Danelectro Hodad

As far as i know this is a 2000 model, red sparkle with offwhite trim. bolt on neck, masonite body and as far as i can tell some sort of wood block to support the bridge. 4 lipsticks wired like a les paul as 2 humbuckers, with a 3 way switch and 2 tones and 2 volume knobs. when you pull one tone knob out it does a coil tap, the other one does an in/out of phase. gotoh tuners (very nice and smooth), great feeling neck. included a neck tag and thats all.

if you play garage rock, surf, rockabilly, blues, or anything raunchy, this guitar has got it. the lipsticks wired like humbuckers offer a HUGE improvement over single lipsticks. the sound is so much better. on top of that the coil tap switch can give you that raw single sound if you want, and the out of phase switch makes it the fullest, most beautiful sound ive heard from a dano. i am quite pleased with the tone. as far as noise, no noise. the body feels hollowish, so when you knock on it, it can be noisy. it gets some odd harmonics if you pick the G string and dont mute, but thats a pretty standard thing to happen. if it isnt hard enough of a sound you can tack a compressor on before you put it in the amp and it opens the sound up even more.

my setup is: hodad - roadkill distortion - rp200 - crate GX212. i usually use a blackface amp model and light compressor on the rp200 and a light distortion on the amp and pedal. it gets a really great tone.

because of the way the stock bridges are, its really very dificult to get the intonation correct. but it is very close to being perfect, and the fine tuners dont move around. if i was using this guitar for 12th fret+ solos, i might install another bridge with better fine tuners. but for what i do, its just fine. everything is aligned, its all nice. The only thing i absolutely hated were those plastic knobs! ugh. i replaced the tone and volume knobs right away with the knurled chrome dome knobs. the guitar looks 20% better just doing that (i would suggest it to anyone that owns one, just do it and see).

its been dropped. its been hauled around. its sat in the steaming garage for a few days and still worked. the finish looks like it will never scratch, and hasnt so far even after some mild abuse. the strap buttons got their foam pads and their big and strong. its a light guitar (well lighter than a tankly guitar like a strat) but its definitely built to last. If i gigged, i would probably take this one without a backup.

i emailed danelectro a question about the settings for the coil tap and the selector switch and they emailed be back with the wrong information, information for another guitar model. you're prety much unable to obtain stock replacement parts from them, except for lipsticks. this makes me a bit mad. for all of this they get fairly low customer support.

ive been playing almost a year. I played a regular danelectro u2 right before i played this one and the difference is HUGE and very well worth the extra 40 bucks. if it got stolen, i might get something else just because i like variety, but the tone is unmatched by any other guitar anywhere. i LOVE the tone, and the style. tell anyone that says "danelectros are toys" to put their ibanez or jackson or whatever up their ass.

Same as the others, look at the danelectro website for specs. made in korea, not sure what year.

I play punk, I loved this guitar at first(mostly because it looks like the one johnny Ramone played) but now I realize it doesn't really fit my style for everything. I use it straight into a jcm 900 with one marshall 4x12 cab. The clean sound with this setup is excellent of course thats what it was made for. It is also good for light overdrive situations. play aound with all the knobs, they make a HUGE difference in sound. I love having the single coil humbucher switch. When i play it with full gain from the marshall the sound is not that clear even at the bridge when i compare it with my B.C. Rich(I know a punker playing a B C Rich). The pickups aren't that hot either even at humbucker bridge. it feeds back bad at full gain too, but its hollow so it has to, if you use the bridge pickup it helps. the tuners are good, the trem goes out of tune fast(oh well it looks cool as hell) the neck has an excellent fatter shape, but not too fat-good feel. This is an excellent guitar if you are playing clean, if you play ska or reggae it is also very good. This is a good guitar for anyone who wants a different sound, for $150 with a gig bag anyone could afford it and its WAAAAAY better than squire and crap like that. I gave this a 9 because it does what it is supposed to very well.

I had to adjust the intonation, but it came straight from the factory. The frets were dressed really well.

giged with it twice with no back-up...no problems. back got really scratched from belt buckles but that happens. strong guitar eventhough its light, I can jump around easier.

no problems yet, I heard they were good people.

I've had it for a few months, I really like it. if someone stole it I'd kick their ass and take it back-or buy a new one if it were this cheap. I wish it had the sweet-ass sparkle finish, but that was $400-oh well. I'm not going to say I wish it didn't feed back or had hotter pickups because then it wouldn't have such a good clean sound, and I would just buy another solidbody, but I didn't want one. probably the best guitar you could get for $150 new. I am very happy with it.

Made in Korea, 2000. 21 frets. Body style similar to Moserite. Plywood construction. 4 "lipstick"-style pickups wired like 2 humbuckers. 2 volume, 2 tone controls with coil tap and in/out phase. Bolted neck, satin maple finish/rosewood fingerboard. Bigsby-style (but not Bigsby-made) tremolo bridge. Gotoh non-locking tuners.

