Danelectro Guitar

[Locke]

In my obsessive pouring over of the Led Zep double DVD I couldn't help but notice the slick black guitar Jimmy was playing during "White Summer" at the Royal Albert Hall, and again during "In My Time of Dying" at Earl's Court.

According to Wikipedia, this was a <a href="http://www.danelectro.com/guitars_black.html">1959 Danelectro</a>. Well, slap my behind and call me Sally, but I spotted a few for sale at a local guitar store. I could barely contain my excitement at the possibility of owning a guitar also owned by my chief idol; but common sense butted in and I thought I'd get a few other opinions before spending my cash on one.

Anyone else play with one regularly? Any buyer's remorse? I thought the action was a little higher than I usually like. On the other hand, the sound was awfully nice; thought that could have been me imagining Jimmy's slide work over my own pathetic pluckings.

Any advice would be appreciated.

~Locke

[spatdrastik]

Jimmy's is a frankenstein guitar...built from the best parts of more than one guitar...The newer ones I've seen had acoustic style(non adjustable) bridges apparantly glued to the body, and they felt very cheap(not really a bad thing to me..I love cheap guitars), but the horrifying visions of the bridge flying off during a gig, and being perpetually out of tune if I change string gauges was a huge turn off...still they cost very little and I almost bought one anyway

[JimmyPage1977]

Jimmy's is a frankenstein guitar...built from the best parts of more than one guitar...The newer ones I've seen had acoustic style(non adjustable) bridges apparantly glued to the body, and they felt very cheap(not really a bad thing to me..I love cheap guitars), but the horrifying visions of the bridge flying off during a gig, and being perpetually out of tune if I change string gauges was a huge turn off...still they cost very little and I almost bought one anyway

Actually, Jimmy originally played the Danelectro with the non-adjustable (original) bridge and had a BadAss bridge installed in latter years. The reissue bridges are held in place by three screws that can adjust the height of the action. A Danelectro is pretty much a masonite body with "lipstick" single coil pickups. They get an unusual tone and have very low output. You can find bridges made by Danelectro during the "reissue" years that are adjustable and quite a bit nicer. I have a doubleneck and a DC-59 (like Jimmy's), but they are wall ornaments for me. If you want a great slide guitar, buy a National.

My advice: Unless you are in a Led Zeppelin Tribute band, skip this piece of poop. Buy something that sounds and plays good.

[Chicken]

In my obsessive pouring over of the Led Zep double DVD I couldn't help but notice the slick black guitar Jimmy was playing during "White Summer" at the Royal Albert Hall, and again during "In My Time of Dying" at Earl's Court.

According to Wikipedia, this was a <a href="http://www.danelectro.com/guitars_black.html">1959 Danelectro</a>. Well, slap my behind and call me Sally, but I spotted a few for sale at a local guitar store. I could barely contain my excitement at the possibility of owning a guitar also owned by my chief idol; but common sense butted in and I thought I'd get a few other opinions before spending my cash on one.

Anyone else play with one regularly? Any buyer's remorse? I thought the action was a little higher than I usually like. On the other hand, the sound was awfully nice; thought that could have been me imagining Jimmy's slide work over my own pathetic pluckings.

Any advice would be appreciated.

~Locke

I've got a Danelectro DC-3.

It was only like, £110...second hand, but hardly played, so I can't really have any buyers remorse with a price like that!

I certainly don't play it as often as I play my Strat and/or my Les Paul, it's not as much of an all-rounder so I usually don't play it at gigs and stuff, but it is a lovely guitar...I love the "Switch-o-Matic" tone selector, it's very light both in weight and the action and everything so it's lovely to play.

It's just a fun guitar all-round, really.

[Gainsbarre]

My advice: Unless you are in a Led Zeppelin Tribute band, skip this piece of poop. Buy something that sounds and plays good.

Rubbish!

I don't care for the DC3 much but The Danelectro 56 U2 is one of the best guitars ever made. Why do you think so many Chicago blues greats play it??

The finger board is wider than most guitars which makes it excellent for more difficult chord arrangements (almost like halfway between an electric guitar and a classical guitar in playing feel) and yes it may be cheaply made, but it responds! You can really work a Danelectro and it moves with you, not like tight-ass guitar like a les paul. The 56U2 is like an old rally car, like a Mini cooper rally car, cheaply made, no spit and polish or glamarous features, but you can throw it around and it'll do the job perfectly with a distinctive feel.

[JimmyPage1977]

Rubbish!

I don't care for the DC3 much but The Danelectro 56 U2 is one of the best guitars ever made. Why do you think so many Chicago blues greats play it??

