner case, I'm a little spoiled.
I notice you've used nuts or spacers to put the ball end of the E further back from the bridge piece. What exactly have you used (ie if it's nuts, which size or what from - if something else, what and where from).

 

[Cosmeticplagues]

Interesting - it is widely known (that is, among the 90 or so of us ) they'll fit a rectangular guitar case - but that is a new type of case that has now been "officially" confirmed. And good to know as some of us like form fit cases - the smaller the better I say - after the Hofner case, I'm a little spoiled.
I notice you've used nuts or spacers to put the ball end of the E further back from the bridge piece. What exactly have you used (ie if it's nuts, which size or what from - if something else, what and where from).

Yep, those are just two nuts. I'm not sure what size or anything, just whatever I had handy at the time. Eventually I'd like to fashion something similar to the Gibson 3-point bridge "mod bar" but for the dano bridge.

 

[Mastermold]

Interesting - it is widely known (that is, among the 90 or so of us ) they'll fit a rectangular guitar case - but that is a new type of case that has now been "officially" confirmed. And good to know as some of us like form fit cases - the smaller the better I say - after the Hofner case, I'm a little spoiled.
....

Any particular case you'd recommend for a Longhorn? I'm thinking about grabbing one for mine soon.

 

[GretschWretch]

Yep, those are just two nuts. I'm not sure what size or anything, just whatever I had handy at the time. Eventually I'd like to fashion something similar to the Gibson 3-point bridge "mod bar" but for the dano bridge.

View attachment 760751

I've wondered why the originator of the ModBar did not mill one side of the rod flat, so that it could work for both Epi/Gibson and Dano/Fender style bridges.

 

[GIBrat51]

Any particular case you'd recommend for a Longhorn? I'm thinking about grabbing one for mine soon.

When I got my lefty Longhorn from Adirondack Guitars, it was shipped in a Kaces KHE-FT 1 guitar case. It's pretty nice, but I'm not sure I'd recommend it, exactly. The cut-out for the neck is much wider and shallower than I'd like, and the bass will move - but not very far. It could be modified pretty easily, I imagine, but it's annoying...I have to say that I'm liking that Epi SG case a lot...

 

[mongo2]

Yep, those are just two nuts. I'm not sure what size or anything, just whatever I had handy at the time. Eventually I'd like to fashion something similar to the Gibson 3-point bridge "mod bar" but for the dano bridge.

I've used nylon spacers from Lowe's but a square aluminum bar or piece of wood drilled for the strings to pass through should work.

 

[Jouleo]

Can I join? Picked up this new Longhorn the other day on a whim. Quite the bargain. Feels cheap and nasty compared to my other bass (Fender American Standard Jag), but at the same time it feels so so right and is tremendous fun to play and sounds sort-of dirtily cool. It's so light it'll be easy to take to gigs on the bus, and so inexpensive that I won't spend the night worrying about it getting nicked from the venue. Also just realised that I can slip an image behind the pick guard. Will make a better one soon I promise.

New Danelectro Longhorn Bass, London, 2015

• Jouleo
• Dec 29, 2015
• 3
• danelectro longhorn

Cheers
Jouleo