Danelectro - what's the score?

Neil

Have often seen Danelectros on sites and have not taken a lot of notice but those new brightly coloured ones with the lipsticks and jazzy colours do look nice and retro.

I know they are cheaply made (semi hollow with hardboard?) but are they really cheap crap or unpolished gems?

Don't seem to see them mentioned here at all so any first hand experience, good or bad?

GavRichList

I love the look of the Dead on '67s. I'd be tempted by one of those for buttons, though have never played one.

Cookiemonster

dc59 is a great guitar, not tried any others, once has a really old vintage one think it was badged silvertone, and it had mojo but didnt play as nice as the korean one.

Moss

They are easily on par with guitars of a similar price - if not better

Sassafras

They sound better than they've got any right to when you consider what they're made of. I had an old one that looked like it was made of Balsa wood and Formica but it sounded very good, bright and somehow acoustic like. I also had a bass that was pretty good with a very rich resonance.

Chalky

I've tried them, owned them, tried to love them, failed. Cheap tat really. Apologies

UnclePsychosis

Unpolished gems.

I had a U2 56 reissue, I loved it but stupidly sold it whilst I was having a particularly brutal declutter.

The combination of the semi hollow bodies and the lipstick pickups gives them a really lovely tone. Really, really light too.

Downside is that the bridges are a bit crap - some of them aren't (easily) adjustable. If you're really anal about setups you might not get on with one. Well worth checking out though.

Neil

Quite mixed opinions, as I surmised.

I'll have a look next time I am able.

Thanks for the input.

Fuzzdog

They're weird, quirky and far more fun to play than they have any right to.  Don't think I could ever use one as a main instrument, but whenever I pick up a Dano I usually end up enjoying the experience despite the construction.

The 12-string is actually one of my favourite 12's of all time at any price point - jangle galore.

ICBM

They do vary a bit - the earlier reissues are generally held to be better than the recent series, and they're if anything even flimsier but do seem to have more character. A good one is really very good.

Currently I own a Convertible which is one of the oddest of the lot - fully hollow, with a very cheap floating bridge and feeds back tremendously well with any distortion at all - but it's currently on permanent loan to my singer so I haven't seen it for a while!

english_bob

I had a 56 U2 at one point too. It played and sounded OK, but I never particularly got to love it like my other guitars.

It probably goes without saying that they're very much their own thing as guitar- it's not like any other guitar and I can't see it being many people's main guitar except for a very select few genres of music. On the other hand, what it does do is very cool and could well find a place as a studio guitar or a "change from the other guitar " guitar.

lustycourtier

They are Great, just dont buy new, unless you share the owners views on Homosexuality and gay marriage.

DartmoorHedgehog

lustycourtier said:

They are Great, just dont buy new, unless you share the owners views on Homosexuality and gay marriage.

That probably goes for most American stuff though doesn't it?   (I don't know the background though - is the Dano boss particularly bad?)

I think Danelectro guitars look really cool but that's all I can say as I've not played one.  The DC59 in particular - I could be tempted by a 12.

IanSavage

The score is that because of this thread I now have three Danelectros on my eBay watch list

english_bob

DartmoorHedgehog said:

lustycourtier said:

They are Great, just dont buy new, unless you share the owners views on Homosexuality and gay marriage.

That probably goes for most American stuff though doesn't it?   (I don't know the background though - is the Dano boss particularly bad?)

 

The guy who owns the company that makes Danelectro gear donated money ($10,000) to a political campaign opposing gay marriage in California in 2009. As far as I know that's all he did. 

Whether you think the personal beliefs and political convictions of a private individual are grounds to boycott his business is up to you. 

Neil

IanSavage said:

The score is that because of this thread I now have three Danelectros on my eBay watch list

Sorry Ian!.

IanSavage

Neil said:

IanSavage said:

The score is that because of this thread I now have three Danelectros on my eBay watch list

Sorry Ian!.

S'alright; I had one of the original Korean reissue U2s and I do kinda miss it, especially now I'm playing a bit of slide...always meant to replace it!  

paulk

I had a 56 U2 for a while and it was a fun guitar to play. Loved the sound of it but it wasn't the best built thing I've ever had

hobbio

The blue Wild Thing has been on my GAS list for a while now.

WezV

i have one of the relatively recent DC59's i have been constantly messing with for a few years

I really like it, but i would never call it a great guitar and I really don't believe its anywhere near as good as other guitars you can get for the money.   But it is authentically danelectro like, even if its less accurate than the early ones. and they do have a certain something about them

If you were after one good all round guitar for £150 the dano would be bottom of my list, but if you want a dano style guitar and like a bit of retro quirk then the reissues are good value for money.

the reissues are a laminated frame with hardboard top and back.  originals tended to be random blocks of solid wood, but actually i think the laminated versions are more consistent

blueskunk

Marmite guitars

I had one which i liked but all my mates thought was shite and a toy. I lusted after a dead on 57 but when i tried one was truly shocked how awful it was.