Jerry Jones Short Horn

i'm assuming that if you are even looking at this you know that these jerry jones guitars are very well made copies of the old 50's & 60's danelectro guitars. but unlike the danos (both old AND new), these are built like real guitars. they stay in tune much better and are more solid and roadworthy. this particular one is an early '90's 3-lipstick tube pickup black shorthorn (like jimmy page's). i say early 90's, because this one looks exactly like the old danelectro '59 double-cutaways (w/ seal-shaped pickguard). the newer jerry jones shorthorns have been cosmetically re-styled (and not for the better, in my opinion). i suppose altering them was necessary to avoid patent infringement when danelectro started cranking out guitars again in the late 90's (at least that's my fantasy. i hope the changes weren't the result of some ill-advised "gettin' with kids and their groovy beat!" new company policy). the defining features (soundwise) of all these guitars is the unusual masonite body with the hollow cavity inside the guitar; also the funny bridge with its "chip of driftwood" saddle that the strings rest on. i say "defining" because i've heard these same lipstick tube pickups on more normal solid-body guitars with modern tunematic style bridges, and it's just not as cool of a sound. this one has a volume and tone control, and a 5 position pickup selector switch that seems to work the 3 pickups just like a strat's. the materials and components on the original danos were so unique and unlikely (not to mention cost-cutting) that it was probably more of a happy accident that these guitars actually sounded great (assuming you could tune one). so i guess it figures that these old danos would one day be enshrined and canonized, and eventually a quality custom guitar maker would take a shot at reproducing them with an eye towards making them sturdier and more functional. improvements include better tuners, tougher pickguards (my dano pickguard is made out of some kind of shitty pressed paper product!), more solidity to the body construction, a better neck joint, and adjustable neck trussrods (something that the old danelectro considered an unneccessary & expensive luxury!). one problem with this style guitar is that due to the shortness of the scale and the way the neck is inset into the body of the guitar, it is pretty impossible to play above the 17th fret. maybe my fingers are too fat, i don't know. but this effectively means i can't play lead in the good old blues/rock box shape up in the key of A (between the 17th and 20th fret). coincedentally of course, i just happen to play in a band that has a lot of songs in A. this limits my options lead-wise (i guess the logical conclusion of this will lead to my buying a jerry jones guitarlin. it's always something, isn't it?...). the neck shape feels good, but the rosewood fingerboard is flat as day-old beer. i would prefer a more rounded-off, strat-like feel. but i've already gotten used to it, so no big deal. another issue that i have is that the pickup adjustment screws are constantly working their way loose, causing the pickup to lay against the string. this has caused me to develop a nightly pre-show ritual of making sure the pickups are adjusted before going on.

after having ragged on a few of the features that i don't like about this guitar, i must say that i can rave unequivocably about its sound. i got a jerry jones longhorn 6-string bass back around '93 or so, the unbelievably great sound of it is what made me want to get a regular scale danelectro-type guitar. jerry jones' guitars, being basically a custom shop, are rather pricey. in an silly attempt to keep costs down, i bought a couple of cheap new dano's (a U-2 and a '59DC). they sound pretty good (if not having as much personality as the old danos), but the damn things seem to fly apart in my hands. they sound good and look cool. but functionally, and from a professional musician's perspective, the new danelectros are toy guitars that won't stay in tune for more than two minutes (not to mention falling apart if you try to take them any further than around the block). that is why i eventually broke down and bought this jerry jones, because it sounds and looks like an old danelectro shorthorn without the headaches. compared soundwise side-by-side with the newer danos, the jerry jones seems to hava a tad more output, and may be a bit warmer and more powerful (by contrast, the new dano's seem a little bit brighter and thinner). but make no mistake, this guitar has the sound you are looking for if you want that old, masonite body, lipstick-tube pickup, danelectro sound. if you don't know what i'm talking about, you need to. it's a kind of uniquely bright, clanging, metallic sound, but there's also a sort of hollow, woody, over-emphasized mid-range that imparts a kind of nasily, adenoidal tone. it sounds like link wray, the middle pickup sounds like pre '66 keith richards. i heard someone describe the lipstick-tube pickups as sounding like a cross between a vintage-style rickenbacker pickup and a telecaster pickup, that sounds about right to me. i'm surprised at the range of sounds i'm able to get out of this thing, everything from steve cropper to jimi hendrix. it has extreme presence, and any stylistic flourishes, (such as striking deadened strings, dragging the pick up and down, etc.), are reproduced with great clarity and articulation. it feels very ELECTRIC. the sustain is adequate for me, but for nigel tufnel (or guys that want to be duane allman), probably not enough. i think the "mother-of-driftwood" bridge saddle probably contributes to the lack of long sustain. i've thought about trying the newer, tunematic style replacement, but i'm afraid if i replace the authentically vintage wood-style one with a metal one, the guitar may loose its primitive, bonky directness and weirdly hollow midrange that i love. besides, the possibilty of having properly intonated strings might prove detrimental to the kind of racket i like to make.
this is a guitar that sounds especially good for the kind of music i play: primitive rock'n'roll, the devil's music, ragged but right. it sounds killer playing garage rock, stax-style R&B and soul, rockabilly, old school country, and chess-era electrified blues.