Good variety of tones, from jazz-bluesy bass to nasal, not bright treble. OK sustain. Some buzzing on mine that disappears with coil tap; probably needs a better ground. Pickups are pretty sensitive; feed back easily with gain. Like it looks, a suitable guitar for most '60s garage and alt-rock styles.

Action was set comfortably low, slight string buzz on low E remedied by changing very light factory strings. Tremolo arm and cable socket needed some tightening; mismatched strap buttons that I would have replaced regardless. No obvious finish flaws. Switches pretty quiet. (Warning: Non-tremolo standard Dano bridge is crude, barely adjustable; expect to replace.)

It's a very light, plywood-constructed guitar. It's not going to stand up well to a lot of beating. That said, reasonably conscientious players shouldn't have a problem. I worry about the jakey-looking tremolo holding up to a lot of yanking, but so far it's solid. Strap buttons should be replaced with locking type for gigging.

Customer support was timely and helpful. I asked via e-mail what size wrench I needed to tighten the tremolo arm; within 24 hours they had responded with the right answer. 1-year warranty.

I've been playing for 20 years, mostly Gibsons. Cheap thrills sold me on the Hodad. If I had to pay full list for it, forget it. There are a lot of under $500 guitars that are better made than this. But it's a fun, easy instrument to play, with a lot of features and a great look.

it has a nice retro surf thing going on but sounds good with any style of music.Verry light compared to its size,sparkle blue finish,bigsby style trem,2 vol,2 tone with push/pull coil tap and phase.4 lipsticks wired like 2 humbuckers,Gotoh tuners,verry likeable.This guitar has tons of tonal varieties.nice thin neck.Mosrite rip-off body,like the ramones and the ventures had.but The body is a little bit too big for my liking.

I had always loved the danelectro look and that retro charm, thats why i bought this guitar.But when i got it home and started to play it some, i realized i had bought a vintage guitar for a metal band(my band is a hard core/metal band, were called overdosed spirit).Although the looks dont seem to work well with that kind of music, the sound was exactly the kind of origional sound i was looking for(im probably the first metal head to use a dano).It feeds back a lot though,so i use a noise reducer and it works o.k.

Perfect action.I could sit and look deep into the infinite sparkles of its finsh all day.I have too, i found one speck that is red,as opposed to the thousands of blue ones around it.I like the finish on the neck, its smooth and silky but doesnt get sticky when i sweat on it(like those glass-smooth finishes).

I use it only when my main guitar(a beat up,home made,strat)is under construction or is "sick".But i love standing on stage being the sparkley one.it has a glam rock appearance and a big body that is well balanced.It is pretty feeble though, im really protective of it because it doesnt seem to be able to withstand a small beating.The strap buttons dont bug me because i replaced them with locking buttons,nothing is too good for my baby.

I havent had to deal with them yet, but ive heard good things.

I love it. the tone, feel,and looks all have a retro charm.I just wish the body was a little bit smaller.but for the price, go for it!this guitar sounds like a much more expensive guitar(i actually like the sound better than my 1969 Gibson les paul).After 5 years of playing and 7 guitars i have found what will probably be one of my main guitars for a long time.

Made in 2000 in Korea. It features a maple neck with a rosewood fingerboard and 21 frets. Dual lipstick humbuckers that seem to be VERY sensitive. The finish was red pearl. The body style is a bit like a shifted stratocaster, only larger. For not being too contured on the side it's very comfortable to play. Also has a knock-off Bigsby tremelo, but even with an actuall Bigsby it wouldn't make a difference. Non-locking Gotoh tuners. Has a three-way pickup selector. Bolt-on neck. Also came with the Amp in Bag, a cheesy yet really protective bag for not being a hardshell. One complaint about the Hodad is that when you break the string, you cant unwind the tuner and reconnect the string. You will want to have an extra pack of strings with you just in case if you break one.

My playing style is basically hard rock, metal, and sometimes acoustic
and it sounded great in almost everything except metal, but then, it IS NOT a metal guitar. You can play it on the Hodad, you shouldn't though. Great sound when it's clean, it almost sounds acoustic. The humbuckers have a bit of a buzz to it in distortion, not too much to complain about though. With both of the humbuckers on it gets very loud.

When this arrived it was almost completely in tune. The guitar was setup very well, but after a day or so I had to tighten the input jack on it.

I've had this for a little over a month and it's held up nicely. I've never played live but when I do I would easily play it, possibly without a backup. The strap buttons (finally)are metal and the strap hasn't fallen of yet with it on.

