Danelectro DC Bass

I have a late 90s "commie red" DC. It's a Korean re-issue. It has all that the miracle of Plastics can give you. That's right: PLASTICS! It's the wave of the future.

This bass is deco enough to look good on an art show wall and it smells better than ghoudda.

Two lipstick pickups, of course. Masonite body. Bolt on neck. Stacked volume and tone, one set for each pickup. Aluminum nut. Wood bridge...which I think, along with the aluminum nut is a huge part of the vibe of the thing tonally. The bridge can basically adjusted up and down. Yep. Up and down with big screws on each side. You've got the plastic tuners, re-issue Klusons.

All that and an input jack on the side. Oh...and it's a slab body that's hollow inside so it weighs about as much as a box of macaroni.

Slim profile on the neck and tight string spacing. Takes a bit of getting used to...kind of like a Hoffner (except this is 34" scale.) Very bouncy bass...absolutely lends itself to walking lines.

I play mine through a PolyTone Mini Brute 1x1w...one from the late 70s I believe. I run it through the bass input and set the tone to the middle. I live in NYC and play a variety of styles from punk to jazz standards. At larger venues I run it through an SWR Redface head and a Bag End 1x15 (no tweeter) cab.

Played with a pick I can get some great classic tones from your classic Carol Kaye LA Motown to a Pretenders-like rock tone. It's great for power pop and the like. Due to the lipstick pickups this thing takes to distortion like a fish to water. It's like some sort of strange square wave generating board. Very odd. You can easily get into Sonic Youth "100%" territory with this thing, feedback and all...if that's your fancy.

I find this bass to be a bit of a middle ground between Hoffner Beatle basses and Rickenbacker 4001s.

When played with one's fingers, it's warm and mellow with great mids and bell-like harmonics. You can run the gamut from a nice early-Dead Phil Lesh sound (from the ol' Hagstrom-era Guild days) to a sound that would make Ray Brown smile. Very thumpy and not such booming lows. For that you need a Rick or Precision or the like. I have old roundwounds on it that I just leave on and play dead. Sounds awesome to me.

I would not even consider tapping or popping on this bass. It would be kind of silly to do and even sillier to witness I would imagine. Now someone out there's gonna try it just to get my goat. Don't say I didn't say, "Told you so."

The thing that floors me about this bass is essentially a testament to contradiction. I mean, it's a masonite body with some wood and plastic. I think the nut's cheap aluminum or something. It's a monstrosity. It basically has a small, small range for tonal option; especially when compared to modern boutique or even general production basses today. And yet this bass has so much character and vibe that you can play it in a broad variety of situations.

I hate this bass. I love this bass. I feel torn and conflicted about alternately hating and then loving this bass. I want to smash it to pieces and, because of that, I can't live without it.

Fine factory setup. The nut was a bit high for my tastes and so was the bridge but that's minor. Everything was clean and playable. No electronics issues. As for action...that's a matter of preference.

I'm worried about taking it on tour this summer with a rock band. I might buy an identical backup...or just take my P and lean on that. It's so light and plastic-y. Maybe it's indestructable. I don't want to try to find out.

I often play with a very light touch. Even when I'm picking I don't strike super-hard. I can keep shoes for years without wearing out the soles. That's just me. I'm not hard on stuff. But it's held up fine in a gig bag on the NYC subway so that's something.

Never tried to get it repaired. Now it's out of warantee since I'm the 2nd owner.

I've been playing almost 20 years. I've owned a LOT of basses over the years. Currently I have a Fender Jazz (fretless 80s MIJ), an Ibanez SR3000E Presitge, a Breedlove Atlas ABG, an Azola BugBass, a late 19th century carved 3/4 upright, and I just got a Fender P (Mike Dirnt model, MIM...my first MIM Fender but this model looks like they're trying to prove a point in terms of quality...which I'll gladly capitalize on.)

I love the sound of this Dano. I largely written this bass off as a toy. I first played one in my friend's indie punk band because she put one in my hands in the studio and said, "Play this." I got an identical bass (in a different color) so that I could have it to finish up an album at a later date using the same gear, and then maybe for some touring.