these guitars feel good to me, thin and relatively light. i say "relatively", because my newer danelectro version of the same guitar is even lighter, weighing about half as much as the jerry jones. unlike the newer danelectros, THIS IS NOT A TOY. it's rock solid and built to last. i've toured across the usa, europe and japan with it, no problems. it still looks pretty good (despite my best efforts to go medivel on it). the black laquer finish still looks great, but it's a bitch to keep shiny. fingerprints really show, so it always looks like it needs a polish. the black finish is so opaque that you really have to buff it out when you polish it to keep it from looking cloudy. the grainy, white vinyl "siding" (unique to these guitars) also seems to be a magnet for dirt and grime. unlike the laquered front and back, this porous material easily picks up stains and dosen't want to clean up so easily.

this is a no-frills, vintage style guitar that is up to rigorous touring and nightly abuse. it sounds incredible and looks great. it performs well, too. it has a few drawbacks and limitations, all of which i've fussed about. but to me, for the kind of rock'n'roll i play, i like to have to "fight" the guitar just a little bit (metaphorically and literally) to stimulate creativity and force me to rise above my natural inclinations. i don't think i'd like a guitar that felt too much like butter, or was too "easy". so really, other than wishing that i could play higher on the neck, i'm pretty happy with the whole package here. definatly dependable, but as far as a backup i guess maybe i need to buy a jerry jones guitarlin...anybody got one for sale?

jerry's still in business & has a website. i've never really gone to him with anything other than questions, but he's always been friendly and helpful (even when i was quizzing him about my ill-fated attempt to put a cheap new dano regular-scale neck on my jerry jones longhorn 6-string bass). so i've got no reason to complain.

i played my first show in 1968 when i was in junior high. i started collecting guitars, amps, and effects from that era (yes, before they called it "vintage"). i'm still collecting, rocking around the world, and living to tell about it. i have too much stuff to list. but if this guitar went missing, i'd have to get another. i love its sound, it promotes playing certain kinds of licks. anything i have to bitch about, i already have.

I bought the Black Shorthorn two pickup used on impulse several years ago at 'Workhorse Guitars' in Austin, Texas. It came with a real nice hardshell case and the guys at the shop threw in a Workhorse t-shirt that I'm wearing now. It was black and clean in excellent condition: Big frets, very good attention to details. It stays in tune after four sets of chord basing and the intonation is fine. The only thing I changed was the pickup selector?I had a three-position Switchcraft lying around but, frankly, the original switch worked just fine. I Neptune bridge is solid and simple. The chrome lipstick pickups are hot; the rear one is a bit brittle. This guitar is a lot of fun?a Dano without the grief or garbage parts.

It sounds way cool with reverb and temelo. The front pickup is sweet and lush; I like the middle position with both pickups (that position also cancels any hum). Again, the back pickup is a bit brittle and seems to lack the output of the front even after tweaking. The pots have a nice even taper. It plays great?no dead spots, great intonation. It's a lot more fun than a Gibson or Fender.

The Jerry Jones is a dream come true for any one who likes Danos.

This guitar holds up real well in a loud, raucous band in a loud raucous bar or microbrewery.

I phoned the Jerry Jones people a couple of times and they were cordial and most helpful. The guitar is bullet proof and short of pitching it across a room I can't imagine the need for any repairs.

I'm dumping both my Gibson and Fender. And I'm on the lookout for another short horn or single cutaway Jerry Jones?two pickups in red or aquamarine. Forget tonewood; make mine masonite!

Jerry Jones Shorthorn double cutaway guitar, 3 single coil lipstick pickups

great guitar.....nothing like the cheap korean dano copies. this is a USA custom shop quality guitar. it sounds great, even better than the original Danelectros. Jerry's pickups are incredible, and this guitar is loaded with 3 of them!

Mine looks a lot like the "Jimmy Page" model, as it is black with white pickguard. Guitar is a joy to play, very light, very toneful.

Well, this one has been around for almost 10 years, and is still in 9/10 condition.

Jerry is still in business, and supports his guitars and basses.

I like it...if you like the old Dano guitars, you will LOVE a Jerry Jones.

OK, read the other comments, it's complete !

I'll just add something about electronic : Like Stratocasters, middle pickup has reversed polarity to allow humcancelling for positions #2 and #4. The only difference with the strat wiring is there's only one tone pot. Otherwise this guitar looks really like an improved version of a 60's Dano.

