Review Danelectro '59 Original

If guitar shape is identical to the original edition, very close attention was nevertheless paid to errors in previous editions. After all, why not make something new, based on the old, but better?

 

The instrument grips very nicely. Like the original, the DC-59 is very light. The Masonite body (a type of plywood) is glued on a hollow wooden frame. Though not connected, it sounds incredible. The characteristics of the guitar craftmanship may suggest an instrument of rudimentary built, but it is precisely the simplicity of its building materials that give it its characteristic sonic color.

 

Ah, those famous lipstick pickups! Originally, its creator, Nathan Daniels, bought a bankrupt company with its stock of lipstick metal packaging and used it as a shell to make the pickups for his guitar.

 

To reduce the Danelectros’ development costs, the pickups of all brand models are identical: a single winding, protected in a metal casing that gives it its very twangy sound, just as a Telecaster bridge acts like an iron cage giving it a dry sound quality. Note that this model has a warmer sound than the first re-issue, which is likely due to more copper coil turns on the pickup’s magnet. This gives them greater amplitude, heat and above all roundness of sound. This fatter attribute gives these models a much better response in crunch or overdrive than the original models. The pickups are height adjustable with two screws on the back that cross the entire width of the body of the instrument. The pickup cavities and the pick guard are armoured (as stated in the inscription above the neck: totally shielded) so no problem of buzz at the exit.

 

The cream colored center dial allows you adjust the volume, while the wider darker portion of the dial sets the tone. This design, unusual, and very original, proved to be very functional and practical. A three-position switch allows for 1) only bridge pickup 2) both pickups in series (very interesting and unusual) and finally 3) only the neck pickup. In position 2 we cannot bypass further the pickup tone as with former DC models.

 

Positions 1 and 3 are equivalent in output level. However the 2nd position is much more exciting with the combination of both neck and bridge pickups to have a thicker, but especially a greater level of output.

 

In position 1 the cleans shine on.  They are highly crystalline and brilliant, though sometimes a little spicy to the eardrums in the treble notes. To avoid this unpleasantness, you will have to make sure to adjust the tone to avoid the clacking quality that can very quickly turn to screaming!

 

Position 3 is warm and round. We can see here the work that was done by the technicians on the pickups over previous editions with more coil turns. A real treat for blues soloists!

 

For my taste, this guitar is definitely worth a visit in the 2nd position, which for me remains the most performance efficient and most balanced. We may adjust the level and tone for each pickup independently of the other to refine accurately the mixture of both.

 

The icing on the cake is that the guitar is a real treat in crunch tones in all positions! We find that these sounds immediately remind us of the Telecaster, but with a cavernous deep quality which remains quite impressive and has never been equaled in the history of electric guitars craftsmanship. Small precision, the pickups do not stand up to metal and everything else that requires a hyper saturated sound.

 

For a very nice price ($400), we have a quality Danelectro guitar with a fine and delicate finish playable by fingers and/or slide. We cannot say that Danelectro is a versatile guitar that can be used for any type of music, far from it. The clacking sound prevents this model from venturing into some softer genres such as jazz or even thicker such as the metal. For fat sounds, forget it.  But on the contrary, when it comes to fine sounds, sharp as a razor, you’ve come to the right place. Warning- this may make your ears bleed! For those who have never approached the legend closely, a test is certainly needed. Be wary though of impending addiction: when you buy a Danelectro, you want the entire collection! Let the Dano rule !