Now I find myself gravitating to it more and more. I have much "nicer" basses. Yet I want to play this one. It's punch and tight. I actually first thought that maybe it wasn't a toy when I saw a photo of the Mingus Big Band and the band leader/bassist had one. In the Mingus Big Band! So I re-visited the bass with a more open mind and have been playing it more and more ever since.

Ultimately I like playing mellow jazz. This bass is fantastic for that and a hell of a lot easier than taking a 3/4 size upright on the subway with a wheel. A lot of a bass is in the preference and in the player's hands (literally.) I find that I can be expressive in the way I want to on this bass. I've searched and searched and played basses priced in the thousands of dollars, and have even owned a few. Yet here is this tiny miracle that I paid less than three hundred bucks for. Imagine that.

The guitar was made beetwen 1998 - 2001 and it made in Korea.
It has 21 frets .Its made out of masonite and plywood and for the bridge there is a piece of wood.There are big plastic knobs which are very cool . The neck is made out of hard maple with rosewood fingerboard.Pickup:Original style brass tube w/chrome plating
Magnet.it has a coke bottle shaped headstock .Mind is "Limo black "Looks great and sound great

The guitar suit my music style .I play hardcore and punkrock and I know the guitar because of fat mike which also plays this bass and im a big fan .It really sounds great .Im using a Peavey amp its very basic but sounds great and noisy because I put the high and low all the way up and its suit the guitar .The sound is very rich .I think the guitar has a very fat and nice sound and when I tried recording with it it went great its sound very low but it sure is noticeably .

The bass is great for me its very light and . The guitar is made out of cheap matiriels but you dont really feel it .The strap buttons is a little problem they are bad my strap keeps falling ! .

I have been playing for 2 years I started with a squier start and moved to a danelectro 63 bass but I always wanted to buy the DC Bass and it is my favorite bass it looks very good too and its a very usefull bass.When im playing nofx covers it really fits it and all other punkrock songs and it sounds very good at recordings .Its light and a great bass too !

This Dano was made in 1999 I think, sticker for serial number has been removed, I have had it since 2003, Bought it from a former bandmate for $150.00

Typical Dano Features so I won't repeat.....I LOVE THIS BASS. Awesome U shaped neck, and a very light colored fretboard.

I play oldies/classic rock, it's great for that style. very quiet, neck pickup nice and deep, bridge is a TWANG MONSTER. It's excellent, nice fit in my collection

I'm the 3rd owner, my bandmate bought it from a kid, who never played it. It was (and still is) in like new condition.
I did a set up on it when my buddy bought it in 2002, I got it in 2003 from him and have never touched it since, Held up nicely

I have 6 basses, so I rotate through my Stuff, so It does get used, I take several basses to gigs because each bass is a different sound.
This bass has played lots of gigs it's held up fine, I pulled the strap buttons and epoxied them in when my buddy owned it, NO PROBLEM, Last truss rod adjust was in 2002, I have gigged with it without a backup due to small stage and no room for extra gear.

This is a fine bass, has held up great

I had a warranty card issue with another Dano purchase, they sent the card very quickly.

I called their 1-800 number in responce to wanting to find dealers who have the 2007 Dano guitars in stock, THEY ACTUALLY CALLED ME BACK. The guy's name was Patrick, and a great guy, I'm sold on them

I have played guitar for 33 years and bass for 25

My gear consists of

1975 Yamaha G-55 Classical
1981 Dean Flying V
1987 Fender MIJ P-Bass
1989 Fender Tele MIJ
1990 Fender Strat MIJ
1994 Fender Tele MIM
1997 Fender/Squier P-Bass
1999 Fender/Squier P-Bass Special
2000 Fender Telecoustic
2004 Fender Hwy 1 Telecaster
2007 Fender Baja Tele
1999 Fender CS1969 Strat Relic
1980's Carlos accoustic
1998 Dano Longhorn
1999 Dano DC Bass
1999 Dano Hodad Baritone
2000 Dano Hearsay
2000 Dano Innunedo Baritone
2000 Dano DC 12
2000 Dano Hodad
2001 Dano Rumor Bass
1959 Dano 3011
2007 Dano Pro
2007 Dano 59 DC
2002 Epiphone AJ15e
2004 Epiphone Wildkat
1996 Epiphone Casino
2005 Wilson Brothers VMB 55 Ventures Model Bass
2005 Wilson Brothers VM 65 Ventures Model Guitar
2006 Wilson Brothers VM 10 Ventures Model Guitar



I have a lot of gear with different sounds, so when I find something I really like I jump on it.