The finger board is wider than most guitars which makes it excellent for more difficult chord arrangements (almost like halfway between an electric guitar and a classical guitar in playing feel) and yes it may be cheaply made, but it responds! You can really work a Danelectro and it moves with you, not like tight-ass guitar like a les paul. The 56U2 is like an old rally car, like a Mini cooper rally car, cheaply made, no spit and polish or glamarous features, but you can throw it around and it'll do the job perfectly with a distinctive feel.

It would be great to hear some of your work, playing the guitar that you're posting about. We weren't addressing the 56-U2, but whatever floats yer boat....

I can play a plastic ukelele and kick ass.... it's not like a tight ass guitar like a Les Paul, but it feels like I'm riding around town in a Mini Cooper. I'll take the Dodge Challenger, it's wider, well made and can pretty much CRUSH any tiny EURO car made.

Kisses.

[Gainsbarre]

I'll take the Dodge Challenger, it's wider, well made and can pretty much CRUSH any tiny EURO car made.

Oh of course that would be perfect for rally car driving: a big heavy hunk of american steel with a shitty centre of gravity and all that weight making it easily and clumsily go off course... You might have to go back to Analogy school, boy

I can play a plastic ukelele and kick ass....

Kisses.

Is that so? Are you going to hold out your Ego so I can kiss it?

[spatdrastik]

Oh of course that would be perfect for rally car driving: a big heavy hunk of american steel with a shitty centre of gravity and all that weight making it easily and clumsily go off course... You might have to go back to Analogy school, boy

Is that so? Are you going to hold out your Ego so I can kiss it?

Oh yeah????

I'll take a plymouth roadrunner..cant argue with a 440 and 2 800cfm 4bbl, add a dana 60/4.10 and a roots blower and I will not only CRUSH a eurocar, the only thing rolling over it will be my back tires...

and I will cut heads on a uke with ANYONE

with 1 string

and no pick

behind my back

with my teeth

falling down drunk

but this thread is about danelectro guitars....if you like it buy it, there is no wrong or right. I can play a gig just as easily on a walmart axe as a vintage les paul, strat or tele or prs or whatever, as long as it's in tune. I HATE gear snobs...it's about how you play not what you play

[Gainsbarre]

Oh yeah????

I'll take a plymouth roadrunner..cant argue with a 440 and 2 800cfm 4bbl, add a dana 60/4.10 and a roots blower and I will not only CRUSH a eurocar, the only thing rolling over it will be my back tires...

and I will cut heads on a uke with ANYONE

with 1 string

and no pick

behind my back

with my teeth

falling down drunk

Okay...That was funny, I'll award you that

[Locke]

Thanks for the responses! I'll have to take a closer look at the bridge next time I'm in the shop.

Actually I should have a buddy check out the hardware on it for me beforehand. This'll be my first electric; I'm really just looking for something affordable (and great sounding) that won't fall apart or be an embarrassment in a year.

Now if anyone can recommend a good baritone ukulele I'll be golden.

~Locke

[Gainsbarre]

Thanks for the responses! I'll have to take a closer look at the bridge next time I'm in the shop.

Actually I should have a buddy check out the hardware on it for me beforehand. This'll be my first electric; I'm really just looking for something affordable (and great sounding) that won't fall apart or be an embarrassment in a year.

Now if anyone can recommend a good baritone ukulele I'll be golden.

~Locke

Go the Dano, it's cheap and it'll last you, BUT...don;t change the bridge. Leave it at the old wooden one...

[JimmyPage1977]

Thanks for the responses! I'll have to take a closer look at the bridge next time I'm in the shop.

Actually I should have a buddy check out the hardware on it for me beforehand. This'll be my first electric; I'm really just looking for something affordable (and great sounding) that won't fall apart or be an embarrassment in a year.

Now if anyone can recommend a good baritone ukulele I'll be golden.

~Locke

I think that anyone that advises you to buy a Danelectro as your only electric guitar is doing you a great disservice. A Danelectro reissue is NOT a sound guitar and it's electronics are not very good. I bought one, but almost never play it. You will not get good tone out of it like you could achieve with a Epiphone or Squire Strat at the around the same price.

They are a lot more fun to own and mess with if, like Chicken, you have better guitars in your possession as well.

I apologize to you all for my earlier brash reply (the plastic ukelele statement), but I meant it as if to say what my post above is saying. I also stand firmly behind my first post on this thread. A Danelectro is a waste of money, in my opinion. I will say that if you play it and fall in love with it, then nothing anyone says matters. Everyone is different in their tastes and that what makes music such a great art form!

Have fun and Good luck!