Danelectro Shorthorn
Encyclopedia
The Danelectro
Shorthorn line of guitars are a dual cutaway hollow bodied design, made of Masonite
and poplar
. The original models were introduced in 1959 to replace the U model
guitars, and were in production until the closure of the Danelectro company in 1969.
There have been multiple re-issues of this line of guitars, the first two being the 59DC with two pickups and DC-3 with three pickups, sold between 1998 and 2001. The 59 Dano followed in 2007 and the 59-DC in 2009.
The Shorthorn range comes in one, two and three pickup models, and has the "Coke Bottle Style" classic headstock, hollowed body cavity, and a seal shaped pick guard with two concentric
"stacked" tone/volume knobs (non-stacked on some reissues).
with a lipstick pickup mounted diagonally across the hole. The Convertible name comes from the ability to play it unplugged as an acoustic guitar or plugged in as an electric guitar. The jack to accommodate the cable is located inside the guitar's strap holder on the bottom of the guitar body. The Convertible has the double cutaway shape used on Danelectro's DC series of guitars.
The Convertible was originally produced in the 1960s. It was offered as a re-issue between 1998 and 2001. The guitar is currently not being produced.
The Convertible had a fixed bridge
and a separate tailpiece
. On the Convertible, the tailpiece was used to hold the strings equally apart while the metal riser on the bridge was not notched, with the undesirable result that the strings slid back & forth on the bridge when the guitarist bent strings while playing.
from the early Pink Floyd
usually played this guitar before switching to a Fender Esquire
, and also Jimmy Page
from Led Zeppelin
used this model of guitar on live performances of "Kashmir
", "In My Time of Dying
", "Black Mountain Side
", and "White Summer
". When Eric Clapton
was with Blind Faith
he used this model with a psychedelic
paint job. More recently Christopher Wolstenholme, bassist of Muse
, has used one live when he occasionally plays guitar, most notablly on Unintended
. In 1960, Jimi Hendrix's father bought Hendrix a copper single-pickup Silvertone Danelectro, who named it "Betty Jean" after his high school girlfriend.
Danelectro
Danelectro is an American manufacturer of musical instruments and accessories, specializing in rock instruments such as guitars, bass guitars, amplifiers and effects units.-History:...
Shorthorn line of guitars are a dual cutaway hollow bodied design, made of Masonite
Masonite
Masonite is a type of hardboard invented by William H. Mason.-History:Masonite was invented in 1924 in Laurel, Mississippi, by William H. Mason. Mass production started in 1929. In the 1930s and 1940s Masonite was used for many applications including doors, roofing, walls, desktops, and canoes...
and poplar
Poplar
Populus is a genus of 25–35 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. English names variously applied to different species include poplar , aspen, and cottonwood....
. The original models were introduced in 1959 to replace the U model
Danelectro U2
The Danelectro U2 is a dual-pickup hollow bodied guitar made of Masonite and shaped similar to a Les Paul model guitar.It was originally made from the years 1956 to 1958 but was re-issued in the late 90s, in 2006 in a slightly modified form as the '56 Pro, and again in 2010 as the '56 Single...
guitars, and were in production until the closure of the Danelectro company in 1969.
There have been multiple re-issues of this line of guitars, the first two being the 59DC with two pickups and DC-3 with three pickups, sold between 1998 and 2001. The 59 Dano followed in 2007 and the 59-DC in 2009.
The Shorthorn range comes in one, two and three pickup models, and has the "Coke Bottle Style" classic headstock, hollowed body cavity, and a seal shaped pick guard with two concentric
Concentric
Concentric objects share the same center, axis or origin with one inside the other. Circles, tubes, cylindrical shafts, disks, and spheres may be concentric to one another...
"stacked" tone/volume knobs (non-stacked on some reissues).
Danelectro Convertible
The Danelectro Convertible was a hollow-bodied thinline acoustic/electric guitar based on the Shorthorn. It had a conventional round sound holeSound hole
A sound hole is an opening in the upper sound board of a stringed musical instrument.The sound holes can have different shapes: round in flat-top guitars, F-holes in instruments from the violin or viol families and in arched-top guitars, rosettes in lutes. Bowed Lyras have D-holes and Mandolins may...
with a lipstick pickup mounted diagonally across the hole. The Convertible name comes from the ability to play it unplugged as an acoustic guitar or plugged in as an electric guitar. The jack to accommodate the cable is located inside the guitar's strap holder on the bottom of the guitar body. The Convertible has the double cutaway shape used on Danelectro's DC series of guitars.
