Dano Bass in the house!

howlin

howlin

Nov 15, 2008
1,075
910
4,836
I'm Not There
#1
Okay, so I shoulda known that one day this would happen. I always said that I'd never own a Danelectro bass [or guitar for that matter] and now I'm eating my words - NEVER SAY NEVER! :smug: I don't have anything against Danos I just never saw the need or had the desire for one but after eyeing a NOS Longhorn in a local shop I gave it a go and it was cool but I wasn't so enamored of it as to drop some cash to buy it. Afterwards it occurred to me that I had a decent acoustic that I wasn't playing and when I offered to trade it for the Dano a deal was struck so, what can I say? I'm now the owner of a Chinese made "blueburst" Danoelectro Longhorn short-scale bass. Go figure. On to the pix:

20170706•12.07.27.jpg


20170705•18.55.59.jpg


Now I just have figure out whether to spring for the La Bella-made Dano strings or change out the tuners so I can have more than one choice for strings.

BTW, if you know what the white "L" on a blue background is used for you might find it a good chuckle . . . :rolleyes:
 
  • Like
Reactions: fermata, bobyoung53, scourgeofgod and 3 others
#3
I'm 99% sure that neck and body didn't leave the factory together. Longhorns always had symmetrical headstocks in every version I can remember and the necks were painted to match the body color.

I hope you didn't pay a NOS price for a parts bass.
 
  • Like
Reactions: G-Dog and Gravedigger Dav
#4
lz4005 is correct. Except for some Dano models with "Dolphin nose" headstocks (and the Longhorn was not/is not one of them) it should have a symmetrical "Bottle" headstock. And, depending on the year, it should have a clear finished neck/headstock, or one that matches the body. However...
If it plays/feels good, and YOU are happy with it... Who cares? At the very least, you won't meet anyone who has one like it, any time soon. And the headstock is actually kinda cool, IMO. I have a DC59 Pro I'm modding, and it's headstock just might wind up like that...
As for the strings? Hard to tell from the picture, but those tuners look like the real bass tuners my DC59 Pro basses have - which also have the same Pro bridge your Longhorn has. If so, then you can put whatever strings you like on yours. But, if they're the guitar style tuners? Unless you want to get really, really beefy, any "normal" short scale string should fit the tuners. My 2016 MIK lefty Longhorn came from the factory with (ugh!) 45-105 D'addarios on it. And, really.. I wouldn't go any bigger on a Longhorn. Anyway, congrats on your Dano. Slide on over to the Dano Owners Club here, and join us..:thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
Last edited:
#6
B-line said:
I had a Dano Longhorn, a '63 long-scale, and...

View attachment 1171797

A Jerry Jones Shorthorn!

Wow, was THAT a cool bass; Dano vibe w/ excellent build.

Dano's are fun, and have great tone- Masonite & lipsticks rule!~:roflmao:
Click to expand...

I once owned a Jerry Jones Longhorn, as you say high quality clones of the Danelectro ones, sold for just above the 1000$ price mark from new.

Sadly I was stupid enough to sell my black one, which I use to ran with both lipstick tube pickups in the series option with a set of .040-.095 rounds through my Ampeg B-15S 60 W tube amp with a single 15" cab.

Yeah, that sound was certainly something extra special, and in the most possible positive and beautiful sense of the word!
 
  • Like
Reactions: B-line
#7
NoiseNinja said:
I once owned a Jerry Jones Longhorn, as you say high quality clones of the Danelectro ones, sold for just above the 1000$ price mark from new.

Sadly I was stupid enough to sell my black one, which I ran with both lipstick tube pickups in the series option with a set of .040-.095 rounds through my Ampeg B-15S 60 W tube amp with a single 15" cab.

Yeah, that sound was certainly something extra special, and in the most possible positive and beautiful sense of the word!
Click to expand...

That's right, I paid about a grand from JJ, and he had very nice HSC's too!:roflmao:

Your set-up as described, thru a B-15 w/ a 15" cab- I used rounds too- I KNOW had some depth, thump, and cool tone.

Sorry I sold mine too. Every once in a while I look around and cannot find either the Shorthorn or Dolphin-Nose models that I preferred anywhere, only an occasional Longhorn
I think if there were some listed, they would go like THAT! at a high price point.

I hope Jerry himself is still around, enjoying retirement or whatever.

They were awesome builds.
 