If lost I'd be on Ebay to find another.
I like Danelectro so well, If I find one, I'll buy it

Not so many features on this one, though the stacked pots are pretty cool. Very basic instrument.

This thing has the greatest sound in the world. It's got that semi-hollow body "plunk" that's just perfect for most things. I personally wouldn't use it for funk or anything like that...it doesn't quite have that "booooooooom" that you'd be looking for.

Straight from the factory the setup was freakin' terrible. On a clear day you could almost see the fretboard from the strings, and the intonation was, uh, dodgy. Take it to somebody who knows what they're doing, as I did, and it will be no problem to fix all that. The parts are kinda cheap, and the shielding could be better, but what do you expect for $300?

I haven't played live in years, and I just use the DC for recording at home. It rocks for what I want it to do. Since I got it back from the shop I've never had a problem with it. Do yourself a favor and put some decent strap buttons on it.

Never dealt with customer support, but the good thing is I haven't had to.

Been playing for 22 years, got an Epi, an LP, and the DC bass. Run it all through a Fender Twin...no need for a bass amp since I go straight to the board, plus the neighbors would kill me. Wish it had decent tuners...they hold position but they're a b*tch to turn. Individual saddles for the strings would be nice.

Best masonite, plywood, pot metal and plastic bass out there. Features, you don't need no stinkin' features!

Here is where this bass hits it's stride. Sounds like no solid body can; it is deep, dark, and thumpin. I'm lovin' the tone. I took one of you's advice and put flats on it, nice call. I also noticed the lack of highs another reviewer lamented. I found this could be alleviated by raising the treble side of the P/U's. Sounds much better now all thru the range--give this a try. Not sure why they even bothered with tone contols, but the cheesy stacked plastic knobs are pretty cool, anyway.

For a cheap bass, this is very well put together. The neck is great, very playable, frets are nicely done. I had to take the neck off to adjust it (so will you), which is not very convenient, but the truss rod worked as it should. After bolting and re-stringing, it would be a drag to want just a little more/less relief and have to de-string and re-adjust the neck, though (fortunately I guessed right). Tuners are lousy, but they work. I'd replace them, but I don't want any more weight on the end of the neck. Gotta keep the funk, anyway. Fit and finsh are first rate, made in Korea, which usually equals a nice guitar. Bridge is totally funky and was bent a little, but I straightened it (and probably will again in the future). Gotta love the rosewood "saddle" and the hit-or-miss intonation. Somehow ya gotta think all this cheap stuff is what makes the sound...

I wouldn't want to sit on it or drop it too much, but it looks to be well built.

I doubt much, if any, of this still exists.

I have several very nice basses, and some "players". This is definitely a player. Very lite, cool looking, ballsey sounding, I am glad I picked this up. If you like tone over tone woods, check this out.

HEY I JUST GOT THIS BASS ALL THE WAY FROM CANADA, AND IT IS GREATTT!!!! THIS THING IS UNBELEIVABLE, ITS LIGHT,SOUNDS GREAT,AND SO EASY TO PLAY.THE BRIDGE STYLE IS GREAT, TUNERS LOCK, AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT I CAN SAY IS GOOD ABOUT THIS BASS .THE REASON I WANTED TO GET THIS BASS IS BECAUSE I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT KIND OF BASS FAT MIKE PLAYS FROM NOFX(in case u dont know who nofx is, there the best punk band in the world)SO I FOUND WHAT BASS HE PLAYS AND I AXUALLY FOUND ONE ON THE INTERNET AFTER 3 DAYS OF SEARCHING, AND MAN R THESE HARD TO FIND.SO I GOT IT AND I DONT HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY EXCEPT GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE DANO DC. GO BUY IT KIDS!!

