NGD - Danelectro Hornet Reissue

mkt3000 · Post by **mkt3000** » Wed Sep 13, 2017 10:42 pm

This appeared today in the FB Marketplace. It's evil, but it's second hand, the price was right, and the seller was willing to drive 20 miles closer to me to make the deal.

So I said why not. I remember the original Silvertone Hornet I had a few years back quite fondly, and this seemed like a cheap way to get that tone back.

After what seemed like forever (38 minutes), I arrived in the Volusia County fairgrounds. An older gentleman comes out of a Ford F150 with the guitar in hand, a quick inspection later, and I gave him the money.

When I got back, I immediately plugged it in... and was blown away by the twang! SO MUCH TWANG. Imagine the a twangy song, now imagine it twangier, now just a little bit more. Then deep fry it. That's how twangy this guitar is. I could have fun with it.

The neck is super smooth, frets are nicely dressed, and the trem is definitely weird. Tuning held fairly well.

And now for the bad.

I don't know which control is which, and if one of the pots is at 100%, no noise comes through. Since I have no soldering iron, multimeter, or free time when I get back to Miami, I need to take care of this now, while i'm in Orlando. So off to find a tech, or some tools.

Also, the control plate at the bottom is plastic and it's scratched some of the top paint off. But that's an easy fix with some spray paint on a weekend day.

And finally, pics:

sunshiner · Post by **sunshiner** » Thu Sep 14, 2017 2:41 am

Congrats and that's a beauty of course! I regret not buying one when they were available and cheap

mkt3000 · Post by **mkt3000** » Thu Sep 14, 2017 2:48 pm

Well, I couldn't get a guitar tech in Orlando to see me while I'm in town, so I decided to do the next best thing:

I ordered some basic tools off of prime now, they should arrive by 2pm today, and then I'll see what I can do.

mkt3000 · Post by **mkt3000** » Thu Sep 14, 2017 8:55 pm

Took it apart, and put it back together.

1- Now I know how to set up one of these trems. They're deceptively simple.

2- Neck pickup is quite dead. Dead dead. So I can either leave this as a one-pickup guitar, or I can replace it.

3- The metal control plate is painted plastic, which comes off when you look at it dirty. So at some point, I'm gonna spray paint it.

Decisions, decisions.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Thu Sep 14, 2017 9:32 pm

Get some GFS lipsticks, hear they're great for the money.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Thu Sep 14, 2017 9:33 pm

Also:

mkt3000 wrote:3- The metal control plate is painted plastic, which comes off when you look at it dirty. So at some point, I'm gonna spray paint it.

I did not know that. That's such a danelectro move but kind of cool in its own way.

mkt3000 · Post by **mkt3000** » Thu Sep 14, 2017 9:56 pm

This guitar was decoration since it was made, and i'm the first person to own it who actually plays guitar.

Other interesting quirks - the pickguard is one think piece of paper/plastic with clear plastic on top, and it's begun to yellow.

mkt3000 · Post by **mkt3000** » Fri Sep 15, 2017 12:42 am

Decisions made.

Replacement pickups and wiring loom ordered from GFS.

This will either be a keeper, or future trade bait... but it needs to fucking function 100%.

Also, need to go to an auto parts store, and get sand paper and some automotive chrome spray paint.

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Fri Sep 15, 2017 4:48 am

Always thought these were cool looking, never got a chance to play on one.

Josh · Post by **Josh** » Fri Sep 15, 2017 8:08 pm

Love these things, have a black one that's missing an inlay. Thing sounds rad though. I love the red on yours.

mkt3000 · Post by **mkt3000** » Wed Sep 20, 2017 1:35 am

Update.

I don't have a soldering iron, and my soldering abilities are iffy at best, so I decided to cheat and try out GFS Kwikplug.

SG wiring loom + two GFS Danelectro sized lipstick pickups (with kwikplugs) + swapping the mounting brackets on the GFS pickups with the ones on the oem pickups = A WORKING GUITAR!!

Now, its future is TBD.

Oh, also thinking about turning it into a hardtail. This tailpiece is the hardest thing I've ever had to restring - worse than a bigsby!

kingkiller · Post by **kingkiller** » Wed Sep 20, 2017 10:44 am

How did you like the GFS Kwikplug stuff? I've got a couple beater guitars that I'm planning on swapping pickups in a lot and while I need the practice soldering, I'd rather just have something I can swap easy, and save soldering for some of my guitars that I'm committing one set of pickups to, if that makes sense.

mkt3000 · Post by **mkt3000** » Wed Sep 20, 2017 12:48 pm

The electrical part is super easy.

Just attach the electronics to their respective holes in the pickguard, crimp the ground, and connect the pickups.

Everything worked as intended when I tested it through an amp.

Obviously due to the weird differences in Danelectro pickup brackets, it took a bit more work - removing the GFS brackets and replacing them with the original Danelectro ones - but it worked well.