  • Like
Reactions: NoiseNinja
#8
I just saw a Longhorn like yours for sale... Blue with black neck, so maybe yours is "Factory".. The custom graphics on the pick guard, would have to go if I bought it. The serial numbers on back of head stock are about 50 from my MIK Longhorn and tuners look like mine too (no D)
 
#10
lz4005 said:
I'm 99% sure that neck and body didn't leave the factory together. Longhorns always had symmetrical head stocks in every version I can remember and the necks were painted to match the body color.
Click to expand...

Sorry to disagree but knowing how inconsistent Danelectro has been with their product lines and the fact that I know the owners of shop where I bought it I'm 99% its not parts bass.

RobertFL said:
I just saw a Longhorn like yours for sale... Blue with black neck, so maybe yours is "Factory".. The custom graphics on the pick guard, would have to go if I bought it. The serial numbers on back of head stock are about 50 from my MIK Longhorn and tuners look like mine too (no D)
Click to expand...

Not sure you'd care but, as I mentioned above, there's a bit of joke behind the meaning of the blue background with a white "L".
 
#12
howlin said:
Sorry to disagree but knowing how inconsistent Danelectro has been with their product lines and the fact that I know the owners of shop where I bought it I'm 99% its not parts bass.



Not sure you'd care but, as I mentioned above, there's a bit of joke behind the meaning of the blue background with a white "L".
Click to expand...

The Custom pick guard I was referring to was on the Bass I saw for sale on another web site, not yours.. the art work on the pick guard was not too my style..
 
#14
lz4005 said:
I'm 99% sure that neck and body didn't leave the factory together. Longhorns always had symmetrical headstocks in every version I can remember and the necks were painted to match the body color.

I hope you didn't pay a NOS price for a parts bass.
Click to expand...
GIBrat51 said:
lz4005 is correct. Except for some Dano models with "Dolphin nose" headstocks (and the Longhorn was not/is not one of them) it should have a symmetrical "Bottle" headstock. And, depending on the year, it should have a clear finished neck/headstock, or one that matches the body. However...
If it plays/feels good, and YOU are happy with it... Who cares? At the very least, you won't meet anyone who has one like it, any time soon. And the headstock is actually kinda cool, IMO. I have a DC59 Pro I'm modding, and it's headstock just might wind up like that...
As for the strings? Hard to tell from the picture, but those tuners look like the real bass tuners my DC59 Pro basses have - which also have the same Pro bridge your Longhorn has. If so, then you can put whatever strings you like on yours. But, if they're the guitar style tuners? Unless you want to get really, really beefy, any "normal" short scale string should fit the tuners. My 2016 MIK lefty Longhorn came from the factory with (ugh!) 45-105 D'addarios on it. And, really.. I wouldn't go any bigger on a Longhorn. Anyway, congrats on your Dano. Slide on over to the Dano Owners Club here, and join us..:thumbsup::thumbsup:
Click to expand...
Nope - the satin era basses all had the notched headstock - for some reason Evetts decided - "hey, let's screw up one of the classic headstock silhouteets of all time, just to make the Chinese production even LESS desirable".
EDIT: I should correct myself - MOST of the satin era basses have that headstock - at the end they went "Dead On" (even though they weren't) and returned to the conventional coke bottle.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: mcgreivey
#15
There was a brief period when they made Longhorns with the asymmetrical headstock, and those modern knobs, so this is real. I don't remember the year. Someone like Chance McFadden (Fort Madison Guitars) or Doug Tulloch (Neptune Bound book, etc) might know the exact year.

La Bella makes at least 4 flatwound sets that will fit a short scale Dano bass with guitar tuners, and at least a couple roundwound sets. I like 760FSS flats (.045-.105)(sometimes labeled 760FS, which is the long scale number, with a sticker on the front that says short scale). There's the 760FM set (.049-.109) and 760FL (.043-.104) which I think both also exist in short scale. Their lightest flat set is 760FD (.042-.083), which is ideal for old Dano basses with no adjustable truss rod. Some people like them for modern Danos, too, but I've never tried them. I think they'd be too light for me. The La Bella site says there are 760SD stainless rounds (no diameters given, but maybe they're also .043-.083) and 760ND nickel rounds (.043-.083). There are short scale roundwound sets of more "normal" modern diameter (.045ish to .100ish), but it's hard to find the numbers on their confusing website. And their numbering system seems inconsistent or at least confusing, anyway. Why do all bass sets have the same number (760)? Why don't short scale sets end consistently in S? FL=flat-light, FM=flat-medium. But FS is between light and medium, and what does the S mean? It doesn't mean short, because there's a standard 34" set (also numbered 760FS).