The Convertible was originally produced in the 1960s. It was offered as a re-issue between 1998 and 2001. The guitar is currently not being produced.
The Convertible had a fixed bridge
Bridge (instrument)
A bridge is a device for supporting the strings on a stringed instrument and transmitting the vibration of those strings to some other structural component of the instrument in order to transfer the sound to the surrounding air.- Explanation :...
and a separate tailpiece
Tailpiece
A tailpiece is a component on many stringed musical instruments that anchors one end of the strings, usually the end opposite the end with the tuning mechanism the scroll, headstock, peghead, etc.-Function and construction:...
. On the Convertible, the tailpiece was used to hold the strings equally apart while the metal riser on the bridge was not notched, with the undesirable result that the strings slid back & forth on the bridge when the guitarist bent strings while playing.
Manny's demonstration guitar
One noteworthy Danelectro 59 DC resides at the famed Manny's Music Store in New York City; the guitar had been painted a light yellow, along with other brightly painted instruments, for a promotional photo; afterwards the guitar served as the official demo model for which to try out an amplifier or effect pedal. Consequently, the yellow Danelectro has been played by dozens of well-known and notable guitarists - including Bob Dylan, John Lennon,Mark Knopfler, Eric Clapton, and others - who enjoyed the sound of the guitar to the point that some attempted to buy the not-for-sale guitar. The guitar, which eventually broke in half at the neck, is displayed in a glass case at Manny's, together with the unverifiable claim that it may have been played by more musicians than any other electric guitar.Notable players
Syd BarrettSyd Barrett
Syd Barrett , born Roger Keith Barrett, was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and painter, best remembered as a founding member of the band Pink Floyd. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter during the band's psychedelic years, providing major musical and stylistic...
from the early Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
usually played this guitar before switching to a Fender Esquire
Fender Esquire
The Fender Esquire is a solid body electric guitar manufactured by Fender, and was the first guitar sold by Fender in 1950. Shortly after its introduction a two-pickup version named the Broadcaster was introduced while the single pickup version retained the Esquire name...
, and also Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
from Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
used this model of guitar on live performances of "Kashmir
Kashmir (song)
"Kashmir" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin from their sixth album Physical Graffiti, released in 1975. It was written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant over a period of three years, with the lyrics dating back to 1973.-Overview:The song centres around a signature chord progression...
", "In My Time of Dying
In My Time of Dying
"In My Time of Dying" is a traditional gospel music song that has been recorded by numerous musicians. An early version, titled "Jesus Goin' A-Make Up My Dying Bed", is mentioned in historian Robert Emmet Kennedy's Black Cameos published in 1924, on Louisiana street performers, and also listed in...
", "Black Mountain Side
Black Mountain Side
"Black Mountain Side" is an instrumental by English rock band Led Zeppelin, featured on the band's 1969 début album Led Zeppelin. It was recorded at Olympic Studios, London during October 1968.-Song structure:...
", and "White Summer
White Summer
"White Summer" is a guitar instrumental by English rock guitarist Jimmy Page, recorded with both The Yardbirds and, later, with Led Zeppelin.-The Yardbirds version:...
". When Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
was with Blind Faith
Blind Faith
Blind Faith were an English blues-rock band that consisted of Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, Steve Winwood and Ric Grech. The band, which was one of the first "super-groups", released their only album, Blind Faith, in August 1969...
he used this model with a psychedelic
Psychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
paint job. More recently Christopher Wolstenholme, bassist of Muse
Muse (band)
Muse are an English alternative rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of school friends Matthew Bellamy , Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard...
, has used one live when he occasionally plays guitar, most notablly on Unintended
Unintended
-Release history:...
. In 1960, Jimi Hendrix's father bought Hendrix a copper single-pickup Silvertone Danelectro, who named it "Betty Jean" after his high school girlfriend.