The finish is white and copper ! Pretty unusual but original ! Despite the fact all my fellow musicmates think it's a toy, I claim it's a simple-but-perfect design.

Play that baby in a Prosonic Fender amp with some pedals inbetween. Really cool tones ! Definitely on the strat side, with that bright and juicy lipstick flavour. The 5 positions are well balanced and really usable. Fonky rythums cut through the mix ! Maybe not your average guitar for soloing, but anyway I mainly play rythmic stuff.

Jerry Jones seems to know how to build quality guitars ! Intonation is good and the guitar stay in tune. The only problem that I'll fix soon or later is bad pots : They make big bad noise when turned on and off.

Seems to be built to last my lifetime ! Except for the pots problem, everything seems reliable. I use it as a backup for my Strat... But as I really dig it lately, I intend to swap and make my main guitar of it

??? Switzerland is far away from Nashville !

Even if I must agree with a lot of points mentioned by Steven, I consider this guitar as a killer or at least a good Strat alternative. Jerry Jones opted for design choices (like this strange Neptune bridge) that make this baby so unique.

3 of jerry's pu's and his fully adjustable neptune bridge. rosewood neck and double cutaway that allows access to all frets. bone nut. 5 way switch wired like a stratocaster. master volume and tone knobs. 3 to a side tuners with coke bottle headstock like the old danos. seal pickguard. stucco-like wide siding instead of the stupid tape that the daneletros use. neck is flat and very thin.

sounds wonderful. i play my own original rock music and a few covers and this guitar fills all the gaps b/t my strat, prs mccarty, and dano 56-u2. pus are warmer and more powerful than the reissue danos. overall sound is similar, but the short horn is a little less jangly, but more open and louder (acoustically and electronically). it can sound very strat-like at times, but with that lipstick pu quality. the volume pot tapers high end as it's rolled down, but that can easily be fixed. the tone pot gives two sound with no discernable difference in shades between either fully open or completely rolled off. rolled off setting gives this semi-hollow guitar and very convincable archtop tone though. i'd say this guitar has a bright sound that is also rich and full when the tone pot is not completely rolled off. overall i could probably sell the dano now that i have this guitar, but they are different models and i have a love for the dano too.

action is perfect and it intonates perfectly too with the neptune bridge. i wish my 56-u2 could have a bridge like this. the nut is cut to be barely big enough for the stings, so i will have to take it to my local tech to widen the slots. otherwise this thing is perfect and is set up perfectly.

no question that all of jerry's guitars are built to last a lifetime. strap buttons are metal and very solid. i'd totally gig w/o a backup.

when you call jerry jones guitars, you s/w jerry himself and he is very friendly and knowledgable. he does't do repairs, but any qualified tech can do them easily.

this guitar kills the dano reissue short horn guitar. you could totally use this as your main or only guitar, unlike the danos, which are once in a while guitars for certain sounds. the neck is fully adjustable without removing it from the body and the bridge is fully adjustable and intonatable. jerry's no longer making 6 string guitars, b/c of the dano resurgence. that's a shame, b/c his guitars are truly wonderful.

Jerry Jones Short Horn Model from the early 90's. It looks like the double cut-away Dan Electro. This is a very early production model with a gold print "Neptune" over a red ball decal on the head stock and "Jerry Jones, Made in Nashville" on a little metal plate by the nut.

The neck, headstock and body are painted aqua-burst ala 50's. The side of the body is covered in the patterned vinyl like the way it was done on the original dano's - a nice touch. A thin clear plastic pick guard shaped like a Gibson LP pick guard rests on the body. It isn't noticeable on or off. All controls are mounted on the body top and not on the pick guard.

This is a 3 "lipstick" pickup model with a 5 position switch, 1 volume and 1 tone pot. All passive electronics.

The neck is maple with rosewood fret board. The neck is very wide and very thin. The fret board radius is very flat. Gotoh tuners. 21 big frets on a 25" scale. 4 bolts attach the neck to the body. Neck joins the body around the 15th fret. Neck adjustment wheel is at the base of the neck.

Body is semi hollow: the side frame, neck pocket and center braces are hard maple. The top and back is painted masonite board. Big flair strap buttons. This guitar is medium weight - I guess around 6 lbs.

Rating: The best feature is a perfect Martini, no ones talk about this accessory. A 5 for indifference.

It's taken me 3 years to figure this guitar out. First of all, Tele and Ricky players are going to understand this guitar. The properties of this guitar should make the sound bright and believe me, it does.

When I bought it, I tried it out through a little 15 watt 50's National tube amp and the tone just killed. I thought I was Clapton doing the Layla Sessions. I wanted to buy the Amp too and should have
because is was responsible for that tone.

