Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: gwEm on July 11, 2011, 01:35:25 PM

Title: played a danelectro the other day
Post by: gwEm on July 11, 2011, 01:35:25 PM: it looked like the least rock ever instrument, and it felt cheap (although the neck was ok).. but oh man, i *really* liked that sound, it had that "raw wired electric" tone to it.. if that makes sense.

must be those lipstick pups. i wonder if anyone knows if they are available on any respectable looking models?

edit: the one i played was a bit like this:
(http://www.chrisguitars.com/dano56u2-aqua-lefty-retrofit.jpg)
Title: Re: played a danelectro the other day
Post by: Philly Q on July 11, 2011, 01:46:10 PM: AndyR's got a Dano, I don't know which model. Maybe the Jimmy Page-style one?

I must say they've never appealed to me.
Title: Re: played a danelectro the other day
Post by: gwEm on July 11, 2011, 01:52:42 PM: i also see various companies do strat-sized lipstick coils. i find even jimmy's dano hard to take looks-wise.
Title: Re: played a danelectro the other day
Post by: Philly Q on July 11, 2011, 02:48:00 PM: Yeah, I remember WD/Kent Armstrong used to make lipstick pickups years ago, probably still do?

I wonder if you need that hollow hardboard(?) body to get the real Dano sound, though?
Title: Re: played a danelectro the other day
Post by: WezV on July 11, 2011, 06:18:50 PM: the pickups get you quite close, even in a solid guitar - but you need the frame & hardboard construction for the proper dano vibe

i think duncan make some as well
Title: Re: played a danelectro the other day
Post by: AndyR on July 11, 2011, 07:19:59 PM: I saw your query at lunchtime and didn't have time to respond.

But I can confirm various things:

Yep, mine's the '59 re-issue (for the Page/Gallagher look). It hasn't got the stacked pots though (like newer reissues have) - so mine hasn't got individual volume and tone controls for the pups :(. It would be almost imperative if I wanted to use it live. Btw, the pickups seem to be wired in series not parallel in the middle position. I love all three positions, but I'd have to retune the amp for each position :lol:

I think the pickups alone might get you close-ish. But I suspect the hardboard body and pickup positions do indeed add a lot to the mix. I remember when I was using a Variax guitar, I did a lot of experimenting with sticking lipstick pickups on solid bodies. Eg on strat, it did behave differently - more output actually - but not a lot different, and nothing like the masonite bodied model they came from. I'd be doing it more for looks than tone probably.

Other than the Dano itself, the nearest thing I have to a Dano sound is the teles. If I want "60s pop" (that raw wired electric), it's a toss-up between the Dano or the teles for me. Also, I can get Muddy Waters tone out of my Dano more easily than any of my teles! :roll: - it would be a superb guitar to take along for a blues jam. Once you've dialed the amp for the sound you want, you're done, just concentrate on playing the tunes... (it actually seems a lot easier making it sound cute and rocking than most other guitars, but that might be because it's so simple a sound - I suspect the LP Juniors are bit like that, but I don't want to think about it too much in case I start getting GAS! :lol:)

When I bought mine, they seemed very "variable". The neck on mine is very nice to play, lovely fretting job on it, but I had to dick about with the aluminium nut a lot to get it to stay in tune. Basically, I think they all needed a set-up. They do feel a bit cheap, but on the other hand, they are cheap! (or mine was anyway - they've probably gone up now because loads of people seem to want them). They're made in China, I think, and when the Squier CVs first came out and I tried those, their fretwork reminded me of my Dano - a lot better than the Fenders and Gibsons I've bought! :lol:

I must admit, looks-wise, it's only the 59 that grabs me, and I'm not too fond of that :lol:. My niece (early 20s now), on the other hand, thinks it's the coolest looking guitar I own... youngsters, eh?
Title: Re: played a danelectro the other day
Post by: FELINEGUITARS on July 11, 2011, 07:29:05 PM: Gwem - you can modify a strat and strat pickguard to take the lipstick pickups
Title: Re: played a danelectro the other day
Post by: Philly Q on July 11, 2011, 10:28:02 PM: Quote from: AndyR on July 11, 2011, 07:19:59 PM
I suspect the LP Juniors are bit like that, but I don't want to think about it too much in case I start getting GAS! :lol:)