You shouldn't have this issue with any guitar using normal single coils or humbuckers. What I would recommend though is to have a drill with you, since for some guitars, the hole for the cable to the output jack is too narrow for the kwikplug connector and requires widening.

Also - where's "dumbtown"

kingkiller · Post by **kingkiller** » Wed Sep 20, 2017 2:54 pm

mkt3000 wrote:The electrical part is super easy.

Just attach the electronics to their respective holes in the pickguard, crimp the ground, and connect the pickups.

Everything worked as intended when I tested it through an amp.

Obviously due to the weird differences in Danelectro pickup brackets, it took a bit more work - removing the GFS brackets and replacing them with the original Danelectro ones - but it worked well.

You shouldn't have this issue with any guitar using normal single coils or humbuckers. What I would recommend though is to have a drill with you, since for some guitars, the hole for the cable to the output jack is too narrow for the kwikplug connector and requires widening.

Also - where's "dumbtown"

Ahh, thanks for the tips, I wouldn't have thought about the drill.
"Dumbtown" is Brandon, just outside of Tampa. The name is just an in-joke between myself and bandmates

mkt3000 · Post by **mkt3000** » Wed Sep 20, 2017 3:01 pm

kingkiller wrote:
mkt3000 wrote:The electrical part is super easy.

Just attach the electronics to their respective holes in the pickguard, crimp the ground, and connect the pickups.

Everything worked as intended when I tested it through an amp.

Obviously due to the weird differences in Danelectro pickup brackets, it took a bit more work - removing the GFS brackets and replacing them with the original Danelectro ones - but it worked well.

You shouldn't have this issue with any guitar using normal single coils or humbuckers. What I would recommend though is to have a drill with you, since for some guitars, the hole for the cable to the output jack is too narrow for the kwikplug connector and requires widening.

Also - where's "dumbtown"

Ahh, thanks for the tips, I wouldn't have thought about the drill.
"Dumbtown" is Brandon, just outside of Tampa. The name is just an in-joke between myself and bandmates

Hah, I know Brandon. Funny nickname.

kingkiller · Post by **kingkiller** » Wed Sep 20, 2017 3:13 pm

mkt3000 wrote:
kingkiller wrote:
mkt3000 wrote:The electrical part is super easy.

Just attach the electronics to their respective holes in the pickguard, crimp the ground, and connect the pickups.

Everything worked as intended when I tested it through an amp.

Obviously due to the weird differences in Danelectro pickup brackets, it took a bit more work - removing the GFS brackets and replacing them with the original Danelectro ones - but it worked well.

You shouldn't have this issue with any guitar using normal single coils or humbuckers. What I would recommend though is to have a drill with you, since for some guitars, the hole for the cable to the output jack is too narrow for the kwikplug connector and requires widening.

Also - where's "dumbtown"

Ahh, thanks for the tips, I wouldn't have thought about the drill.
"Dumbtown" is Brandon, just outside of Tampa. The name is just an in-joke between myself and bandmates
Hah, I know Brandon. Funny nickname.

Brandon is nice because it's just far enough to avoid most of the traffic from Tampa, but still close enough that I can go there to hang out.

mkt3000 · Post by **mkt3000** » Wed Sep 20, 2017 3:14 pm

kingkiller wrote:
mkt3000 wrote:
kingkiller wrote:

Ahh, thanks for the tips, I wouldn't have thought about the drill.
"Dumbtown" is Brandon, just outside of Tampa. The name is just an in-joke between myself and bandmates
Hah, I know Brandon. Funny nickname.

Brandon is nice because it's just far enough to avoid most of the traffic from Tampa, but still close enough that I can go there to hang out.

I spent six months in downtown Tampa - I had a great time there, but I'd still find myself going to Orlando almost every weekend to hang out at their bars and see bands there.

brainfur · Post by **brainfur** » Thu Sep 21, 2017 3:10 pm

thats awesome!

find someone to cut you an aluminum scratchplate for it instead of the painted plastic thing!

mkt3000 · Post by **mkt3000** » Sun Oct 01, 2017 10:32 pm

Final update on this one (well, for now, lol).

The annoying trem was... annoying. So I hardtailed it using an allparts Danelectro bridge. I had to shim it by putting a hex nut and washer under each of the top mounting holes, and then tightening the trem spring all the way, but it works perfectly.

Also, I sanded and refinished the plastic control plate with Rustoleum Satin Nickel.

And for the finishing touch, Rickenbacker Knobs, which are this week's favorite knobs for me.

Here's some pics:

Josh · Post by **Josh** » Sun Oct 01, 2017 11:46 pm

Looking good. I want one of those bridges for my 1449

NGD - Danelectro Hornet Reissue

NGD - Danelectro Hornet Reissue

Re: NGD - Danelectro Hornet Reissue