Danelectro Modified 59 Electric Guitar Page Style Black NOS Lipstick Pickups

[vikingred]

So, I bought this guitar.  Great price.  Will probably mod the electronics in some way.  Should be fun.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

I had an original, with the popsicle stick bridge and all.

I yanked the neck to use on my first adventure into building a guitar.  I made a body with a similar, yet slightly offset body shape, designed my own pickguard, bought a STP/Tuno bridge setup from a friend, and a Gibson Velvet Brick humbucker at the music store.

This was in 1981 before internet, so gathering info and expertise was quite a challenge for a 15 year old.  I then found a magazine add for a lil shop in Puyallup, Wa, and racked up a long distance bill asking questions and receiving answers.

It was an honor to serve in that same shop some 25+ years later for just under a year.  Fond memories for sure.

Kudos to Ken Warmoth.

 

[Glimmer]

Cool guitar, sir.  :icon_thumright:

@TonyFlyingSquirrel – I still have one, a single-pup "covertible" from the early ’60s. It's fun to play, but I'm glad it's not my only guitar. 

On a related note, somebody out there is doing masonite Jazzmaster bodies in the spirit of Danelectros:

Love to hear / play one.

 

[vikingred]

I had an original, with the popsicle stick bridge and all.

I yanked the neck to use on my first adventure into building a guitar.  I made a body with a similar, yet slightly offset body shape, designed my own pickguard, bought a STP/Tuno bridge setup from a friend, and a Gibson Velvet Brick humbucker at the music store.

This was in 1981 before internet, so gathering info and expertise was quite a challenge for a 15 year old.  I then found a magazine add for a lil shop in Puyallup, Wa, and racked up a long distance bill asking questions and receiving answers.

It was an honor to serve in that same shop some 25+ years later for just under a year.  Fond memories for sure.

Kudos to Ken Warmoth.

Cool, didn't know you worked there, that must have been awesome.  I have to admit I grabbed it because it was cheap and it's just like or very close to the one Jimmy Page plays.  Hope the tuners stay in tune.  I'm sure it'll get tuned down to DADGAD and of course that awesome tuning on "That's the Way" off Led Zeppelin III, I think it's Dflat, Gflat, Dflat, Gflat, Bflat, Dflat.  (Open G flat ya?) Think I'm gonna put some 11's on it.  Ya'll think that should be ok?  There is a truss rod in there, I hope!  :toothy10:

 

[zebra]

I'd be careful with heavy strings on that thing - the one I had, the neck was made of particleboard.  You should be ok with the 11s if you keep it down-tuned.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

If it's a true Dano, should be Maple/Rosewood.

Still wish I had the guts from that, especially those original lipstick sc's.

 

[Glimmer]

Mine's strung with 11s, but tuned down a half-step. The top is already a little concave. Been like that as long as I can remember (got it in the ’80s). Might see what if anything can be done about it. Then again, might not.  :laughing7:  Here's a pic:

 

[vikingred]

If it's a true Dano, should be Maple/Rosewood.

Still wish I had the guts from that, especially those original lipstick sc's.

Says it's true DanElectric, but made in Korea.  All the reviews say the Korean "reissues" of this guitar are very well made.  Supposedly (hard to believe, but) these are NOS lipsticks that are 15 years old.  I wouldn't know how to tell if that's true or not.  But Ebay had 2 different major sellers claiming the same thing.  Maybe they're trying to dump the last of them, who knows.  For $350 you can't go wrong, I figure.  I'm probably gonna keep it here at my office, hang it on the wall, and take it down to play during lunch plugged into my iphone and garageband.  Heh.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

The do have a truss rod, but it's non adjustable, stays reasonably straight though.
One setup and it's like the Ronco Rotisserie Grill, set it & forget it.

 

[vikingred]

The do have a truss rod, but it's non adjustable, stays reasonably straight though.
One setup and it's like the Ronco Rotisserie Grill, set it & forget it.

Man I love mine.  I'm almost ashamed of how much I love it.  It's too "inexpensive" to sound so good and lovable but DUDE!  The tone is so sweet plugged straight into the Swart STR.  It resonates with some other non-stratocaster part of me. Never could do Gibsons, not even their acoustics.  But this thing is SWEET!