I can probably find a spare one to sell you! :P :wink:

(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p216/phillyq/IMGP3660.jpg)

Sorry, WAY off topic! :oops:
Title: Re: played a danelectro the other day
Post by: Andrew W on July 11, 2011, 10:36:49 PM: Quote from: FELINEGUITARS on July 11, 2011, 07:29:05 PM
Gwem - you can modify a strat and strat pickguard to take the lipstick pickups
SRV's "Charley" guitar was Strat partsocaster with Dano lipstick tube pickups.
(http://cdn.mos.musicradar.com/images/features/50-greatest-guitar-tones/stevie-ray-vaughan-corbis-660-80.jpg)

Those pickups look very tasty on a white Strat I reckon.
Title: Re: played a danelectro the other day
Post by: Matt77 on July 11, 2011, 10:54:09 PM: Shobet has a couple of Danelectros that I have played a few times
Good fun and likely to fall apart at any second (this is part of the fun)
Title: Re: played a danelectro the other day
Post by: Ian Price on July 11, 2011, 11:09:26 PM: Quote from: Matt77 on July 11, 2011, 10:54:09 PM
Good fun and likely to fall apart at any second (this is part of the fun)

Is that Huw or the guitars you are referring to?
Title: Re: played a danelectro the other day
Post by: PhilKing on July 11, 2011, 11:59:39 PM: I have a 3 pickup Silvertone made by Danelectro back in the day's of Neptune. It's a shame I didn't know you wanted to try them as I can get to it easily. It sounds like a really nice mellow Strat. I used to have a lipstick tube pickup in the neck of one of my Teles and really loved the tone. Guitar Fetish make Strat sized lipstick tubes which fit the regular routing & scratchplates. You could put a couple in your Duo Sonic!
Title: Re: played a danelectro the other day
Post by: Matt77 on July 12, 2011, 09:54:46 PM: Quote from: Ian Price on July 11, 2011, 11:09:26 PM
Quote from: Matt77 on July 11, 2011, 10:54:09 PM
Good fun and likely to fall apart at any second (this is part of the fun)

Is that Huw or the guitars you are referring to?

The guitars. Huw is no fun at all :)
Title: Re: played a danelectro the other day
Post by: HTH AMPS on July 13, 2011, 05:01:55 PM: the double cut Dano is the one to get - those are cool as fu*ck.

(http://pyzeppelin.free.fr/photos/page/jim77_danelectro2.jpg)

GAK are selling them for £189.
Title: Re: played a danelectro the other day
Post by: adamj on July 13, 2011, 05:29:01 PM: never played one but i remember watching the zeppelin live DVD and thinking the tone out of that thing was horrible!
Title: Re: played a danelectro the other day
Post by: AndyR on July 13, 2011, 07:21:28 PM: Quote from: adamj on July 13, 2011, 05:29:01 PM
never played one but i remember watching the zeppelin live DVD and thinking the tone out of that thing was horrible!

:lol:

I quite like the sound on the White Summer solo from 69.

But it does sound a bit thin on In My Time Of Dying from Earls Court - works though. Having said that, his LP etc sound is a bit thin for my taste on the Earls Court tracks.

I can't remember, is he using it on the Knebworth Kashmir as well? (But I understand there's a rumour he replaced the guitar parts for a lot of the Knebworth stuff when he was putting the package together... not sure how much truth there is in this though...)

Basically, plug a Dano into an amp set up for an LP, and it's going to take the top of yer head off and possibly strip paint, but it's really not going to kick you in the stomach/bollox as much as the LP. It's obviously what he wanted, and it works really well for how he layered guitars on studio recordings... but I'm not so sure about it when you hear a recording of the live Zeppelin three-piece sound (probably was fine in the room at the time).

