- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,645
- 222,303
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Ok! Here we go with another fun JIO project! Just got this late '60s Silvertone 4143 Hornet (Craigs-list) for a nice price and picked it up today. Mostly original and the finish has been stripped off and it has a DIY clear coat on it. Since this is the case - of course that leaves it open for a new cool finish.
The never-to-be-found pu surrounds are missing (drat!) and the original Dano bridge has been replaced with a slotted-saddle bent-plate ala Fender bridge. I have one of the '90s RI Dano bridges and will use it unless I can find one of the standard ones. I'll be returning it to original.
Neck seems to be in good shape but I'll need to go over it to see what needs addressing. The output overall is a bit weak and the E string is even less output. I'll be looking into that as my other Hornet is pretty in-your-face output-wise across all strings. Will know more once I remove the pg and check under the hood. Nothing that can't be fixed.
Body and neck are poplar - the dark/light sections are very chariteristic of the wood. Also incorporates a tilt-neck adjustment port and no neck plate. Some have them while others don't. My Coral does.
Neck is poplar also - and has no tr. Instead there are twin steel beams that run the length of the neck.
8lbs/11oz -
Whoever stripped the finish did a wood graft - it's a little funky, but not terrible.
Replacement bridge wasn't fully screwed in. (?) and a ground 'cable' sits under it... it'll be leaving.
It's missing the finger rest but I have one off my Coral that will fit if I want to put it on. The red tort is really deep and rich - a very nice version of tort. Knobs in clean condition.
Frets need leveling - similar to my Hornet. I was lucky my Coral neck was as good as it was. Aluminum side dots, as all Dano's have.
New GHS Precision flats installed but someone doesn't know how to cut excess taper length off...
Silvertone badge in the house - the original is smaller than the one I found for my Hornet. Original string tree a simple washer and screw w/aluminum riser sleeve.
Stubby Fender Mustang-like tuners in good shape -
So here's the finish I will be doing on it. Although a crackle finish was most seen on the late '60s Dano/Coral Sitar-guitar, it appeared on earlier Dano guitars and their short-scale basses. The long-scale Hornets, Danes and Coral Deluxe Bass's never came in a crackle finish.
It looks good with the amber'd white pg, but I think this look will work well with the deep, rich tort on the Hornet.
The tight crackle is a great look because it will look like black-cherry from a distance and the detail will come into focus up close. This is the opposite of the loud garish pointy-guitar crackle look.
Not sure why black is under the red - but I dig it and will mimic it.
Love the way this looks! You can see every layer - I will use this as a template for the Hornet The neck doesn't have the black undercoat like on the body - only yellow, red and solid black.
Headstock face only the red/black crackle finish.
The bigger crackle is the result of a heavier coat of the black.
another example of the similar finish on a 6-string Dano -
Montana rattle-cans - bought at Blik's Art Store on the way home. I'd done my homework to determine that this is the product I wanted and Blik sells it. Will start by sanding clear-coat off the body/neck, dye the wood yellow, then spray solid (satin) black, then the red and finally the crackle black. Should be fun!
The never-to-be-found pu surrounds are missing (drat!) and the original Dano bridge has been replaced with a slotted-saddle bent-plate ala Fender bridge. I have one of the '90s RI Dano bridges and will use it unless I can find one of the standard ones. I'll be returning it to original.
Neck seems to be in good shape but I'll need to go over it to see what needs addressing. The output overall is a bit weak and the E string is even less output. I'll be looking into that as my other Hornet is pretty in-your-face output-wise across all strings. Will know more once I remove the pg and check under the hood. Nothing that can't be fixed.
Body and neck are poplar - the dark/light sections are very chariteristic of the wood. Also incorporates a tilt-neck adjustment port and no neck plate. Some have them while others don't. My Coral does.
Neck is poplar also - and has no tr. Instead there are twin steel beams that run the length of the neck.
8lbs/11oz -
Whoever stripped the finish did a wood graft - it's a little funky, but not terrible.
Replacement bridge wasn't fully screwed in. (?) and a ground 'cable' sits under it... it'll be leaving.
It's missing the finger rest but I have one off my Coral that will fit if I want to put it on. The red tort is really deep and rich - a very nice version of tort. Knobs in clean condition.
Frets need leveling - similar to my Hornet. I was lucky my Coral neck was as good as it was. Aluminum side dots, as all Dano's have.
New GHS Precision flats installed but someone doesn't know how to cut excess taper length off...
Silvertone badge in the house - the original is smaller than the one I found for my Hornet. Original string tree a simple washer and screw w/aluminum riser sleeve.
Stubby Fender Mustang-like tuners in good shape -
So here's the finish I will be doing on it. Although a crackle finish was most seen on the late '60s Dano/Coral Sitar-guitar, it appeared on earlier Dano guitars and their short-scale basses. The long-scale Hornets, Danes and Coral Deluxe Bass's never came in a crackle finish.
It looks good with the amber'd white pg, but I think this look will work well with the deep, rich tort on the Hornet.
The tight crackle is a great look because it will look like black-cherry from a distance and the detail will come into focus up close. This is the opposite of the loud garish pointy-guitar crackle look.
Not sure why black is under the red - but I dig it and will mimic it.
Love the way this looks! You can see every layer - I will use this as a template for the Hornet The neck doesn't have the black undercoat like on the body - only yellow, red and solid black.
Headstock face only the red/black crackle finish.
The bigger crackle is the result of a heavier coat of the black.
another example of the similar finish on a 6-string Dano -
Montana rattle-cans - bought at Blik's Art Store on the way home. I'd done my homework to determine that this is the product I wanted and Blik sells it. Will start by sanding clear-coat off the body/neck, dye the wood yellow, then spray solid (satin) black, then the red and finally the crackle black. Should be fun!
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Who knew I was ahead of the times...