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

The do have a truss rod, but it's non adjustable, stays reasonably straight though.
One setup and it's like the Ronco Rotisserie Grill, set it & forget it.

Man I love mine.  I'm almost ashamed of how much I love it.  It's too "inexpensive" to sound so good and lovable but DUDE!  The tone is so sweet plugged straight into the Swart STR.  It resonates with some other non-stratocaster part of me. Never could do Gibsons, not even their acoustics.  But this thing is SWEET!

When I had mine in early 1981, I plugged it into a Supro 1616 model 6x9" Jensen loaded combo
http://medias.audiofanzine.com/images/normal/supro-1616t-1071390.jpg
It had a single 6L6 power tube and a 12AX7 preamp tube.  Turned it all the way up, and "Fuzz City" which I promptly pushed my favorite bevy of Black Sabbath riffs through at 15 years old.
I played it full out to the point where the capacitors started falling out of it from the heat, then it started smoking & I shut it down.  I ended up trading it for parts at a local music store to build my first solid body that I mated up the Dano Neck to.

 

[vikingred]

The do have a truss rod, but it's non adjustable, stays reasonably straight though.
One setup and it's like the Ronco Rotisserie Grill, set it & forget it.

Man I love mine.  I'm almost ashamed of how much I love it.  It's too "inexpensive" to sound so good and lovable but DUDE!  The tone is so sweet plugged straight into the Swart STR.  It resonates with some other non-stratocaster part of me. Never could do Gibsons, not even their acoustics.  But this thing is SWEET!

When I had mine in early 1981, I plugged it into a Supro 1616 model 6x9" Jensen loaded combo
http://medias.audiofanzine.com/images/normal/supro-1616t-1071390.jpg
It had a single 6L6 power tube and a 12AX7 preamp tube.  Turned it all the way up, and "Fuzz City" which I promptly pushed my favorite bevy of Black Sabbath riffs through at 15 years old.
I played it full out to the point where the capacitors started falling out of it from the heat, then it started smoking & I shut it down.  I ended up trading it for parts at a local music store to build my first solid body that I mated up the Dano Neck to.

The SUPRO!  Dude that is one cool pic.  Well, this Dano is a keeper, and for $350, I'm delighted.  I was gonna use it as wall decor at my office, but plugged it in, and the rest was history.  I have to admit I did consider scavenging the pickups to put into a Warmoth build.  I think I will pop it open and look at the electronics and maybe upgrade the switch, and f*ck around with the cap or something.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

The do have a truss rod, but it's non adjustable, stays reasonably straight though.
One setup and it's like the Ronco Rotisserie Grill, set it & forget it.

Man I love mine.  I'm almost ashamed of how much I love it.  It's too "inexpensive" to sound so good and lovable but DUDE!  The tone is so sweet plugged straight into the Swart STR.  It resonates with some other non-stratocaster part of me. Never could do Gibsons, not even their acoustics.  But this thing is SWEET!

If you want lipstick pickups, don't yank em from the Dano, get some from GFS.

When I had mine in early 1981, I plugged it into a Supro 1616 model 6x9" Jensen loaded combo
http://medias.audiofanzine.com/images/normal/supro-1616t-1071390.jpg
It had a single 6L6 power tube and a 12AX7 preamp tube.  Turned it all the way up, and "Fuzz City" which I promptly pushed my favorite bevy of Black Sabbath riffs through at 15 years old.
I played it full out to the point where the capacitors started falling out of it from the heat, then it started smoking & I shut it down.  I ended up trading it for parts at a local music store to build my first solid body that I mated up the Dano Neck to.

The SUPRO!  Dude that is one cool pic.  Well, this Dano is a keeper, and for $350, I'm delighted.  I was gonna use it as wall decor at my office, but plugged it in, and the rest was history.  I have to admit I did consider scavenging the pickups to put into a Warmoth build.  I think I will pop it open and look at the electronics and maybe upgrade the switch, and f*ck around with the cap or something.