A Couple Danelectro / Silvertone Builds

cooter · Post by **cooter** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 6:58 pm

Awhile back I bought a few Dano necks from the GFS "Factory Buyout Clearance Section" as well as a few other style necks.
Some were fretted some hadn't made it that far along in the process. But the price was right and I'm learning how to build necks
anyway so this would be good way to hone some skills.

Here's the Dano necks.

Covered in dust after they were sanded down. (Yeah, I've got plans for a Vox Teardrop build someday.)

Printed out some scale drawings and started making the templates.

Once the templates were sorted out I started rough cutting and gluing up a couple of bodies.
I had some scrap finished plywood that I used for the frame.
Added a Masonite top and back to the frame.
From what I've read the early Danelectros used pine frames and later switched to poplar frames.

The highly complex gluing and clamping process.

cooter · Post by **cooter** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 7:06 pm

Neck pockets routed.

Necks mounted. This is where I'm at until this cold snap moves out.

Oh yeah. GFS had these 30" scale necks listed for a short time and I couldn't resist a Longhorn 6 string bass build.
I bought a Jerry Jones steel dano bridge for this one.

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 7:32 pm

You crazy son of a bitch.

Awesome build thread is awesome.

Fakir Mustache · Post by **Fakir Mustache** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 7:32 pm

that's awesome

Thomas · Post by **Thomas** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 8:13 pm

These look great. I'll be keeping a close eye on these builds!!

Zack · Post by **Zack** » Sun Feb 15, 2015 8:29 pm

Dude, this thread is great and it's only gonna get better. I really like seeing those danos in progress, something about that masonite makes 'em look rustic. That longhorn is gonna be so sick!

sunshiner · Post by **sunshiner** » Mon Feb 16, 2015 6:06 am

Great thread indeed.

cooter · Post by **cooter** » Mon Feb 16, 2015 11:45 am

Thanks guys. I'll try and keep the progress updated. Here's the look I'm shooting for with the U1 build.

http://www.vintagesilvertones.com/galle ... opper.html

I've been so obsessed with these vintage Silvertones/Danelectros for the last few months that my daughter (with a little help from my wife)
bought me this book at Christmas. It's a great resource.

benecol · Post by **benecol** » Mon Feb 16, 2015 12:23 pm

Love these! Wish I still had that Dano-style body of yours I had...

cooter · Post by **cooter** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 1:24 am

benecol wrote:Love these! Wish I still had that Dano-style body of yours I had...

Do you know if it ever got finished? It was a Dano style HiFlier right?

cur · Post by **cur** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 1:42 am

Did you add extra bracing for the 12 string? Or is that how they were built? Been thinking of a convertible with the 12 string neck I picked up, but not sure if it would implode.

Looking good !

cooter · Post by **cooter** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 11:07 am

cur wrote:Did you add extra bracing for the 12 string? Or is that how they were built? Been thinking of a convertible with the 12 string neck I picked up, but not sure if it would implode.

Looking good !

Yes and no. I used the same pattern frame the 6 strings used but you can see that I made my frames a little beefier.
Basicly the neck is connected straight to the bridge block and the rest of the body is floating around it.
But the connection of the neck to the bridge is really, super solid.
A Convertible is a whole new ballgame though. I'd be tempted to connect my bridge block to the tail end of the frame
and maybe make my frame 1" wide.

Like this convertible only with a one inch frame and carry the bridge block straight back to the butt end of the frame so it's connected.
Will you be using a convertable style tailpiece to hold the strings and have a floating bridge?

benecol · Post by **benecol** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 12:44 pm

cooterfinger wrote:Do you know if it ever got finished? It was a Dano style HiFlier right?

Not sure who's got it now - either Dave or Lorez I think...

*hatches plan*

ekwatts · Post by **ekwatts** » Wed Feb 18, 2015 9:55 am

This is ridiculous. Fucking nice one.

This year I'm going to try and finish my teardrop (spraying the body and the massive botch I made of the neck put a halt to it a few years ago), but I might look into bagging a twelve string neck (they have some with no frets on GFS) and making a body to match, as a longer-term project.

cooter · Post by **cooter** » Wed Feb 18, 2015 11:35 am

ekwatts wrote:This is ridiculous. Fucking nice one.

This year I'm going to try and finish my teardrop (spraying the body and the massive botch I made of the neck put a halt to it a few years ago), but I might look into bagging a twelve string neck (they have some with no frets on GFS) and making a body to match, as a longer-term project.

Thanks. I hope to get to a teardrop build this summer. I was following your teardrop thread and wondered what ever happened to it.
I know how it goes though. I've got builds I started 3 years ago. I'm happiest when I'm juggling a bunch of projects. That way, if I'm at a point where I'm having to wait for parts or glue to set up or paint to dry, I can jump to the next. Problem is I just keep jumping to the next one.

I think the neck I bought from GFS is from one of these Phantom copies.
I don't know much about the brand but this neck is pretty nice. The nut slot hasn't been cut yet but the zero fret is there.

I had one of these back in my teen years. I loved the look but it was unplayable. You could shoot arrows with the neck an I didn't know how to fix it.
This is what I want to shoot for as far as look. No trem though. Maybe one of those short Rick style tailpieces.

Could go all solid body and faux Zebra like Ivy.

cur · Post by **cur** » Wed Feb 18, 2015 9:33 pm

That was sort my idea to beef up the side walls a bit and then run some 3/8 square aluminum tubing just wide of the sound hole but attached to the bridge block and glued to the top as well. probably notched and screwed to side walls and bridge pad. That way it will still be hollow chambered.

something like this;

ekwatts · Post by **ekwatts** » Wed Feb 18, 2015 9:58 pm

Hmmm, ideas are hatching... If I get the twelve string neck for the sake of speed I'd probably just convert the U2 I have first off, then maybe build a convertible body for the U2 neck. But if I were to make a convertible, it'd probably end up with f-holes. Loving the new 12 string with an f-hole they released recently. That way I could have a proper centre-block running the length of the guitar. I know it's not really a "proper" dano then, or even close to a proper semi acoustic, but.. whatever.

Looking for masonite.. can't find any other than as artists canvas. Is it not too common in the UK? What else might it be called?

ekwatts · Post by **ekwatts** » Wed Feb 18, 2015 10:02 pm

Also, what thickness wood did you use for the body? I'm looking at regular 45mm body blanks, but are they slightly too thick once the masonite top and bottoms go on? How thick are they? 5mm or slightly thicker? Would I be better off grabbing some 40mm wood from a local store or something?

cooter · Post by **cooter** » Wed Feb 18, 2015 10:04 pm

cur wrote:That was sort my idea to beef up the side walls a bit and then run some 3/8 square aluminum tubing just wide of the sound hole but attached to the bridge block and glued to the top as well. probably notched and screwed to side walls and bridge pad. That way it will still be hollow chambered.

Sounds like it should do the trick and keep it light as well. Please post some pics.

db · Post by db » Wed Feb 18, 2015 11:10 pm

ekwatts wrote:What else might it be called?

Pretty sure it's called hardboard