Danelectro '58 Longhorn Bass

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GUITARIST FEBRUARY 2016

pparently inspired by the profile of

an Ancient Greek harp called a lyre,

no less, the original ’58 Danelectro

Longhorn Series was populated by three

instruments. The model #4423 Bass, as

reissued here, was accompanied by the

#4623 Six-string Bass and the #4123 Guitarlin,

a curious beast that pitched both guitar and

mandolin sounds over its extended-length

31-fret fingerboard.

The Longhorn Guitarlin achieved a measure

of cult status when godfather of punk, Link

Wray, was pictured with his in the late 50s.

Wray devotee Pete Townshend also employed

a Guitarlin on stage with The Who in 1965.

The relationship came to an abrupt end when

he thrust it without mercy through the front

of a Marshall cabinet.

So, while the new ’58 Longhorn Bass is a

reissue of the original short scale model, our

first play

DANELECTRO ’58

LONGHORN GUITAR

£499

WHAT IS IT? The missing

Link in Danelectro’s archives.

It lives at last!

DANELECTRO ’58

LONGHORN BASS

£499

WHAT IS IT? The latest

generation of the bass The Who’s

John Entwistle used in the 60s

Words Ed Mitchell Photography Neil Godwin

The latest reissues from retro

kings Danelectro include a bass

made famous by The Ox and

a guitar inspired by one of its

weirdest creations

Horns

of plenty

GIT403.rev_dan.indd 22 21/12/2015 12:42

Summary of content (5 pages)

PAGE 1
f i r st p l ay DANELECTRO ’58 LONGHORN GUITAR £499 WHAT IS IT? The missing Link in Danelectro’s archives.
PAGE 2
VIDEO DEMO http://bit.ly/guitaristextra DANELECTRO ’58 LONGHORN GUITAR & BASS first play FEBRUARY 2016 GUITARIST GIT403.rev_dan.
PAGE 3
first play DANELECTRO ’58 LONGHORN GUITAR BASS 2 1 regular-scale guitar version didn’t exist at the time. Let’s call it a cut-down Guitarlin, then. Construction of the bass and guitar is identical with Masonite (we know it as hardboard) panels concealing an internal hardwood frame. Similarities persist with the cosmetic vinyl body tape, vintage-style tuners, well-cut aluminium top nut, ‘Coke bottle’ headstock, lipstick-cased single-coil pickups and concentric or ‘stacked’ volume and tone controls.
PAGE 4
VIDEO DEMO http://bit.ly/guitaristextra DANELECTRO ’58 LONGHORN GUITAR & BASS first play 1. In typical Dano fashion, the Longhorns have concentric or ’stacked’ volume and tone controls: the volume is the bottom knob; the tone is on top 2. Lipstick pickups are more versatile than you might think. Jimmy Page famously employed them on Led Zeppelin tunes like Kashmir. Dano don’t just do surf 3.
PAGE 5
first play DANELECTRO ’58 LONGHORN GUITAR & BASS 7 If you want to hear a Dano at its rockabilly best, listen to the wonderful Rick Miller Telecaster, just right for pedal-steel licks and rockabilly stuff. If you want to hear a Dano at its rockabilly best, listen to the wonderful Rick Miller of American band Southern Culture On The Skids. Finally, the neck position is sweet run clean but really comes alive with some overdrive and upper neck blues licks.