THIS SUITS MY MUSICAL SYLE BECAUSE IT IS A HARDCORE PUNK ROCK BASS GUITAR. THIS BASS IS PUNK ROCK! UM...I USE A 200 WATT JOHNSON BASS AMP, ITS NOT A KNOW BRAND, BUT IT DOES THE TRICK. THIS BASS CAN NEVER BE TO NOISEY, IT SOUNDS GREAT. RICH,WARM,BRIGHT,JAZZ,PUNK SOUND.THIS BASS MAKES JAZZ,SKA,AND PUNK SOUNDS.THIS BASS IS GOOD EVERYWHERE U TAKE IT.LIKES OR DISLIKES......HMMMM.LET ME THINK ABOUT THAT...LIKS!

IVE BEEN PLAYING BASS FOR 7 YEARS.NO.YES.IT SOUNDS AWESOME.NONE.ALL OF IT. I HAVE A FENDER SQUIRE P BASS, AND MY DANO IS SO MUCH BETER THAN IT.FAT MIKE PLAYS IT.FAT MIKES SIGNATURE ON IT.NO EXCEPT U GOT TO GET THIS BASS

Basic.....nothing you do not need. My old primary bass is a Kubicki Factor and that thing is so jammed packed with features that it really does not seem fair. But as far as what you really need....its got it.

Ok... if you play live and know the difference between a good tone for playing by yourself and playing in a band, you will love this bass. It has a tight mid range nasal tone that really cuts its way through the mix. Playing it solo sounds like the cheap piece of crap that it really is. But play it in a band and this baby comes to life. I leave my factor and my j bass on the stand. This thing delivers.

I am used to bodies that are form fitting. This is a plank. But hey, it is supper lite. Play all night, no problem. The finish is really cheesy. But under the lights the silver sparkle comes alive. The tape around the edge of the body.... took it off ten minutes after I got the thing home. Why do they do it... it looks like crap and feels like crap. OK.. you get the idea, 86 the tape around the edge.

Who cares. If it breaks go buy another used one for $150 bucks. I would not play a club without my standbys but that is only smart no matter what bass you play. I will say this.... over the last year I have had more problems with my $2800 Kubicki than I have had so far with this little bass.

I dunno

Look, this is not a great work of art. This is a cheap mass produced plank. But for the price you cannot go wrong. It has a really cool look on stage and it has a lo fi sound that really cuts through the mix. I put better strap locks on and took the tape off. I tell ya... I have some nice basses and I end up using this one most of the time. Only complaint... shielding would be nice It gets a little noisy. Not bad in a noisy bar. Studio....NO.

reissue model, made in korea late 90s sometime. semi hollow ply or masonite top, two passive pickups, stack-knob volume and tone for each. 34 inch scale, frets. "limo black." Has the earlier brdge with the one piece wooden saddle--yeah!


$220 on ebay

Rating for Features? I dunno--features are all you need--is that a 10 or just average? Is more gimmicks a ten? everything works

Ok, if you want to be mister solo bass this might not be your thing. But if you wnat to play anything that needs low thump and growl, this works great

The hollow body gives this a more acoustic sound than a lot of solid bodies, which is especially great if you want a more old-school kind of sound. with both pickups full on it has a sort of j-bass sound, with the bridge pickup rolled back it's got a very cool fat old school thump. It's very warm sounding and has a surprising variety of sounds--the bridge pickup alone is very j-like, very bright and snappy. The two together has that hollow mid j-bass growl, and the neck pickup, which is pretty far forward, gets you well into p-bass territory

Biggest drawback is it's a little uneven--the higher notes lose volume. Could be the strings, maybe. I'd give it a ten is it didn't have that uneveness

frets are fine, no rattles or buzzes, neck is fat and solid. You need to take the neck off to get to the truss rod, but I haven't needed to. Replaced the cheesy plastic strap knobs with metal ones. Control cavity is unshielded, but not too buzzy because of lipstick tube pickups. Finish is great--no obvious flaws, it's exactly what it is--no fancy flametop crapola

there's a lot of string between the bridge and the heel of the neck, so there's alot of room to vary the tone with your fingers--cool

The main deal is it's light, light light--play all night, long long sets, and no back or shoulder pain. tone is excellent--deep but not muddy, lots of midrange happening, cuts through well

how do i rate it? It's not supposed to be some fancy 2wood boutique thing. Fit and finish are more or less like the fit and finish on a household appliance, which is what it's constructed like

