twotone05
Joined: Mar 16, 2009
Posts: 12
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Posted on Mar 16 2009 10:37 PM
Hey guys,
I'm new to the site but I've been interested in surf music/guitar for a couple years now. Anyway, I was hoping someone could educate me a bit on Danelectro guitars. I've been wanting one for a while now. I just want a cheap guitar to start a basic surf setup.
I'm thinking about getting the U2 model because I think it looks better than any other danelectro I've seen.
Are all Danelectros generally good for surf? Aside from not having a whammy bar, I would think the lipstick pickups make it a good candidate.
Thanks for the help.
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davidphantomatic
Joined: Oct 12, 2008
Posts: 580
San Antone, TX
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Posted on Mar 16 2009 10:42 PM
If you want a Dano that's gonna be rad for surf, check out the Dead On '67 model that they just released.
I'm thinking about picking up the baritone as an alternate to my Jazzmaster.
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The Phantomatics on Bandcamp
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twotone05
Joined: Mar 16, 2009
Posts: 12
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Posted on Mar 16 2009 10:51 PM
Yeah the Dead on '67 looks really cool but unfortunately it's a little over what I can spend for a new guitar at this time. I don't want to spend much more than like 300 bucks.
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RobbieReverb
Joined: Feb 28, 2006
Posts: 2391
San Jose, Ca.
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Posted on Mar 16 2009 11:12 PM
I've got a 56-U2 in turquioise-burst that I like a lot. I dig the lipstick pickups. Other than the lack of a whammy bar, Danelectros sound great for surf. Mike Diabo of the Urban Surf Kings uses a Dano and sounds like a million bucks. Dave Arnson of the Insect Surfers has been known to play a Dano (Hodad?) from time to time, and Big Bergstrom of the Lava Rats has used a Dano Baritone quite a bit. The reissues are good bang-for-the-buck, but the originals have gotten quite pricey.
Bob
— Bob
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MissingLink
Joined: Jul 23, 2008
Posts: 488
Edge of the East China Sea
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Posted on Mar 16 2009 11:25 PM
Danos do make good surf guitars. Some will say that the lipstick tubes lack output and don't cut it for live gigging, but that doesn't seem to be your situation.
I'd recommend a Hodad, which often come up on eBay, sometimes for about $200, sometimes for twice that. Four lipsticks, and many of them come with a bigsby-style whammy bar that I've found to be effective. Four pickups, coil splitting so you can have a single coil sound when you want, and really looks the part.
Also plentiful on eBay: Danoblasters, which have Strat-style pickups, and all seem to come with whammy bars. I don't have one of these, but they reportedly make decent surf guitars, and there seems to be an endless supply of them.
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zak
Joined: Sep 24, 2007
Posts: 2728
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Posted on Mar 16 2009 11:30 PM
This post has been removed by the author.
Last edited: Sep 23, 2009 22:36:07
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twotone05
Joined: Mar 16, 2009
Posts: 12
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Posted on Mar 16 2009 11:36 PM
Ok, thanks. I think I'll most likely buy this 56-U2 re-issue I saw on eBay the other day. But I'll look into the Hodad, that guitar does look pretty awesome too.
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twotone05
Joined: Mar 16, 2009
Posts: 12
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Posted on Mar 17 2009 01:16 AM
On another note, would a Blues Jr. be a good amp for surf?
I've played both the standard tolex edition and the tweed NOS, and I like both for different reasons. I think the tolex is very bright and trebbly, which I imagine is good for surf. On the other hand the speaker sounds pretty bad and gives the amp a "boxy" tone. The NOS I thought was considerably warmer and had overall better tone but not as bright as the tolex.
I also like to play rockabilly and I know the warmer NOS would be better for that, I'm just wondering what the better amp for surf is. I'd love to get some more opinions...
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MissingLink
Joined: Jul 23, 2008
Posts: 488
Edge of the East China Sea
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Posted on Mar 17 2009 03:32 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FiHikn30Ks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgO-TDGpPCY
Not trying to be some kind of Hodad salesman, but here's a nice example of a Dano through a small amp, and this guy gets some nice surfin' sounds even without a vibrato arm.
