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Do you think the Longhorn design is cool?
- Thread starter MAJOR METAL
- Start date
Ugh. Prefer the Dano, by far. Take the horns out of your field of vision, and the Devil bass becomes the Dild- ahem, Devo bass...
BTW, I wonder if all the people who hate the looks of them ever actually tried to play one, or even heard one live before?
everyone hits with that when a Longhorn discussion happens, but it’s totally irrelevant to the discussion. Question wasn't how it plays, it was whether it was cool or not. I never argue playing quality……I’ve never played one. As ugly as it is, I don’t see myself ever playing one.
Good, I'm glad someone got there.
Nearly 50 posts before someone recognised the likeness to a lyre. An electric bass lyre could be amazing.
I played a Jerry Jones version a few times and it felt like a toy compared to my G&L, but sounded fine. The look didn't bug me, but it would take some playing time to get used to.
BTW, I wonder if all the people who hate the looks of them ever actually tried to play one, or even heard one live before?
For me, honestly, no I don’t think it looks cool. I’ve played a real JJ and whatever the short horn is called, could see why people would like. Probably would not be My go to on a gig. The ‘56 single cut like the baritone I do kinda like. If put to the fire, I’d do the longhorn in black. Orange is a no.
Never liked the looks of them. Never played one. So, I'll stop right there.
I've owned 2 Danelectro Longhorn basses and still one 1 of them. While I don't play short scale basses often, the Danno is just a great design. It's truly "Plug and Play."
I never liked the design at all. It reminds me of an instrument you might have seen on the original Star Trek series.
I used to have a Hondo longhorn. Great bass. Well-built, very comfortable to play. Excellent pickups. Nice neck. But I never could embrace the aesthetic. I eventually gave it away to a beginning player.
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The early 80s Hondo longhorns are amazing. Especially the doubleneck.
I like the 24 frets thingy 'cause most of the bass books I use like SIMANDL have high-G in their notation. So it's helpful for that.
It's a good sounding bass BUT, I'm not driven to play it for rehearsals or gigs because I enjoy the feel of my Precision V and Dimension V more.
It's a good sounding bass BUT, I'm not driven to play it for rehearsals or gigs because I enjoy the feel of my Precision V and Dimension V more.
- Sep 4, 2010
- 3,304
- 2,730
- Disclosures
- Endorsing: Martin Keith Guitars
I have one that my wife gave me so no matter what it stays. Don't play it that often but man does it sound good with a pick (flats or rounds). Also works fantastic with as a piccolo bass. The main issue for me is intonation, it is not that great in tune especially up the neck.
I put the longhorn in the "so ugly its kinda cute" category.
I had one, for awhile, in the 90s...and
I tried to like it...... I really,really tried.
For me, the tone was Reed thin...and I just couldn't get it to work in my band mix. I was going to make it my " backup " for my P.
But at the end of the day, it was just too different from what I was used to.
I gave it back, and bought another P.
I had one, for awhile, in the 90s...and
I tried to like it...... I really,really tried.
For me, the tone was Reed thin...and I just couldn't get it to work in my band mix. I was going to make it my " backup " for my P.
But at the end of the day, it was just too different from what I was used to.
I gave it back, and bought another P.
Looks cool but that neck joint makes me wonder if that upper fret access is as good as it looks. Also the angle people hold it in pics makes me wonder if it dives. Regardless I’d love to try one.
I love the design.
Besides the original and reissues, Coral, Dynelectron and Jerry Jones (anything Jerry has done is amazing) Hondo built some really cool longhorns in the late seventies/early eighties. The models were part of their Profressional Series where Hondo stepped up the quality of the instruments they were building. They differed from the original design as these were solid body instruments with modern pickups. There was a guitarlin model with 31 frets (Dano did it first) and one humbucker but the basses were even more different, they had ash bodies, 3 piece maple necks with a 34" scale fretboard (24 frets), brass bridge and nut and one Dimarzio P style pickup. Essentially a P bass in longhorn form.
Hondo also offered a doubleneck Loghorn bass with eight string and four string necks (they also offered a 12/6 string version). These were really cool but the line never took off and was discontinued after a couple of years. I got my hands on a N.O.S. doubleneck in the mid eighties, the quality was really good, the eight string neck had a Dimarzio P/J setup and the four had one P pickup. I added a model on to the neck position of the 4 string neck and rewired the controls and added several toggle switches (I had just gotten Craig Anderton's book "Electronic Projects for Musicians". Lol).
I found a 4 string Longhorn bass a few years ago, it has a dark walnut finish (the doubleneck was in Hondo's version of the classic dano "kelvinator burst"). The 4 string is fairly lightweight (8 1/2lbs?) feels solid and plays great. I have an old set of flatwounds on it and if you close your eyes you'd swear you're hearing a P bass.
a couple of years ago I found a doubleneck bass project, It's still in parts but I'm gathering parts and hopefully will be retsoring it soon.
To sum it up, the Danelectro Longhorn look with a traditional P bass feel and sound.
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Besides the original and reissues, Coral, Dynelectron and Jerry Jones (anything Jerry has done is amazing) Hondo built some really cool longhorns in the late seventies/early eighties. The models were part of their Profressional Series where Hondo stepped up the quality of the instruments they were building. They differed from the original design as these were solid body instruments with modern pickups. There was a guitarlin model with 31 frets (Dano did it first) and one humbucker but the basses were even more different, they had ash bodies, 3 piece maple necks with a 34" scale fretboard (24 frets), brass bridge and nut and one Dimarzio P style pickup. Essentially a P bass in longhorn form.
Hondo also offered a doubleneck Loghorn bass with eight string and four string necks (they also offered a 12/6 string version). These were really cool but the line never took off and was discontinued after a couple of years. I got my hands on a N.O.S. doubleneck in the mid eighties, the quality was really good, the eight string neck had a Dimarzio P/J setup and the four had one P pickup. I added a model on to the neck position of the 4 string neck and rewired the controls and added several toggle switches (I had just gotten Craig Anderton's book "Electronic Projects for Musicians". Lol).
I found a 4 string Longhorn bass a few years ago, it has a dark walnut finish (the doubleneck was in Hondo's version of the classic dano "kelvinator burst"). The 4 string is fairly lightweight (8 1/2lbs?) feels solid and plays great. I have an old set of flatwounds on it and if you close your eyes you'd swear you're hearing a P bass.
a couple of years ago I found a doubleneck bass project, It's still in parts but I'm gathering parts and hopefully will be retsoring it soon.
To sum it up, the Danelectro Longhorn look with a traditional P bass feel and sound.
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