Q: I want to properly set up my Danelectro Guitar, Bass, and Baritone. Do you have any specs or measurements to assist in doing this? A: Methods of Measurement: All measurements with guitar in playing position, no exceptions, guitar cannot be laid flat on a table or workbench to make measurements. All strings must be tuned to pitch when measurements are made. Action: Measured from top of 12th fret to bottom of string with 6' steel rule in 1/64' increments For Bass and Baritone there are measurements for the low and high strings.
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The inner strings will graduate in height and follow the fingerboard radius. Truss rod: Capo 1st fret and fret low E string at 15th fret. Measure space between the top of the 7th fret and bottom of string with feeler gauge. Nut height: Measure space between top of first fret and bottom of each string with feeler gauge. Pickup height: measure space from the top of the pickup to the bottom of the low and high E strings using the 6' steel rule in 1/64' increments.
Q: What are some of the differences between a 59-DC first reissue manufactured between 1998-2001 and a '59 Dano second reissue from 2007? A: Here's what makes the 2007 '59 Dano different from the first reissue 59-DC. Unlike the first reissues that were made in Korea, the 2007 '59's were made in China.
It is approximately one pound heavier at 6.6 versus 5.5 lbs; has somewhat hotter/louder pickups; different shape headstock; upgraded (Gotoh style) tuners; fully adjustable and intonable bridge; wider/thicker neck; upgraded toggle switch; input jack is now on the side rather than on the front; single volume and tone controls have replaced the concentric controls; matte pickups and hardware as opposed to shiny chrome; matte finish; aged looking side binding tape and seal pickguard for a vintage look. Q: I've noticed that some of the reissues are made in Korea and some in China. Is there a quality difference or preference? A: All Danelectro resissue models are currently made in Korea. The 2007-2008 models were made in China. The 1998-2001 reissues, such as the DC-3 were also made in Korea. Some of the 1998 59-DC's and 56-U2's were made in Indonesia.
Regardless of where any of these were made, they are for the most part all nice quality with decent factory set-ups using 10 gauge strings across the board on the guitars. In my opinion, the quality control on these newer Danos is as good as the earlier reissues. They are however, very different guitars in many respects. Let's face it, you can't compare a vintage Dano made in Neptune, New Jersey with any Dano that's been made since! Q: I own a 59-DC and the side tape is lifting up especially around the cutaway areas. Is there anyway I can repair this without cutting the tape or replacing it? A: On the vintage Danos the side binding tape was necessary to hide a seam in the body.
On the newer models it's strictly decorative and keeps that vintage vibe going. On these newer Danos, inparticular the 59-DC first reissue, the problem with the side binding tape lifting or bubbling is usually caused by tape shrinkage due to changes in temperature and/or humidity. This is of course strictly an aesthetic issue. Nevertheless it's annoying so you'll want to remedy the situation. Try taking a blow dryer and heating the tape, being careful not to overheat and melt it.
While the tape is warming, begin pressing it down while at the same time rubbing it with your fingers. Keep up this pressing/rubbing motion until the tape cools a bit. Sometimes it helps to put a soft cloth between your fingers and the guitar while rubbing.
If there was enough glue on the tape originally it may stay down, although this may only prove to be a temporary fix. Tape usually starts popping up again especially if the guitar gets cold. If the blow dryer procedure doesn't have a lasting effect, try lifting up the tape and applying a very thin layer of super glue to the back of the tape using a toothpick or glue syringe. Service manual download.
Do not spread the super glue right to the edge of the tape as it will get on the guitar when you press the tape down to affix it. (Note: Do not use expandable type glues as this may cause bumps under the tape). With the glue spread evenly on the tape, press down on the tape while simutaneously rubbing making sure you don't super glue your fingers to the body! Keep up this pressing/rubbing moting until the glue has bonded.
