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Danelectro Owners Club

#1,661
danosix said:
Incidentally - I've (sort of) come around to the point of view of a bunch of posters on here in that I now want a semi-authentic shorthorn reissue.
This is because I recently realized that my hands can no longer handle a long scale due to my tendonitis finally catching up to me - and I want something slightly more conventional looking and feeling than a longhorn for days when I want something more conventional than my longhorn.
What I'd want different from a TRULY authentic short horn is the bridge in the Longhorn (aka Fender) position (a little in from the strap button) rather than the shorthorn position (RIGHT at the strap button) and would definitely want a dual pickup one (not sure there ever was a vintage one with two p/us - never seen one in real life I could confirm was original).
OR (and this is probably more likely, if Evetts is doing the smart thing and monitoring this thread) A "hornet" bass - in the style of a Silvertone 1443 (it that's the shortscale version - though, just like the '63 they could make both). THAT would be my current dream bass as it combines the look and sound of a Dano with a bit of the "solidness" that I'm used to from my Fenders.
If they did it in a gloss finish and made it available in a couple of conventional colours (black, white) and a couple of Dano colours (redburst, keen green or some such) I bet they could open up sales into non-traditional Dano buyers - especially if they went slightly higher output (say 5K DC resistance) to give them a more "conventional" (a bit more midrange) sound without losing too much of the Dano goodness, they could sell them to the general public.
Click to expand...

I built what you are asking for (or very close to it). I got a shorthorn fully loaded guitar body in nice shiny black (w/ the baby seal pick guard) from the Stratosphere site and put a 90's Korean reissue Dano bass neck on it. Swaped the bridge for a Dano bass bridge, using same screw holes, and off to the races. Scale length was perfect. Even though guitar electronics and pickups it sounds absolutely great. Whole thing took about 1 hour.
Kent Armstrong did pretty much the same thing for Jesse Collin young back in the late 60's.
 
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#1,662
Marcocolo said:
I built what you are asking for (or very close to it). I got a shorthorn fully loaded guitar body in nice shiny black (w/ the baby seal pick guard) from the Stratosphere site and put a 90's Korean reissue Dano bass neck on it. Swaped the bridge for a Dano bass bridge, using same screw holes, and off to the races. Scale length was perfect. Even though guitar electronics and pickups it sounds absolutely great. Whole thing took about 1 hour.
Kent Armstrong did pretty much the same thing for Jesse Collin young back in the late 60's.
Click to expand...
That was my plan for ages, but because of the carpel tunnel I need the bridgeser back so it has the short reach of a traditional shorty like a longhorn or a mustang - but thanks (insert "I'm being sincere not sarcastic" imogee here).
P.s. post a pick we'd all like to see.
 
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#1,663
Here's a pic
DSC01012.JPG
 
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#1,665
danosix said:
Incidentally - I've (sort of) come around to the point of view of a bunch of posters on here in that I now want a semi-authentic shorthorn reissue.
This is because I recently realized that my hands can no longer handle a long scale due to my tendonitis finally catching up to me - and I want something slightly more conventional looking and feeling than a longhorn for days when I want something more conventional than my longhorn.
What I'd want different from a TRULY authentic short horn is the bridge in the Longhorn (aka Fender) position (a little in from the strap button) rather than the shorthorn position (RIGHT at the strap button) and would definitely want a dual pickup one (not sure there ever was a vintage one with two p/us - never seen one in real life I could confirm was original).
OR (and this is probably more likely, if Evetts is doing the smart thing and monitoring this thread) A "hornet" bass - in the style of a Silvertone 1443 (it that's the shortscale version - though, just like the '63 they could make both). THAT would be my current dream bass as it combines the look and sound of a Dano with a bit of the "solidness" that I'm used to from my Fenders.
If they did it in a gloss finish and made it available in a couple of conventional colours (black, white) and a couple of Dano colours (redburst, keen green or some such) I bet they could open up sales into non-traditional Dano buyers - especially if they went slightly higher output (say 5K DC resistance) to give them a more "conventional" (a bit more midrange) sound without losing too much of the Dano goodness, they could sell them to the general public.
Click to expand...