Never dealt with them

I've been playing for about a year now and I have a Samick that I use for lead guitar due to its Floyd Rose and 24 frets, but the Hodad is a lot better than the Samick (i'm trading it in soon, bad intonation). If it were stolen, I would freak out and beat the person who took it death. It is a lot like a Les Paul, Tele, or a Strat, but despite that it does has a tone of its own.

Standard Danelectro construction,long scale neck,Gotoh Tuners that actually work,adjustable bridge,3 lipstick pups,6 pos.rotary switch,blow switch that allows all pups together in series.I got the pearl white,a beautifully finished instrument with a very well applied imitation brown leather tape.MUCH better made than my 59 U2 guitar.Decent strapholders (metal and oversized).I also boughtb the cool Dano tweed gigbag.

I am not a bass player,I play guitar,but this bass is FANTASTIC.I produce many bands and in the studio it can hold it's ground against basses that cost 10 times more.All pos are useable my favorites beeing all pups together or neck only.This bass oozes with personality.

Plays great with nice low action,dead straight neck with no buzzes,very good quality build+finish.

It is hollow but it is built tough (just don't step on it).

This is an exalent professional bass that I strongly recomend to anyone.Great sound,looks and loads of personality.My bass player who is a Musicman fanatic,flipped over this bass and went out and bought one the same day he played mine!

I think it's a 2000 model. It has the Bigsby-style tremolo. I assume it's the usual Danelectro masonite/plywood construction. The binding is vinyl tape. Four lipstick pickups arranged in two sets of two for hum-canceling purposes. Two volume and two tone controls. Two of the controls can be pulled up for coil tap or to put the pickups out of phase. There are said to be 11 possible combnations of pickup selector switch/buttons. Rosewood fretboard. Unlike previous Danelectros, this has an adjustable bridge, much better tuners, and metal strap buttons.

It's a Danelectro. It has the classic Danelectro sound - lots of twang, not much sustain. If you're looking to play Stevie Ray Vaughan or metal, this is not the best choice. If you're playing surf, or rockabilly, or just looking for a very different sound from Fender or Gibson/Marshall, this may be just the ticket. I had had a Danelectro U2 earlier, and sold it because I didn't like the bridge or the tuners, and REALLY didn't like the strap buttons. The Hodad is much better in all of these respects, and retains the traditional Danelectro sound while adding lots of other colors with the four pickups and the pull switches.

I would have expected problems in this area, but I've owned two Danelectros and they've both been impeccable in this area. Surprisingly good workmanship. The violet pearl finish is much nicer than I expected. I though that this would be a really ugly guitar, and that wasn't the case ar all.

Danelectros look flimsy, but I've never had any problems with them in terms of reliability. It certainly isn't a tank teh way a Fender is, but I take good care of my guitars, and I don't anticipate any problems. The improved strap buttons are a BIG plus here.

Good repsonse to emails, good Web site.

Ridiculously good deal. Musician's Friend threw in a gig bag with a built-in amp. When I sold my U2, I intended to buy a Hodad at some point. When I saw this price, I couldn't resist. My other guitars are a Parker P-38, Route 101 Solimar Custom, Fender Strat Plus Deluxe, DeArmond Jet Star, MIM Fender Strat, Lace prototype and a Fernandes Nomad. This sounds nothing like any of the others. I don't know that this would be my choice as my only or first guitar, but it's a fabulous value and a great second or third guitar.

This is a striking looking guitar (most often compared to the Mosrite body style, but reminds me fondly of my first old Univox; a mosrite copy). Although not a "re-issue", it's got all the usual Dano features (specs indicate a "hard-wood" top, on a pine frame --better than "card-board", of course), with the ultimately cool looking lipstick pickups, this time wired into humbuckers, with spliting and out-of-phase available by pulling the tone knobs. The "Bigsby-style" tremolo works really well, although at the price I worry that the bar will snap off (what's it made of?) under heavy use. I liked the easy adjustability of the roller bridge, and the tuners seem solid.

This is a great sounding guitar, and I think the pickups are a big part of that. It doesn't sound like my other usual guitars (mostly an American Standard tele, with a Duncan "little '59" in the bridge). I had a little difficulty recording quieter parts because it picked up a lot of transient noise (clothing rubbing, strap squeaking...pretty sensitive pickups, I guess, and the resonance of the hollow body). A little bit of hum was also easily dialed out with the push-pull pots.

The one flaw is a ding in a fret that snags a string when I bend, and I haven't decided how I'm going to remedy that yet. I don't know if that's why the guitar was discounted as much as is was (Guitar Center, Sacramento, CA, $237). It played great from the store, and I switched to my usual "lighter top, heavy bottom" string gauge without needing to mess with the neck or action at all. This is the first "sparkly" guitar (black/gold pearl, looks great) I've ever owned, and that's a thrill, of course.