Anyway, the guitar is really affected by light or heavy strings and low or high action. The guitar responds the best with a low action and light gauge D/A/E strings - think "light bottoms and Heavy tops!" The guitar is extremely bright with mids - what a combo - uh. You have to dial down the treble in the mix or else you'll split concrete and shave the fur off a dog. The light gauge in the bass help keep it from getting really muddy. If you're on the trail for that Pete Andersen, Danny Gatton meets Dick Dale frequency then, here is an interesting option.

If it's set up the opposite from above, It just doesn't sparkle or have any life to it. Actually, it sound terrible. Also, dead note start showing up from the 12 fret up.

The guitar is unforgiving, everything is picked up. With the right setup, distorted chords come through individually with clarity.

It doesn't sustain well and you really need to dig into each note to get it to ring - but when it comes alive, it's a great tone. Don't baby it - go for those 1/16 notes!

Live through an amp, it responses better on more power than under power amps. (Probably because of the sustain issue.) Outside of that magical National, it sounds best with bigger amps: 40/50 watt tubes really bring out the personality. In a L6 POD, you have to work the tone. In both situations, you have to work for your tone but when dial it in, everyone will know you're in town. You could even cut through the Tele mix. Imagine.

I believe the Lipstick pickups are made by Jerry Jones. They are a little Hot. It's hard to say? they are interesting. They get that Mike Bloomfield East-West vibe. I'd like to try P90's on it but it would be a one way decision and I would hate to loose the Bloomfield/Butterfield thing.

My Rating: Depends on my mood. Enter at you own risk (5)

The best crowned and beveled fret job I ever saw. Dot inlays were tight. The nut set was perfect (and polished too).

The tolerance of the neck set and pocket is really tight but doesn't bind. Assembly was clean and tight - the whole guitar is quality.

I don't like the roll off of the tone control, roll off the treble to bass and it looses volume. A different cap probably fixes this. It just is obvious because the tone control is in constant use.

The Pickup travel down is limited by the maple brace running underneath the pickups. When the pick ups are adjusted high, they wiggle around. A strong spring probably resolves this.

They were probably still building guitars in small runs. The Control plate and Jack plate is handmade from a sheet of composite metal or stainless steel. The bridge is the amazing part. The plate is milled from a single block of material (probably steel). The individual string bridge pieces were rolled, cut and tapped. I was going to fit a Tele bridge on it last year and use this bridge as Coffee Table art.

As much as I appreciate the bridge, how it's mounted, I believe is effecting the tone and sustain. There are probably trade offs here, so I'll let the reader/experts work on this:

The bridge floats over the top of the guitar and is anchored and elevated by 3 screws going into a big maple block in the guitar. I think there could be a profound difference if the bridge was dropped right on the body and mounted. Run the strings through the body like a Tele or Strat HardTail. Now energy is transfered by maximum contact.

Hey, that could be a song "Transfered by Maximum Contact". (copyright by sz)

I bought it a year before the Danos were re-released and don't get confused between a Dano and a Jerry Jones. They look similar from a distance and that's the only thing they have in common.

Comment:
This isn't just a criticism of Jerry Jones but Ernie Ball and a couple of other manufactures I've come across do this. The problem is the screw holes bored through the body are to tight and the screws has to be threaded through the body then through the neck. This prohibits the screws to draw the neck tight against the body. Once the holes are bored out to accept the screw without binding - can you really bind the neck to the body. After this the neck be stable and not shift from side to side and intonation will set up easily.

Sorry: points off for Neck bolt restricted and Pickups adjustment (7).

I play pretty hard. Everything is pretty tight. I wouldn't call it fragile but is seems delicate. Let see, based on 12 years of gigging experience, I'd say the paint and side vinyl would be the first to get it. Next would be the neck strength at neck pocket might stress. On the other hand, if you aware of what's going on, you could prevent all of this from happening.

When I bought it nobody knew what it was. The New danos weren't out so it was an oddity. I tracked down the Jerry Jones Guitar shop in Nashville. Called up and got Jerry. He was the nicest guy. He remembered the guitar and gave me some builder information about. A really customer focused guy and just a gentleman. Hey, sorry about the some of the negative news .... anyway.

I bought this guitar to fill in a Tele/Strat role. Somewhere I lost the fact that is why I bought it. It's different but I've learned that it's strong points are and that is what I use it for. I've been playing since the summer of '69 when I got my first real 6 string. Have played pro for years in the 70's and 80's and Playing again. I have 3 electric to fill the playing styles. One goes not do it all. Play acoustics (steel and nylon). Amps rotate and depend on whats happenin.

The features that I like are: 25" scale, flat fretboard, 2 knob, neck set in body at 15th fret, weight, and for a change a very slim neck, a unique player and a little different tone from the Fender family.

The attributes that don't make it: sustain low, tone pot uneven, dead spots above the 12th fret.