• From: The Gates of Delerium
  • Registered: 2008-05-07
  • Posts: 1,412

Topic: A "good?" cheap 12 string electric

OK, first of all let me state that I haven't seen one of these yet let alone pick one up and play it...

There have been references on the Rickenbacker forum to original Danelectro 12 strings "the poor man's Rickenbacker".
I do own a reissue '59 six string ($250 about 2 years ago) which I bought after seeing Jimmy Page playing one of the original Danelectros on the LZ DVD set.  Yes, it's cheap (masonite body, aluminum nut and bridge) but in spite of that, the intonation is good, no string buzzing and it sounds pretty darn good! I love the sound from those lipstick tube pups! $250 well spent I say.

I just saw on the Danelectro site that they are introducing 12 string guitars based on the '59 body. Again they might be crap, or you just might get a cheap gem. I checked GC and MF sites; not listed yet.

http://www.danelectro.com/guitars_main3.html

Major Tom to ground control...

2 Reply by eva (edited by eva 2009-02-17 11:31:06)

  • eva
  • eva
  • BONAMETAL
  • Offline
  • From: germany
  • Registered: 2007-03-15
  • Posts: 1,885

Re: A "good?" cheap 12 string electric

Had a dream last night after watching the good old "Crossroads" movie again the evening before: Steve Vai handed me a Gibson Les Paul 12-string guitar with a Gigliotti neck and said "You better learn how to play Slide Guitar, girl." .... I´m not kidding. Should I go and see a doctor?!

Sorry for being off topic - a friend of mine has a Danelectro (I believe it´s this one: http://www.thomann.de/de/danelectro_12_string_lb.htm) and says it´s cool, but I haven´t heard him play it yet. I´ll ask again and let you know what he says ....

Eva

  • From: The Gates of Delerium
  • Registered: 2008-05-07
  • Posts: 1,412

Re: A "good?" cheap 12 string electric

eva wrote:

Had a dream last night after watching the good old "Crossroads" movie again the evening before: Steve Vai handed me a Gibson Les Paul 12-string guitar with a Gigliotti neck and said "You better learn how to play Slide Guitar, girl." .... I´m not kidding. Should I go and see a doctor?!

Sorry for being off topic - a friend of mine has a Danelectro (I believe it´s this one: http://www.thomann.de/de/danelectro_12_string_lb.htm) and says it´s cool, but I haven´t heard him play it yet. I´ll ask again and let you know what he says ....

Eva

That's the one Eva. 309 Euros sounds about right. I was just wondering what they were selling for.

Speaking of dreams, I had a strange one last night.  In it I was sleeping, and woke up and smelled cigar smoke. I went down the stairs to investigate and there was Joe smoking a stogie and tuning up a guitar. Strange! See you at the head shrinker's office I think!

Major Tom to ground control...
  • From: South Brunswick, NJ USA
  • Registered: 2006-04-21
  • Posts: 133

Re: A "good?" cheap 12 string electric

I love those lipstick tube pickups too.  The Danelectro reissues I played were all fun but the tuners were not to impressive in my opinion (the new bridges are better though!).  I hesitated buying one long enough to afford a Jerry Jones Neptune 12 string which, which at just under a grand, is not exactly cheap but a pretty good bargain for an American made guitar.  The Jerry Jones stuff is really well made and true to the Danelectro build except they use better hardware and tuners.  If your handy and can get a deal on some decent tuners, I think the Dano imports are pretty cool guitars.  I really tempted to pick up a Dano Pro 6 string model myself!

Russ B.
  • From: The Gates of Delerium
  • Registered: 2008-05-07
  • Posts: 1,412

Re: A "good?" cheap 12 string electric

ModTourMan wrote:

I love those lipstick tube pickups too.  The Danelectro reissues I played were all fun but the tuners were not to impressive in my opinion (the new bridges are better though!).  I hesitated buying one long enough to afford a Jerry Jones Neptune 12 string which, which at just under a grand, is not exactly cheap but a pretty good bargain for an American made guitar.  The Jerry Jones stuff is really well made and true to the Danelectro build except they use better hardware and tuners.  If your handy and can get a deal on some decent tuners, I think the Dano imports are pretty cool guitars.  I really tempted to pick up a Dano Pro 6 string model myself!

My Dano has metal tuners. My real cheapo, (the one I take with me on the road to hotels and such) is an Epi LP-2 special. I think I paid $150 for it new. Plastic tuners, plastic body, the neck pickup was falling out of it when I received it...

I just posted this about the 12 string in case there were any beginners out there looking to enter the 12 string world, as I was surprised at the quality and playability of my '59 reissue. Yes, in the $250 - $400 range you can do better than a Dano at least for a 6 string but the output of those pickups is really unique. But in that $$$ range I don't think there are too many 12 string electrics around.

I have a Rickenbacker 330/12 at home.  It plays like a dream! cool

Major Tom to ground control...

6 Reply by ModTourMan (edited by ModTourMan 2009-02-19 05:55:13)

  • From: South Brunswick, NJ USA
  • Registered: 2006-04-21
  • Posts: 133

Re: A "good?" cheap 12 string electric

RICjunkie wrote:
ModTourMan wrote:

I love those lipstick tube pickups too.  The Danelectro reissues I played were all fun but the tuners were not to impressive in my opinion (the new bridges are better though!).  I hesitated buying one long enough to afford a Jerry Jones Neptune 12 string which, which at just under a grand, is not exactly cheap but a pretty good bargain for an American made guitar.  The Jerry Jones stuff is really well made and true to the Danelectro build except they use better hardware and tuners.  If your handy and can get a deal on some decent tuners, I think the Dano imports are pretty cool guitars.  I really tempted to pick up a Dano Pro 6 string model myself!

My Dano has metal tuners. My real cheapo, (the one I take with me on the road to hotels and such) is an Epi LP-2 special. I think I paid $150 for it new. Plastic tuners, plastic body, the neck pickup was falling out of it when I received it...

I just posted this about the 12 string in case there were any beginners out there looking to enter the 12 string world, as I was surprised at the quality and playability of my '59 reissue. Yes, in the $250 - $400 range you can do better than a Dano at least for a 6 string but the output of those pickups is really unique. But in that $$$ range I don't think there are too many 12 string electrics around.

I have a Rickenbacker 330/12 at home.  It plays like a dream! cool

Rickenbacker 330/12...nice!  That's an awesome guitar!  I agree with you about the Dano 12's being cool guitars and the ONLY ones that are that affordable...the newer Dano tuners sound like they are better than the ones I played years ago.   I was just noting that if you do upgrade the tuners and bridge the total out of pocket would drift towards what the Jerry Jones 12 strings cost - which I still consider a cheap (in a good way).  I'm hoping mine will hold me over till I get a 330/12 someday!

Russ B.
  • From: Florida, USA
  • Registered: 2008-06-04
  • Posts: 1,420

Re: A "good?" cheap 12 string electric

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/prod … sku=519862

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/prod … sku=515107

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/prod … sku=519395

None of these are as cheap as the Dano.  I am a stickler about guitars not made of solid wood.  My vote goes to the Epi Doubleneck...can't resist that urge to go Jimmy Page on one haha cool

'67 and '74 Fender Twin Reverbs, '74 Marshall 1987 lead mkII, Metro Superlead 100. Pedals from TC Electronic, Ibanez, Dunlop, BK Butler, Electro-Harmonix, Fulltone, Maestro/Gibson, Loopmaster switching, VoodooLab, Boss. Gibson and Fender guitars, Dimarzio pickups.