Strap buttons I replaced with wooden dowels I glued in and drilled out. tuners seems little flimsy, but they hold a tune just fine. wish it had better shielding, but it's not that bad--US fenders are worse, actually

used it without a backup, no sweat. yes, it has withstood live playing many times

These are really great!! The truth is, an electric bass is just a string--how much does the wood and the fancy construction really matter? The amp and your fingers do all the work. Go spend 3000 bucks on a bunch of fancy wood is you want--I've done it, and it's a waste. I've owned Smiths. Spectors, Zons and other high end basses and really, this is exactly what you need for most bass gigs. I mean maybe if you're Kenny G's bass player you need a fancy Fodera, but if you're kenny G's bass player ya oughta shoot yourself. Active preamps? Huh--the amp has a preamp--waddya need a second one for? It's light, it's comfortable, it makes a solid, effective sound.

value baby! No better value in bassdom!

Follow-Up to My Earlier Review. I have Now had an Opportunity to Take this Bass out for a Serious Live Test.

I am Stunned !

I cannot believe a $249.00 ( Canadian ) used Piece of Masonite, Plywood, Rock Maple, and Rosewood can Sound Far Better than Two Vintage Basses, a 1973 Hagstrom H 1 B, and a 1978 Fender MusicMaster !

This Thing is FANTASTIC!....everyone should get one and experience THAT SOUND !

They are Discontinued so they will become Scarcer as Time goes on.

SOUNDS BLOODY UNBELIEVABLE !

Very Cheesy and Basic !

Tough Enough !

All I Can Say is GET ONE ! You can't go Wrong. The Only thing I wish it had was a 30" Scale as I have a Bad Wrist. However, I can Surprisingly Manage this 34" Scale Bass Nicely due to it's Design. The Weight is a Pure Joy for Onstage Playing.

Year Made.. I don't know, since 1998, when they were introduced. I bought it used.
Twenty Frets. 4 Strings.
Solid Top.
Two Concentric Volume-Tone Knobs. Pretty Cool !
Two Single-Coil " Lipstick " Pickups...also Pretty Cool !
Passive Electronics.
Plywood Frame C/W Masonite Top & Bottom Body.
Hardwood Maple Neck C/W Rosewood FingerBoard.
Painted Enamel Finish. Cool Creme Color.
Very Unique Body Style.
Basic Wood Bridge.
Danelectro Tuners, Two-Per-Side.
34" Scale Reasonably "Chunky" Neck.
Came with no accessories as I bought it used off the rack. I did Buy an inexpensive Warwick Gig Bag for it, however. Should suffice for what I do.

Sounds very Warm and Rich considering it's Light-Weight Hollow Construction. Has a Nice " Round " Tone that I have been looking for in an inexpensive Bass. The " E " String carries Low Tones all the way down the Scale nicely. It is going to fit in just abot everywhere in my Musical Genre.
I will use it with my Hartke Kickback 10 for Rehearsal, Jamming, and Gigging,( Although I rarely ever Gig ), and my Fender BXR 25 for at-Home Practice. I never use Effects.
This Bass has a Rich, Full, Round Sound...kind of unusual for a Hollow-Body. Good Sustain, also. I am VERY IMPRESSED !
My other Basses are all Short-Scale, and I wish this Bass was too, but I am getting used to it. It is still relatively easy to play for a Long-Scale: the Neck is quite manageable.

Good Action right off the Rack ( For a Used bass ).
There were a Couple of Minor Nicks on the Body, and a place where the Vinyl Edging was pulling away from the Side of the Body. That can be fixed with Rubber Cement...very easy to do at home.
The Strap Pegs are very Solid, unlike what I read in other Reviews.

I believe it has already withstood Live Playing.

I have not used it outside the Home as I just got it, so " Time will Tell ".

N/A

Playing 34 Years. I also own a Vintage 1973 Hagstrom H 1 B Sunburst Bass, a Vintage 1978 White Fender Musicmaster Bass, a Hartke Kickback 10 Bass Combo, a Fender BXR 25 Bass Combo, and a Rolls Mini-Mix 51 System.