Also, be careful not to allow any of the glue to leak out onto the body. You will never be able to remove dried super glue! If the above repair does not produce satisfactory results you'll probably want to. Q: How do I know what year my Danelectro was manufactured? A: There's no way to confirm an exact manufacturing date on any of the first Danelectro reissues.
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Curiously, there was no valid serial number system. The sticker that was applied on the back of the neck which appears to be a serial number, meant nothing. The first reissues were however made between 1998-2001. Some prototypes of these models were produced earlier in 1997.
The DC-3, like the Mod 6 and the Hodad can not be considered re-issues as they have no predecessors. They were actually new models at the time of manufacturing.
Free Serial Numbers
More on serial numbers and dating vintage Danos. This intonatable bridge has individual saddles. Each saddle has two screws, one for height adjustment and one which locks the saddle in place and allows the saddle to be positioned for correct intonation.
It also seems to help sustain and resonance if you screw the central fixing screw hard down so the back of the bridge sits on the top of the body. Installation tips: The two flathead screws go under the top of the bridge and NOT through the bridge holes. Bottom (roundhead) screw goes through bridge hole. Screw in the two flathead top screws so that the underside of the bridge is a minimum of 1/16 inch distance away from the body of the guitar. Start bottom side adjustment of bridge so that you can slide a medium thickness pick between the bridge and the body. Fine tune your installation adjustments from here. Tip for adjusting the bridge: The locking screw sits directly under the string so to stop the saddle shooting forward you need to slacken the string before you unlock it.
It also seems to help sustain and resonance if you screw the central fixing screw hard down so the back of the bridge sits on the top of the body. Note: The neck must be removed for truss rod adjustment. Turn truss rod adjustment only 1/4 turn over a 24 hour period to avoid damage to the neck. Installation tips: The two flathead screws go under the top of the bridge and NOT through the bridge holes. Bottom (roundhead) screw goes through bridge hole. Screw in the two flathead top screws so that the underside of the bridge is a minimum of 1/16 inch distance away from the body of the guitar. Start bottom side adjustment of bridge so that you can slide a medium thickness pick between the bridge and the body.
Fine tune your adjustments from here. The neck must be removed to access the truss rod. Turn truss rod adjustment only 1/4 turn over a 24 hour period to avoid damage to the neck. Q: How do I tighten the tremolo bar on the '67 Hornet?
A: On a workbench or table with a a protective mat: 1. Loosen all the strings and detach the ball ends from the bridge. Remove rear circular plate on back of guitar. Pay attention to the order parts are being removed, i.e wingnut, washer, clamp, spring.
Unscrew the wing nut and the bridge will drop off. Tighten the tremolo bar. Now you'll be able to get at the nut. Reassemble bridge and re-string. Make sure set screws are lined against the top two holes on the bridge before screwing in bridge again. The spring can be tightened to any tension you prefer for the temolo.
Q: I recently purchased a damaged 56 U2 reissue. The body has a separation between the top and back from the side. Is there a particular glue or epoxy you would recommend for a repair? A: The glue used on a guitar is a very important factor as it must be very strong to hold together the mass of wood that is always under stress. I suppose there are a lot of opinions on this but one product that always seems to work well is Titebond Original Wood Glue. Don't use epoxy adhesives on wood as they don't stick well and you'll have a heck of a time removing the rock hard epoxy residue.
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Titebond Original Wood Glue is the answer for 99% of guitar repair jobs.
To date a Danelectro guitar, you must know the model name of your guitar, understand the meaning of your instrument's serial number, and determine the time frame in which your specific Danelectro guitar was manufactured. How To Date A Danelectro Guitar Locate the serial number on your guitar.
It is usually located on the neck pocket, but occasionally the number can be found elsewhere. Decode your serial number.
Most serial numbers on Danelectro guitars have either three or four digits. The first two digits represent the week of the year it was made. For instance, a '12' means it was made in the twelfth week of the year. In a three-digit serial number, the third digit represents the last digit of the year. A '7,' for example, could mean it was made in 1957 or 1967. In a four-digit serial number, the third digit is an unknown symbol, while the fourth digit represents the last digit of the year.
