Ok, then U2 Dano for me it is. I had no idea they were considered hollowbody guitars. Must sound pretty thin with the lipstick pickups but that's part of the surf sound I guess.

tommyalvarado is right about the typical Danelectro construction -- poplar frame, etc. As they have no f-hole and don't depend on any kind of open sound box, though, it might be better to consider these guitars as semihollowbodies. There are plywood blocks inside to support the pickups, bridge, and so forth, so it's not all open resonating space in there.

What hollowness they have is just a function of economy; it's cheaper to use masonite than a chunk of mahogany.image

But no doubt the sonic qualities of all that empty space contributes to the special Dano sound that people talk about.

Sorry about the url thing. There was supposed to be a totally brilliant pic of the inside of a Dano. No time to try again before work.

Here are my Danos, a copperburst U2 and a blackburst Guitarlin.

image

image

Shawn Martin
http://www.drummerman.net
http://www.youtube.com/GKacedrummerman
http://www.facebook.com/drumuitar

Since this is also becoming a "show your Dano thread", here's an old picture of me---the proud owner of a new Jerry Jones Longhorn bass in "appliance burst". (One of my abstract painting works-in-progress behind me.)

Zak, I saw the Flat Duo Jets--the second time was in a club and it was just drums and the Sears Silvertone exactly like your second link. They kicked ass, and I will never forget that show. I couldn't believe what they did with a minimal set up.

Back in 1990 I saw them in Sacramento when they opened for The Cramps. The bass player played an electric (P bass, I'm pretty sure).

One thing I'll always remember is he spoke the only words in their whole set. They came on stage and he said, "we're the Flat Duo Jets from Chapel Hill...let's rock." And so they did!!

I wanted a DC59, but they didn't offer them left-handed here ( Japan only, and MIC at that). I opted for a NOS lefty U2 neck and made my own body. The back and sides were made from a 2-piece alder blank and fully routed inside like a real Dano. It's topped with mahogany. Low output Korean pickups, left bass pickguard and a NOS lefty pot assembly from a U-2. Not sure how it compares to a real Dano, but acoustically, it's very loud and sounds great with both pickups on. I play it at home through an old Guild Thunder 1 amp ( lots of headroom) and a Digiverb ( for now) and it sounds nice and surfy.

zak

Brendan
The back and sides were made from a 2-piece alder blank and fully routed inside like a real Dano.

Real Danelectros weren't made that way, the bodies were two pieces of masonite on a frame assembled out of pine blocks which were stapled (yes stapled) together. Different models had varying amounts of lumber inside them. They all had a block that the bridge screwed into, but some had other reinforcing pieces in strategic positions. A 1448 or 1457 is mostly hollow, but my early "Peanut Body" (slightly smaller than U2 size one-cutaway) had a full center block.

I'm aware of that. I had a vintage body to use as a guide. I meant that it is fully hollow inside except for the bridge block.

Last edited: Mar 27, 2009 08:02:32

So,

What is the verdict on putting a tremelo...Bigsby or other on a U2 or U3 Danelectro.

I really love the sound of these guitars, and it's a perfect tone for my band, but I NEED a tremelo bar.

If anyone has a definitive answer, please email me at tikiyaki@gmail.com.

I have a few I'm looking at.

Sure like the looks of those things. Are they out yet?

Also, I came across this photo of Pete Townshend with a Dano .. odd to see that.

(defunct) Thee Jaguar Sharks

Plus! Other stuff not surf: https://soundcloud.com/jamesmileshq
Enjoy every minute

I use a Danelectro 'Innuendo' model as my backup guitar when i break a string. The intonation is not 100 % but it's 'close enough for surf' and the tremelo bar is great! the tone is definitely 'surf-y'.I bought it about 10? years ago and it was the best 170. bucks i ever spent! (or was it 270, god i don't even remember!..,. astonishing quality-to-price ratio,nevertheless.) The Innuendo model has the option of 4 lil' pushbutton effects if you put a 9-volt battery in the back. You have the option of a lame chorus, tremelo, or slight slapback delay. The GOOD effect is a really cool sounding fuzz, but the volume is ridiculously way louder than the regular guitar volume. SO, i never bother to use the effects. You have to remember to plug in the correct one of two input jacks provided, if you plug into the jack connected to the effects and you have no battery in there ,you will get no signal ,and instantly look like a dork tryna figger out what the hell is happening with your stage setup.
But i definitely recommend the Innuendo, i think that the Hodad is essentially the same basic guitar idea without the pushbutton sound options.
Because i use strings on the heavier side(.011,.014,.018,.30,.49,.52) i put an extra spring in back in the tremelo.