Anyway, I seem to remember that Gwem kinda likes his top-end in his guitar tones... so I'm not surprised a Dano is right up his street :D

What you need, Gwem, is a V with a hollow masonite (hardboard) body and lipsticks 8). It's probably not beyond the realms of possibility?... Jonathan? Wez?
Title: Re: played a danelectro the other day
Post by: WezV on July 13, 2011, 08:25:24 PM: Quote from: AndyR on July 13, 2011, 07:21:28 PM
What you need, Gwem, is a V with a hollow masonite (hardboard) body and lipsticks 8). It's probably not beyond the realms of possibility?... Jonathan? Wez?

not sure it would be good - it would always feel like a really cheaply made V.

might be fun if it included typical dano aesthetics into the V shape (binding tape & a coke bottle headstock for a start), but that is reintroducing things that i assume gwem doesnt like about dano's
Title: Re: played a danelectro the other day
Post by: gwEm on July 13, 2011, 11:15:08 PM: Quote from: HTH AMPS on July 13, 2011, 05:01:55 PM
the double cut Dano is the one to get - those are cool as fu*ck.
...
GAK are selling them for £189.

yeah, i like the double cuts too. they're definately the lookers
Title: Re: played a danelectro the other day
Post by: gwEm on July 13, 2011, 11:19:14 PM: Quote from: WezV on July 13, 2011, 08:25:24 PM
Quote from: AndyR on July 13, 2011, 07:21:28 PM
What you need, Gwem, is a V with a hollow masonite (hardboard) body and lipsticks 8). It's probably not beyond the realms of possibility?... Jonathan? Wez?

not sure it would be good - it would always feel like a really cheaply made V.

might be fun if it included typical dano aesthetics into the V shape (binding tape & a coke bottle headstock for a start), but that is reintroducing things that i assume gwem doesnt like about dano's

i think we can assume that ;)

actually i think the new Flying V Melody Maker might be interesting with lipsticks.

though frankly, the more i look into danelectros the more and more i dislike the look. the memories of that amazing tone are fast fading.

as HTH says, the doublecut is the best of the bunch. i like them in white, but the one available new has horrid gold hardware. the black one ain't too bad either.
Title: Re: played a danelectro the other day
Post by: gwEm on July 13, 2011, 11:26:41 PM: Quote from: AndyR on July 13, 2011, 07:21:28 PM
Anyway, I seem to remember that Gwem kinda likes his top-end in his guitar tones... so I'm not surprised a Dano is right up his street :D

I sure do Andy. I was playing that Dano into a cranked up Orange Tiny Terror, set for somewhere between hard rock and NWOBHM drive levels. It sounded like a slightly heavier version of that "raw wired electric" (as i call it) tone the Americans did so well in the late 60s. it sounded like a steppenwolf kind of thing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_81PchgI7A

its one of my favourite tones

man.. i'm getting all excited again now ;)
Title: Re: played a danelectro the other day
Post by: Dmoney on July 13, 2011, 11:28:40 PM: Im late on this, but have you checked out the Charvel Surfcasters?
Title: Re: played a danelectro the other day
Post by: gwEm on July 13, 2011, 11:35:30 PM: Quote from: Dmoney on July 13, 2011, 11:28:40 PM
Im late on this, but have you checked out the Charvel Surfcasters?

i checked them out a while back. them seem a lot cooler to me now than then, on re-examination
Title: Re: played a danelectro the other day
Post by: Dmoney on July 13, 2011, 11:38:45 PM: i dig the look. but like with many things, unsure about purpose for myself.
thought I'd just pop that one out here again.
Title: Re: played a danelectro the other day
Post by: PhilKing on July 14, 2011, 11:56:08 AM: Just thought I'd remind you of them - this is the Silvertone:

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af302/philking/Silvertone1305L_U-3047.jpg)
Title: Re: played a danelectro the other day
Post by: WezV on July 14, 2011, 01:46:14 PM: now that looks pretty perfect to me
Title: Re: played a danelectro the other day
Post by: Loomer on July 14, 2011, 01:57:08 PM: $%&#ing Silverburst...

It can seriously make ANYTHING look cool!
Title: Re: played a danelectro the other day
Post by: wardieboy on July 18, 2011, 08:28:59 PM: I picked up a Dano 63 around 18 months ago and I am still really happy with the purchase. It is a cheap build (if you go about making any adjustments be sure to use the exact fitting screwdrivers/allen keys as the metal is so soft it is like plastacine).

I bought the Dano after watching some videos of the Flat Duo Jets and wanted to get that raw sparkly tone. Someone previously likened the tone to a strat and I can certainly hear this.

There are also a lot of videos online of slide players using the Dano's, which also drew me in.

I personally love the shape of the Dano Pro (for slide) but without the cutaway I couldn't warrant it as a slide only piece.