Marcocolo said:
I built what you are asking for (or very close to it). I got a shorthorn fully loaded guitar body in nice shiny black (w/ the baby seal pick guard) from the Stratosphere site and put a 90's Korean reissue Dano bass neck on it. Swaped the bridge for a Dano bass bridge, using same screw holes, and off to the races. Scale length was perfect. Even though guitar electronics and pickups it sounds absolutely great. Whole thing took about 1 hour.
Kent Armstrong did pretty much the same thing for Jesse Collin young back in the late 60's.
Click to expand...

I assembled one of these as well;
100_4861.jpg


I think what @danosix is referring to (my apologies if I am wrong!) is something in between the original shorthorn and what we have put together.

I think a 30" scale neck with 20 (21?) frets would put the bridge in the position that you mentioned or...

do as I did with the bass in the front and mount the neck further into the body.

Either way it will most likely be a custom made neck (or maybe a Warmoth?), Dano necks seem to be in short supply.

On another note, I've been working on a Shorthorn model with the original style neck (1st models will have poplar necks with twin steel bars - no truss rod, later models will have adjustable truss rods); what you described has me interested, it definitely makes sense.

Very nice looking bass @Marcocolo!


Moonshine :bassist:
 
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#1,668
moonshinegtrs said:
I assembled one of these as well;
100_4861.jpg


I think what @danosix is referring to (my apologies if I am wrong!) is something in between the original shorthorn and what we have put together.

I think a 30" scale neck with 20 (21?) frets would put the bridge in the position that you mentioned or...

do as I did with the bass in the front and mount the neck further into the body.

Either way it will most likely be a custom made neck (or maybe a Warmoth?), Dano necks seem to be in short supply.

On another note, I've been working on a Shorthorn model with the original style neck (1st models will have poplar necks with twin steel bars - no truss rod, later models will have adjustable truss rods); what you described has me interested, it definitely makes sense.

Very nice looking bass @Marcocolo!


Moonshine :bassist:
Click to expand...
Precisely,
I've been tempted to mod my 63 by moving the bridge back and the neck in by a couple of inches... Though that would still be long scale.
Someone on here did it with a pro (George Jetson) body and a longhorn neck, which is a decent compromise b/c its bridge is further back to the body edge.
 
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#1,670
mcgreivey said:
That was me.

What I want to do some time is take a DC guitar and turn it into a bass. But I have to work my skills up to the level of being able to replace the fretboard.
Click to expand...
You could combine a DC with a 63 short scale neck... Much less surgery - just move the block for the bridge to position that matches the neck... Note the "just" is in huge quotes, cause it's way beyond my skill set.. But someone ith even reasonable woodworking and finishing skills could do it.
 
#1,672
The one in my avatar is a modded to lefty Jerry Jones. It was the half twin to Joey Spampinato's . Jerry made them both at the same time. Joey's was all orange where mine is an "orangesicle". It had a single lipstick (like Joey's) but it was too hummy for me so I put in a Bill Lawrence P90 that he made me for bass (just before he died -rip). Monster tone.
 
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#1,674
Perhaps . I had acquired a number of beautiful vintage and new "name" basses and bought a Longhorn when the re-issues first came out . At first I was uncomfortable with the shorter scale , but as I played it more and more I grew comfortable with it . So comfortable that in time it became my #1 . I'm not really sure just how that happened ... and I've come to accept it . The Dano completely changed my concept of just what made an instrument "good" .
 
#1,679
danosix said:
You could combine a DC with a 63 short scale neck... Much less surgery - just move the block for the bridge to position that matches the neck... Note the "just" is in huge quotes, cause it's way beyond my skill set.. But someone ith even reasonable woodworking and finishing skills could do it.
Click to expand...

Oh, yeah, that's one way, but it's not quite the same thing. But that's what I did when I built my Dano Pro bass.

But the original Shorthorn bass used the guitar neck and body, with a different fretboard, and with the bridge positioned at the tail. That's what I want. Eventually.
 
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#1,680
danosix said:
How much?
The Chinese ones are slightly less desirable - though perfectly decent guitars - so you don't want to pay as much as you would a MIK - but that varies wildly as well.
I would JUMP on it under $300 ($250 US) and probably walk away over $400. Anywhere in between is reasonable - and that blueburst is sweet.
A MIK with shiney chrome you can add about $100 ($75 US) to the price.
Click to expand...
There are 2 longhorns up on musicgoround right now ($269 & $279) if anyone is looking. One is a blueburst mik Pro model (I think), the other from china.
 

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