But I love the La Bella set I do use (760FS

Others I know about: D'Addario EXL170S nickel-coated rounds, ECB81S Chrome flats. I think there's also a slightly heavier EXL160S or EXL165S set, and maybe a stainless round set (#?).

I've used Roto 77S flats (.040-.090) which I tried once.

All the flat sets above do usually cost a bit or a lot more than their round equivalents, but they last a LOT longer (I got 6+ years of regular use out of a set of D'Addario Chrome flats), so they're really not more expensive in the long run.

There are other (more expensive) flats that would fit a Dano bass with guitar tuners by other companies (like Thomastik?). I know they have their fans, but I've never tried them.
 
#16
mcgreivey said:
There was a brief period when they made Longhorns with the asymmetrical headstock, and those modern knobs, so this is real. I don't remember the year.
Click to expand...
This is a 2006 Model - then no longhorns until the Dead-Ons (2010) when they finally did the proper (though still satin) Copper Burst (and pointer knobs) instead of the 90s Style Copper Burst which was actually Salmon - which I own and love, but which is NOT copper - though I have at least one photograph of mine in which you'd be certain it WAS copper - especially in the "glare" spots.
 
#17
UPDATE: Well, I finally got a chance to use my Dano at a rehearsal last week and a gig on Saturday. The band reaction was priceless. "What is THAT?!?" and that's coming from one guy who considers himself a vintage guitar guy. The sound worked well with the songs we do and I have to say it was more fun than I thought it would be as I've never rocked a short-scale bass of any kind in a gigging situation so that was cool. Not sure that I'll use it all that much in the future as I really missed the mid-range punch of my P with EMG-GZR's in it but it's nice to know that I have options.

BTW, I did go with some LaBella flats that I got from BSO: 20170718 - 13.26.05.JPG I was having fun with this bass before I got these but I have to say the playing experience night & day to state the obvious.

I did some minor mods to it as well. Ground the bridge plate slightly to soften the edges:
20170718 - 11.04.41.JPG This bridge is the strangest concept I've ever run into. That said, I'm just glad that it intonates. Whether it holds together is another concern. ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bugeyed Earl
#18
howlin said:
UPDATE: Well, I finally got a chance to use my Dano at a rehearsal last week and a gig on Saturday. The band reaction was priceless. "What is THAT?!?" and that's coming from one guy who considers himself a vintage guitar guy. The sound worked well with the songs we do and I have to say it was more fun than I thought it would be as I've never rocked a short-scale bass of any kind in a gigging situation so that was cool. Not sure that I'll use it all that much in the future as I really missed the mid-range punch of my P with EMG-GZR's in it but it's nice to know that I have options.

BTW, I did go with some LaBella flats that I got from BSO: View attachment 1185712 I was having fun with this bass before I got these but I have to say the playing experience night & day to state the obvious.

I did some minor mods to it as well. Ground the bridge plate slightly to soften the edges:
View attachment 1185713 This bridge is the strangest concept I've ever run into. That said, I'm just glad that it intonates. Whether it holds together is another concern. ;)
Click to expand...

That string set is really light. Some people love them, but if you want a fuller sound, a heavier La Bella set will do it. I love the 760FS set (.045-.105). Be careful to get the short scale set. The long scale set is confusingly also numbered 760FS. I've only been able to find them online. There are also a couple other short scale flat sets in the 760 series: 760FM (.049-.109) and 760FL (.043-.104) and 760FX (.039-.096). Again, order carefully, because the number is probably the same as the long scale version. They ought to be 760FSS, 760FMS, 760FLS, 760FXS, but I guess they don't want to print multiple versions of the packaging. They just put a "short scale" sticker on the front.

It looks in your photo like your bridge plate isn't parallel to the body. You want it parallel so you get a little more of a break angle over the saddles.
 
#19
mcgreivey said:
It looks in your photo like your bridge plate isn't parallel to the body. You want it parallel so you get a little more of a break angle over the saddles.
Click to expand...

FWIW - That's a photo of the bridge before I replaced the strings. Normally I would agree with you about the bridge angle but, in this case, the bend in the saddles wouldn't allow me to go much flatter with the new strings and I wasn't about to take a hammer to them even though the metal seems pretty stout. It's working . . . for now. :thumbsup:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back