Danelectro '59DC Long Scale - Copper Burst Review

Dares to be different (and succeeds)

I had always wanted a long scale Dano bass, mostly because they look so completely different, and they seem like they break rules when it comes to what gets you great tone. There are so many things about these basses that seem wrong - the lightweight bridge, the complete lack of a notable tone wood, the unbelievably light weight of the instrument - and yet I see what people are… read more saying about this bass online, and I can't resist dropping the coin on it. Here's what the bass isn't: It isn't a Fender. It isn't a fancy modern bazillion dollar "modern bass". Here's what it is: Completely unique. A wickedly fun player. A tone that somehow sits right between a P-bass and a Ric. Well-built, despite being made of, yes, plywood. The biggest positives: - Great neck. Totally unlike any I've ever played. The string width doesn't really change from the nut to the bridge ... this makes the bass *feel* faster. The 14" radius is very modern, but the neck isn't exactly skinny. The fretwork on my bass is flawless (kudos on the PERFECT setup by Sweetwater ... spot on intonation, excellent action). - Perfect balance. As good as a Jazz, which I always view as being the best naturally balanced bass shape out there. - Impressive build quality. I can't find anything wrong with this bass, and I have a side business building my own instruments. This thing is rock solid, despite the plywood body. The neck joint is nice and clean. The controls feel good. Everything is appropriately tight. No noise in the electronics. - The tuners. They look ... goofy?!? They look like old Klusons you'd find on a 50s Strat. But they're rock solid. The small tuning pegs are slightly awkward, but "set them and forget them". - The overall tone. SOOOO unique. You've never heard another bass like this, yet the tone will work anywhere. Growl, bottom end, and that certain "something". The pickups blend together really well, and also stand well on their own (particularly the neck pickup, which has a beautiful fatness, yet nice and tight definition). I might eventually switch out the capacitors, but out of the box the tone shaping is impressive. - The aluminum nut. I've installed brass nuts on a couple of basses, but I've never played an aluminum one before. It does amazing things for the tone. A real surprise for me. The only slight negative: The pickups don't pump out a huge amount of volume. Gotta ding half a star for that. But like I said ... the tone you get is beautiful. All in all, you have something unique, very well built, at a great price point. Easy "buy" for me!

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