Fender Vintage Reissue Serial Numbers
To determine the specific year in which your Danelectro guitar was made, you may have to figure out the range of years in which your model was made. For instance, the U3 Danelectro guitars were made between 1957 and 1958. So if you have a Danelectro U3 with a third digit serial number of '7,' you know it was built in 1957, not 1967. Visit www.danguitars.com for dates of manufacture for specific Danelectro guitar models.
So my band has a danelectro U2, which we bought off a good friend of mine as a backup guitar. Reading up about them, i am trying to find out how old it is. A guy in a band we gigged with played an exact same one and claimed it is a 50's one. It is defanately not one of the newest reissues as they have slightly different headstocks.
Which could mean it is an earl 90's reissue. Pop the neck? Throw it into the fires of Mt.
It is the only way. But seriously on the newer Dano's its printed stickers underneath the pots.
I really appreciate all of your insightful replies! I don't know for sure but I suspect this is a reissue, but the seller doesn't have many details. Unfortunately, it can be difficult for me to judge sometimes, as I am based out of the US and the market here seems be a lot thinner than in the US - so it can be tough to judge when I would get the opportunity on many instruments I come across a second time. I might give this one a skip, as I don't think the seller is keen on dropping the price and it does strike me as being a bit on the high side.
I have found a couple other instruments I am evaluating against it as well - including a Yamaha RBX A2, for $550 or so. I really like the tone of that one. Any ideas on this one?
And I am likely picking up a tele today (6 string) so I can't go for everything all at the same time! I got one just like the one in the picture, only it's purple. It is a great sounding bass. They are incredibly cheaply made.
Danelectro Guitar
They are super light cause they are hollow, and not much wood on, or in em. If they didn't sound so darn good, I would say run from it. But I really like the tone on the one I got. It is super zippy but goes deep.
It really sounds awesome with some new strings on it. And this is coming from a bass obsessed guy with a bunch of high end basses. After playing on a Fender it feels like a toy. The neck is fast, and I think there is some wood in the neck.
These basses defy everything you will read on TalkBass. $375 is a bit steep, but if you really want it, that is an OK price. It does look like a Korean Re-issue. Agreed, looks like a late 90's Korean reissue from the photos, or at least like MY late 90's reissue (different color though). Since you haven't stated what country you're in (I'm guessing Europe?) that's likely market rate for the bass in Europe. Understand though that a Danno is basically a one sound instrument, it either works for you or it doesn't.
Plenty of rock bands have used them successfully over the years (Golden Earring comes to mind, Dada, many others as well). If you need more variety of sounds it may not be the first choice. Love mine but it's only one of the six different basses I own and play regularly. Thanks again for the insightful comments.
I love the tone from the video demos I've seen, and have a couple other basses that can deliver additional tone possibilities (including a 1982 Ibanez Musician), and I have a Chowny on the way to me now. So I would like to grab this, but the slightly higher price point than I am comfortable with is putting me off a bit.
Also, I am trying to evaluate whether I should get this or the Yamaha RBX A2 - for which I have managed to talk the seller down to $400. So these are now pretty much on an equal footing price-wise, but I don't know which would be a better idea, which is rarer, which I'd be more satisfied with, sigh, darn GAS. I wish I could stretch to both, but I don't think that will happen. I'd really value anyone willing to make the decision for me,. Longhorns are very unique instruments. And despite the light weight are as tough as nails. They sound gorgeous and are a joy to play.
There's not much adjustment on the wooden bridge but there is a sweet spot for it where the intonation is good. You have to remove the neck to adjust the trussrod. That said, the neck on mine is incredibly stable and I've only had to adjust it once to suit my playing style. The neck does not require the seasonal adjustments many of my other basses do. My longhorn became my go to bass. Mine is a first run re-issue like the one pictured. I would suggest that you get it, simply because I love and use mine.
It's become my favourite bass.
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