A discovery about my Danelectro 59-12

TiffanyGuitar · #1 08-29-2021, 05:07 AM

I discovered something last night about my Danelectro 59-12. If I turn the tone control all the way down and put it on the front pickup, it sounds very much like an acoustic 12 string. I find this guitar to be increasingly versatile and really like it.

Dru Edwards · #2 08-29-2021, 05:48 AM

Tone controls, along with volume controls, are seldom used by guitarists these days but they can provide a diverse array of tones. Sounds like you've found some great alternate tones.

I saw your NGD thread for your Dano but that was a 6 string. Is the 12 string also new?

TiffanyGuitar · #3 08-29-2021, 06:31 AM

Yes, I didn't post about it. I sold the Baxendale 12 string. It was nice, and I wasn't disappointed in it...BUT, I continue my love/hate relationship with acoustic 12 strings. Not sure that I will ever buy another acoustic 12 string. The solid birch just wasn't quite doing it for me - it had a certain stiffness. The neck was good, seemed very stable, but had this somewhat uncomfortable weird flat D shape. I don't know - it's a sickness.

The Dano 12 capos a lot better than the Baxendale and as an added bonus it will do many other things. Plus it wasn't expensive - for what I sold the Baxendale for, I bought the 2 Danos and have money left over. The necks on both Danos are straight as an arrow. Really impressed with them.

It's a sickness. I have done a lot better in 2021 about buying and selling. And plan to do even better in 2022. I have most of the parts for a new partscaster esquire - probably will work on finishing, assembling and tweaking in late 2021/early 2022. In 2022, the plan is no purchases and no sales - except we may build a strat partscaster for my youngest son in 2022.

Dru Edwards · #4 08-29-2021, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TiffanyGuitar

Yes, I didn't post about it. I sold the Baxendale 12 string. It was nice, and I wasn't disappointed in it...BUT, I continue my love/hate relationship with acoustic 12 strings. Not sure that I will ever buy another acoustic 12 string. The solid birch just wasn't quite doing it for me - it had a certain stiffness. The neck was good, seemed very stable, but had this somewhat uncomfortable weird flat D shape. I don't know - it's a sickness.

The Dano 12 capos a lot better than the Baxendale and as an added bonus it will do many other things. Plus it wasn't expensive - for what I sold the Baxendale for, I bought the 2 Danos and have money left over. The necks on both Danos are straight as an arrow. Really impressed with them.

It's a sickness. I have done a lot better in 2021 about buying and selling. And plan to do even better in 2022. I have most of the parts for a new partscaster esquire - probably will work on finishing, assembling and tweaking in late 2021/early 2022. In 2022, the plan is no purchases and no sales - except we may build a strat partscaster for my youngest son in 2022.

Regarding the sickness... getting a new guitar is something to look forward to. It raises our hopes. It makes us feel good. It's a cure!

The strat partscaster / frankenstrat is a great build. Takes a lot of time to research/ buy all the parts individually but very rewarding. For example, when I did mine back in 2007/2008 I was fortunate to find out before I bought the bridge that the MIM body I bought needed a MIM bridge because the American bridge wouldn't fit the drilled holes.

TiffanyGuitar · #5 08-29-2021, 07:06 AM

Yes, my knotty pine parts caster gets many compliments and plays better than any Fender I have ever picked up. I play it a lot. I would say it is my number one.

TiffanyGuitar · #6 09-13-2021, 07:16 PM

I have been playing with this Danelectro 12 string. I have a couple of amps - one of them is a Cube 10GX. I don't use it a lot, but when I do, I am always impressed by the clean settings. I am not wild about its lead or crunch settings, but I don't play much like that anyway. I decided to see what would happen if I downloaded the Roland Acoustic amp emulator into it and play the Danelectro 12 string into the acoustic amp. I think it sounds glorious! Even more acoustic. I don't think I will ever buy another acoustic 12 string. This thing is rock solid and plays like a dream. And you can do Beatles, etc. on it with normal amp settings too.

jricc · #7 09-14-2021, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TiffanyGuitar

I discovered something last night about my Danelectro 59-12. If I turn the tone control all the way down and put it on the front pickup, it sounds very much like an acoustic 12 string. I find this guitar to be increasingly versatile and really like it.

Hi TiffanyGuitar, I have a Dano 12 string as well and they are just good sounding 12 string instruments (and a 1997 U2 as well).

From what I've read, when you have the selector switch in the middle, the pickups are in series (most electrics are wired in parallel) resulting in added volume, and preventing the highest frequencies from getting through. You lose a little volume by using just one of the pickups, but this along with rolling off the tone can be why you're hearing a more acoustic like tone.

BTW, nice sunburst on your 12!

TiffanyGuitar · #8 09-15-2021, 11:04 AM

It's interesting. Out of sheer curiosity, I plugged the tele into the acoustic amp setting and... (wait for it)....it sounded like a tele through an acoustic amp - not so good. Then plugged the 12 string Dano in with the same settings on the amp, and it sounded once again surprisingly like an acoustic 12 string. On a recording, I think you would be hard pressed to tell it is a Dano. It must have something to do with the unique pickups in a Dano, perhaps some the hollow nature of it (but not on this) and very likely to me the neck pickup placement. Can't help but notice the neck pickup is more like a middle pickup position and is almost exactly where an acoustic guitar sound hole is.

I really like both of my Danos. They truly are their own thing and play really well.

jricc · #9 09-16-2021, 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TiffanyGuitar

It's interesting. Out of sheer curiosity, I plugged the tele into the acoustic amp setting and... (wait for it)....it sounded like a tele through an acoustic amp - not so good. Then plugged the 12 string Dano in with the same settings on the amp, and it sounded once again surprisingly like an acoustic 12 string. On a recording, I think you would be hard pressed to tell it is a Dano. It must have something to do with the unique pickups in a Dano, perhaps some the hollow nature of it (but not on this) and very likely to me the neck pickup placement. Can't help but notice the neck pickup is more like a middle pickup position and is almost exactly where an acoustic guitar sound hole is.

I really like both of my Danos. They truly are their own thing and play really well.

Good thought on the position of the "neck" pickup.