Jerry Jones Jimi Von

This is an early Jerry Jones with no serial number and a compensated bridge that has a "cutback" on the wood bridge piece for the treble strings. It looks like a short horn double cut Dano (like Jimmy Pages'-it's black even) but with only one master vol. and tone as opposed to stack knob controls. I have no idea what year it was made, but some guy who e-mailed me said it was known as the Jimi Von model. As I've seen virtually nothing like a catalog from Jerry Jones, I really have no idea. Unlike real danos it has a maple neck and separate retro style tuners as well as a plastic nut. I bought it in '94 and the guy at Zavarellas said it was about five years old at the time. Considering it's a dano copy and one is buying it for "dano" purposes, it really fills the bill.

I don't think this is as well shielded as a real dano as it's kinda buzzy, unlike many vintage danos I've played. It does all the weird dano things like get louder when both pickups are engaged. I think the rear pickup is a little lifeless with the bass strings, but it sounds like the real deal. This guitar sounds best with a bright amp (Vox AC30 or Fender Twin) in my experience. If you have an evenly voiced amp (like a Vibroverb) it may sound a bit lifeless. These lipstick tube pickups sound pretty authentic, but (to some peoples' chagrin-not mine) also have vintage output as well. A Tubescreamer thru an AC30 w/ this thing gives quite an authentic Link Wray sound.

I wish the pickups could be raised a little higher and there was better bass string response on the back pickup, but otherwise this thing is rock solid and stays in tune quite well. It plays fabulously-better than my Les Paul (don't challenge me on this-I'm really not lying:)

I've owned this guitar for four years and have played gigs with it without backup with no problems-except that it may not be the "right" sound for everything. It's simply a better built Danelectro, which, while seeming flimsy, is actually a quite sturdy instrument, especially seeing as how many of the vintage ones have survived.

Never called, etc.-but I'm curious about the company and it's product line. The several Jerry Jones instruments I've tried have always been top notch dano copies or dano inspired designs.

I use this thing for roots/blues/country/instrumental music. I promised myself I'd buy a two pickup dano in good shape ten years before I found this thing (it was the first decent two-pickup "dano" I saw) and I'm thrilled to death with it. If it were lost or stolen I'd definitely try to replace or I'd behead whomever I caught trying to steal it (and I don't feel that way about the rest of my stuff). At the time I bought it it's price was in line with vintage danos, and I think I have a better guitar. Buy one if you see one