Product: Danelectro Shorthorn
Price Paid: 250.00 (Canadian Dollars) used
Submitted
08/05/2004
at
11:02pm
by
Mike Knowler
Features
:
7
Made in Neptune City, New Jersey, U.S.A. at the Old Danelectro Plant in 1959 or 60' ( No Serial Number Present. ) Rear Circular Control Cover & " Peanut " Front Pickguard put it No Later than the Aforementioned Years. " Seal " Pickguard was to follow on Later Models.
This Bass was Stripped in ( Probably ) the Summer of Love and Painted " Psychedelic Art Deco " by a ( Now Long Dead ! ) Hippie on Good Acid ! The Back of the Body, Neck,and Headstock were Painted Pinkish Red, which is Nicely Worn Off and Relic'd....Looks Incredibly Vintage and Cool ! The Original " Toothpaste Cap " Knobs are Long Gone, as is the " Peanut " Pickguard, and Rear Control Cover was Missing also when I Received the Bass, Exposing the Electronics.
Body is, Of Course, Masonite, and the Neck and Frame are Poplar. The Tuning Keys are Strip Type, All Functional, and the Neck, Frets, and Brazilian Rosewood Board are in Excellent Condition. The Original Rosewood Saddle was worn down to a Nub, and is being replaced. I Obtained a 1956 Rear Control Cover Plate on eBay, and a New Rosewood Saddle & Vintage Style Knobs from the Seller of the Bass.
Two-Octave Fifteen Fret 18-Inch Fretboard !
Volume, Tone and Three-Way Selector Switch that Does God Knows What !
Three-Point Bridge and Hard to Intonate Rosewood Saddle.
Sound
:
10
Now the Great Part : Why is it that Bass Guitars that Look Like this...I.E. Fido wouldn't Drag it Home ! ....Have Absolutely KILLER TONE ! ! ! ? ? ?
This Simple Bass, Strung with a Decent Set of Flats, Sounds like a Beautifully Aged Classic Acoustic Upright, Crossed with a Vintage Hofner 500/1 Equipped with Staple Pickups ! Yet, it is again Different, that Tone that Only a Vintage, Original Danelectro Bass can Produce.
Amazes the Hell out of Me !
It is a Very WARM, FULL & MELLOW TONE.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
6
Action is in need of Lowering ( Presently being Undertaken. ) I am also getting Position Markers Inserted as I am somewhat of a Clod !
Vintage Dano's didn't have them, at Least on the Shorthorns, as far as I know.
A Proper Set-Up and Intonation will Complete things.
Due to it's Terminal Uniqueness, I am going to Leave the Bass in it's Glorious State !
Reliability/Durability
:
7
Yeah, it's Giggable / Jammable / Etc.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Company's been Toast since 1969.
Overall Rating
:
9
Playing 36 Years. I also Own a Vintage 1973 Sunburst Hagstrom H 1 B Bass, a Vintage 1976 Sunburst Yamaki 6-String Acoustic Guitar, a Hartke Kickback 10 Bass Amp, and a Fender BXR25 Bass Practice Amp.
LOVE THE SOUND OF THIS BASS.....THERE IS NOTHING ELSE ON EARTH LIKE IT !
Also, it's Light, Small, Fun, and Easy to Play.