The top is sustaining some scratching already, and as I mentioned, I'm a little queasy about how well the vibro arm will handle a lot of bending around. But, hell, the old danelectros made out of old formica countertop material are still around and doing well. I wouldn't gig EVER without a backup, and certainly not with this guitar...Especially since changing the strings on this tremolo bridge is a major ordeal; hard enough at home, and not what I'd want to attempt under any pressure/between songs.

Don't know. The web site has good specs & info available.

Everyone who plays this guitar flips for it. A friend who'd recently paid twice as much for a very nice 70's reissue strat got a little depressed after enjoying this guitar so much. I looked at all the Danelectros for more than a year, and first played this one about 10 months before I bought one (I don't spend a ton on gear), but craved it the whole time. My favorite feature on any guitar is the whammy bar, and what I appreciate on this is that it's free floating (you can pull up or dive down), and that anything I can do on my old Fender Mustang (the best whammy around, for me) this one can replicate. It also feeds back pretty well, which my more sophisticatedly-wired tele will not (grrrr...). This guitar looks great to me, and that's a lot of the fun. The rest of the fun is that it's a really nice sounding and playing guitar as well. I can't believe you can buy such a good guitar at this price (times are changing).

A great bolt on "u" shaped maple neck with a rosewood fretboard, graphite nut, and stop tail bridge. REAL METAL STRAP HOLDERS (compared to other Dannos which have plastic ones) About two pounds lighter than a Strat, with a slightly larger body. Lip Stick Humbucker pickups (they handle distortion and wah better than any other pickups), the body looks and feals like a Vintage Morsite like the ventures used. Four knobs (2 of which are push pull knobs.), Tapping and phasing the pickups into either two humbuckers or four single coils.Also comes with Gotoh tuners.

This guitar is as quiet as a PRS, with the tone of a strat. I am running it through a 600 watt Peavey Renown 400 Solo Series w/ two 12" Scorpion speakers,a Danelectro Fab Tone Distortion, a DOD Envelope Filter, and Peavey Reverb pedals. This guitar will suit any playing styles such as Ska,Metal,Blues,Hard Core, Contemperary, 70's rock, Pop,Techno, or any other music your little heart desires. I play in the Christian Rock band Learning To Walk. We play Praise and Worship to Rock and this baby suits my needs in all feilds of play. I own a Gibson J200 w/ a ParaTECH pickup, a 1997 Fender Strat, a 1975 Les Paul copy, an Arbor acoustic, a Hofner coby Beatle bass, a Fender P-bass Special, and my new Danno. This guitar handles effects more quietly and with a fuller sound than any of my other guitars.

Comes great from the factory. The pickups are set at the perfect level, and it is Metalic Blue Sparkle (when they sparkle they mean it)
What mmmore could you ask for in a moderately priced guitar

I will probobally replace the bridge within a year or so because it kind of looks cheap, This guitar is made out of a cheap wood, but it feels like it will do just fine, and I will gig with out a back up.

Haven't had to deal with yet, and I hope never to deal with them!

I have been playing guitar for 4 years now, and this guitar aside from my Gibson J200 is the best one I own. The sound is incredible. It sounds almost like Les Paul meets Telecaster with a Strats tone. I wish it had a little bit better bridge on it, it does the job well, it just looks cheap. If it were stolen I'd certainly buy a new one (unless I could afford a PRS. ha ha ha like that will ever happen)Plus if you don't like how it sounds, you could always use it as a radio, because mine picks up a local station and plays it loud and clear when the distortion is on HA HA HA. Luke 1:37,John 3:16 Jesus Loves you!!! <><

The Hoodad I believe is made in Korea, probably in the same factory as epiphone is my guess if you want specifics! It has 21 frets, has gotoh tuners, a bigsby like tremolo, a semi hollow body I think (IF it had F holes like on a real hollow body it would look damn cool on the blue sparkle, Danelectro should do that next!) two humbuckers that have a coil tap on them, and a phase switch, I really don't understand what that phase thing does because it only makes a little bit of a different sound. I believe it has a maple neck. I'm at school doing this so I can't tell you really. I"m betting maple.

You can't really get a huge paul sound out of it....but it sounds great with a fab tone. My playing is from blues to rockabilly to punk. and I can do all of those types of music with this guitar.

Sparklky blue Nuff said!

I'm afraid I'd break it easily I'm a rough player you should see my strat and sg..I've beaten the hell out of them!

never dealt with em!

I have quite a danelectro collection now I guess I also own a hoodad bass which I love, and I also own a fab tone which is a scary pedal. I'm in the works for a daddy o overdrive so.....I love the dano stuff. I love the looks of it I love the sound, It just looks unique and you can get so many different sounds out of it...a good bang for you buck