Danelectro 58 Longhorn Bass CB

I bought this Danelectro 58 Longhorn Bass from Thomann ten years ago ( in 2010 )
The price was significantly lower back then :-)

PROS :

- Very well built, overall construction feels sturdy.

- Very light weight, feels extremely comfortable to play while either sitting or standing.

- Short scale : I'm a guitarist, I don't play bass much, and though I have no problem playing long scale basses, a short scale feels extra comfortable to a guitarist.
The neck too feels very comfortable to play.

- Though the bridge is a "period correct" piece of slanted wood ( and thus not intonatable ), the intonation is surprisingly good.

- Fantastic sound ! You need this bass if you're into 60's and 70's classic rock.

CONS :

- The plastic knobs on the concentric volume/tone pots feel VERY flimsy and slightly "loose".
They feel as if they could fall off at any moment.

- The Kluson style tuning machines are small "guitar sized" tuners with - for a bass - very small plastic knobs.
Those knobs don't give you much of a grip while tuning, it's quite hard on the fingers.
Because of their small size, the tuners feel very "stiff", and though I use light bass strings ( 40 - 95 ) I always fear that the tuners could break under the tension of the strings.

Though such small tuning machines are "period correct" for this bass, changing them to larger, sturdier bass tuners would have been an improvement on the part of Danelectro.

CONCLUSION :

A great, well constructed, comfortable bass with a great sound.

If, like me, you're not predominantly a gigging but rather a home recording musician, and you keep this bass at home, it will give you all you need for classic rock sounds.

If, on the other hand, you plan to take this bass on the road for regular or constant gigging, the durability of some parts ( knobs, tuners ) is highly questionable.

I hestitated about getting this Bass, i've got short scales that would cover the jobs I fancied the Dano' for, the pounds dropped - all reasons to think twice... BUT went for gamble and ordered it...

The Danelectro is unbelievably good - good sound that cut's through general background gig hubub. responsive pickups and comfortable neck. I knew it was going to be light easy on the back. Tuning is stable and pretty much stays in all evening. An unexpected goody point is that, if playing sitting down - it doesn't cut off circulation to your legs. So a good studio Bass.
I didn't like the roundwound 'twang' but will put some Flatwounds on it pretty soon. Strap fixing on neck heel position makes the thing tilt down on the body, but slim fit young guys and gals won't have that problem.
Great, inexpensive and unusual - Nice Bass.
Thomann is the place to get it, here in three days (UK)

Mit dieser, der dritten, Neuauflage ist Danelectro eine höchst authentische Wiederauferstehung des wohl außergewöhnlichsten Basses gelungen.

Optik: Mit den spitzen Lautstärkepotis, der seidenmatten ("groben") copper burst Lackierung, dem "Totally Shielded"-Schild auf der Kopfplatte und den originalgetreuen Mechaniken, die übrigens absolut stimmstabil sind, sieht diese Version den Original-Longhörnern, die bis in die Sechziger Jahre hinein gebaut wurden, zum Verwechseln ähnlich.

Sound: Wie schon bei den beiden vorherigen Reissues (1999 und 2006) sehr nahe am Original, da bei Danelectro damals wie heute der Longhorn Bass immer aus einem Holzrahmen und zwei Masonite-Platten bestand, was ihm den besonderen "twangy", knackigen und dennoch für einen Short Scale Bass ungewöhnlich tiefen und druckvollen Sound verleiht. Die "souped up" Pickups sind in erster Linie etwas lauter als die bisherigen, was ich jedoch eindeutig für eine Verbesserung halte und nicht für eine Verfälschung.
Den 100-prozentig originalgetreuen Klang erreicht jedoch auch diese Neuauflage (wie auch schon die beiden Vorgänger) nicht, da die aufgezogenen Saiten zwar wie in den Fünfzigern und Sechzigern Nickel Round Wound sind, jedoch wesentlich dicker (.045, .065, .080, .100) als damals (Original-Saitenstärken: .042, .053, .060, .079). Dieses "Problem" lässt sich jedoch durch einen Saitenwechsel leicht beheben.

Apropos Saitenwechsel: Die 2009er ist die erste Version, bei der sich Spannstab der Halsschraube am Kopf des Instruments befindet, was das Nachjustieren der Halskrümmung enorm vereinfacht!
Alles in allem eine Super-Reissue eines Super-Instruments!