I'll let the experts tackle the amp question. All I can say is I played the heck out of a Blues Jr. and a Vibro-Champ last year, side by side in a shop. I picked the Vibro-Champ based on how the onboard reverb sounded, but it was a tough call. Unfortunately, I was far from home and the store was filled with Gibsons, Fenders, and Gretschs, so I can't say how lipsticks sound through the Junior.
There are some discussions of this amp in the archives, for example:
http://www.surfguitar101.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=2294&highlight=blues+junior+amp
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Jagshark
Joined: Nov 05, 2008
Posts: 745
Colorado, home of The Astronauts
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Posted on Mar 17 2009 11:33 AM
I know this is about Danelectros, but you might also want to consider the Ibanez Artcore semi-hollowbody guitars with Bigsby. I had one for a year or so & had no problems with the Bigsby throwing out tuning. In short these are really solid cheap guitars. Try them out and compare with the Danos if there is a store nearby that carries them.
Here's a model like I used to own on ebay:
Ibanez Artcore guitar
— (defunct) Thee Jaguar Sharks
Plus! Other stuff not surf: https://soundcloud.com/jamesmileshq
Enjoy every minute
Last edited: Mar 17, 2009 11:37:57
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zak
Joined: Sep 24, 2007
Posts: 2728
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Posted on Mar 17 2009 11:37 AM
This post has been removed by the author.
Last edited: Sep 23, 2009 22:36:11
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Jagshark
Joined: Nov 05, 2008
Posts: 745
Colorado, home of The Astronauts
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Posted on Mar 17 2009 12:02 PM
zak
Jagshark
Ibanez Artcore guitar
A hollowbody with humbuckers would be the last guitar I'd recommend...
Which is partly why I upgraded to a Schecter hollowbody with a coil tap.
You could also switch out the pickups for single coils. We're talking surf guitar on a budget here right?
Another alternative would be some sorta lower end Fender MIM, Jagmaster, or lower end guitar.
OR find an Ibanez TC series guitar with trem bar. They've got the lipstick pickups as well & look great!
— (defunct) Thee Jaguar Sharks
Plus! Other stuff not surf: https://soundcloud.com/jamesmileshq
Enjoy every minute
Last edited: Mar 17, 2009 12:34:47
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Icetech
Joined: Dec 16, 2006
Posts: 892
Macomb Mich
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Posted on Mar 17 2009 12:16 PM
I own a dano hodad that i bought at GC for like $199 bout 10 years ago... and i REALLY like the guitar.. Pickup's arn't amazing.. but i can't complain.. and the bigsby knockoff feels very nice:) If i were out looking for a guitar and had cash in hand i wouldn't even have to think bout buying one again... easy choice:)
— I wanna play just like him when i grow up...
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WoodyJ
Joined: Apr 05, 2006
Posts: 1547
Bethlehem, GA
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Posted on Mar 17 2009 12:54 PM
Having grown up with the old Danelectros/Silvertone Danos, I love their funky looks.
I have a DC-59 bass which sounds pretty darn good, once I put some good strings on it.
One caveat on the Hodad, though...when they first came out I got one with the trem bar. While you could get some really cool sounds out of it, the darn thing would just not stay in tune...at all. So I sold it. Maybe I just got a bad one. 
— Jack Booth
(aka WoodyJ)
The Mariners (1964-68, 1996-2005), 2025
The Hula Hounds (1996-2000)
The X-Rays (1997-2004)
The Surge! (2004, 2011-2012)
Various non-surf bands that actually made money (1978-1990)
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LHR
Joined: Aug 23, 2006
Posts: 2123
The jungle
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Posted on Mar 17 2009 01:08 PM
I owned a Danelectro Hodad. It stayed in tune fine if you babied bridge saddles and nut slots at every string change.
I must say, that guitar was just so underwhelming, so uninspiring. I have owned lots of Danelectros, both new and old but this one was not great.
I am intrigued by the new Hornet reissues. I am glad to see that they have the rosewood bridge; will it get chewed to pieces by the trem action?
I like the 90s U2s, and have had a couple of those beaters. Still routinely use a vomity-looking TV yellow one with brown tape binding (!) as my live backup.
— SSIV
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twotone05
Joined: Mar 16, 2009
Posts: 12
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Posted on Mar 17 2009 01:45 PM
I'm gonna stay away from hollowbodies with humbuckers... having a Gretsch 5120, I feel they don't cut it for surf. Are Danos solidbody or semi-hollow?
I pretty much have my heart set on a 56 U2 re-issue. I think it looks great despite no tremolo bar. Besides I can't find many Hodads on eBay right now.
Can someone give me some more input on my amp issue I mentioned in an earlier post? Which is the better amp for surf? Thanks
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Klas
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 2310
Stockholm, Sweden
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Posted on Mar 17 2009 03:08 PM
From another thread regarding my Dano Pro reissue:
Klas
After having problems adjusting the intonation, I noticed that the bridge had moved towards the neck due to the sole screw that secures the bridge had made the hole somewhat oval. I then removed the bridge and stuffed the hole with wood and glue and later drilled a new hole. When screwing in the screw again the damn screw brakes in two (!) and now the major part of it is stuck in the hole!
I was hoping for a "crappy" guitar in an interesting way but not like this... 
After getting the remains of the screw out and some more amateur repair work, the guitar started to sound just as "cheap" as I hoped it would sound when I bought it. Now it resonates and rattles all over the place and sounds especially good unplugged.
[image](http://images.shopping.msn.co.uk/uk/img/5/33/3/18864598.jpg)
(Click guitar for a larger version)
— T H E ✠ S U R F I T E S
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NicholausLee
Joined: May 13, 2007
Posts: 223
Ypsilanti, MI
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Posted on Mar 17 2009 05:19 PM
I have a 90's U2 reissue Dano and love it. It's one of those cheap guitars that doesn't do anything great, but does a lot of stuff decently. It get's pretty decent surf tones, although the lack of a trem doesn't make it my ideal choice.
— http://about.me/nicholaus.lee
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andreuthegiant
Joined: May 27, 2007
Posts: 254
Madrid, Spain
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Posted on Mar 17 2009 05:30 PM
Klas
From another thread regarding my Dano Pro reissue:
Klas
After having problems adjusting the intonation, I noticed that the bridge had moved towards the neck due to the sole screw that secures the bridge had made the hole somewhat oval. I then removed the bridge and stuffed the hole with wood and glue and later drilled a new hole. When screwing in the screw again the damn screw brakes in two (!) and now the major part of it is stuck in the hole!
I was hoping for a "crappy" guitar in an interesting way but not like this...
After getting the remains of the screw out and some more amateur repair work, the guitar started to sound just as "cheap" as I hoped it would sound when I bought it. Now it resonates and rattles all over the place and sounds especially good unplugged.
[image](http://images.shopping.msn.co.uk/uk/img/5/33/3/18864598.jpg)
(Click guitar for a larger version)
My dano pro sounds very well through a clean amp. I am not an expert anyway, but I think it is worth the 200 bucks. This video is a good sample of a dano sound:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OX23up4AtPY
Q
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tommyalvarado
Joined: Jan 03, 2008
Posts: 512
Delaware, USA
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Posted on Mar 17 2009 05:40 PM
twotone05
I'm gonna stay away from hollowbodies with humbuckers... having a Gretsch 5120, I feel they don't cut it for surf. Are Danos solidbody or semi-hollow?
I pretty much have my heart set on a 56 U2 re-issue. I think it looks great despite no tremolo bar. Besides I can't find many Hodads on eBay right now.
Can someone give me some more input on my amp issue I mentioned in an earlier post? Which is the better amp for surf? Thanks
Most Danelectros are semi-hollow; the originals were masonite tops and backs glued to poplar "frames". Later on, they made some solid body examples (many of which were branded "Coral" or "Silvertone"), and towards the end of production, they used hollow bodies produced in Japan and in the shapes of Longhorns, teardrops, and a sort of 335 style body. If the new offset is true to the original, it's solid. The reissued versions of the U2 and DC are both masonite over wood frames, though, so they'd be considered semi-hollow.
If Danelectros were good enough for Link Wray, they're definitely good enough for me...
Last edited: Mar 17, 2009 20:40:33
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