Danelectro facts for kids
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| Private (1947–1969) Brand (1969–present) |
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| Industry | Musical instruments |
| Fate | Company defunct in 1969; brand acquired by MCA Inc. |
| Founded | 1947 Red Bank, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Founder | Nathan Daniel |
| Headquarters | , |
| Products | Electric and resonator guitars, basses, electric sitars, amplifiers, pickups, effects units |
| Owner | Evets Corporation |
Danelectro is a well-known brand that makes musical instruments and accessories. It started in Red Bank, New Jersey, in 1947. The company is famous for its unique string instruments. These instruments had special designs and were made in interesting ways.
In 1966, a company called the Music Corporation of America (MCA) bought Danelectro. The company then moved to a bigger factory in Neptune City, New Jersey. More than 500 people worked there. But just three years later, in 1969, Danelectro closed its factory.
In the late 1990s, a company called Evets Corporation began selling instruments again. They used the Danelectro name. In 2016, Danelectro released new models. This included a resonator guitar, which is a special type of guitar.
Danelectro has made many different products over the years. These include electric guitars, resonator guitars, and basses. They also made electric sitars, amplifiers, pickups, and effects units.
Contents
History of Danelectro
Danelectro was started by Nathan Daniel in 1947. In the late 1940s, the company built amplifiers. These were for big stores like Sears, Roebuck and Company and Montgomery Ward. The amplifiers were sold under the names Silvertone and Airline.
Later, Danelectro started making hollow-bodied guitars. They used materials like Masonite and poplar wood. This helped them save money and make guitars faster. The goal was to create simple guitars that sounded good but cost less.
These guitars were sold as Danelectro or Silvertone. Silvertone guitars had a maroon vinyl cover. Danelectro guitars had a light-colored tweed cover. The two-pickup models had special stacked knobs for tone and volume. They also used unique "lipstick-tube" pickups. These pickups looked like old lipstick containers.
In 1956, Danelectro introduced the six-string bass guitar. This model was not super popular everywhere. But it found a special use in Nashville and Los Angeles. Musicians used it to play "tic-tac" bass lines. This is when the electric bass doubles the sound of an acoustic upright bass.
In 1966, the Music Corporation of America bought Danelectro. A year later, in 1967, they launched the Coral line. These instruments were known for their hollow bodies and electric sitars.
In 1969, Danelectro closed down. MCA had tried to sell their guitars to small music shops. This was different from selling to big department stores. This change in sales strategy caused problems for the company.
In the late 1990s, The Evets Corporation bought the Danelectro brand name. They started making new versions of old Silvertone and Danelectro guitars. They also made new effects pedals and small amplifiers. These new products were made in China.
At first, the guitars sold well. But then sales slowed down. So, Danelectro stopped selling guitars after 2001. They decided to focus only on effects pedals. In 2006, new owners at Evets changed their plan for guitars. They decided to sell only a limited number of guitars each year.
Danelectro Guitars
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Danelectro C Guitar
The Danelectro C guitar was made from 1954 to 1955. It was then replaced by the Danelectro U model in 1956. Unlike most later Danelectro instruments, the C model was a solid body guitar. It was made of poplar wood. Its body shape looked a bit like a peanut.
Danelectro U2 Guitar
The Danelectro U2 is a hollow-bodied guitar with two pickups. It is made of Masonite. Its shape is similar to a Les Paul style guitar. This was the most popular guitar in the U-series.
A version with one pickup (the U1) and one with three pickups (the U3) were also made. They were originally produced from 1956 to 1958. The U2 was reissued in the late 1990s. It came back in 2006 as the '56 Pro, with some small changes. It was reissued again in 2010 as the '56 Single Cutaway.
Danelectro Shorthorn Guitar
The Danelectro Shorthorn guitars have a special design. They are hollow-bodied guitars with two cutaways. They are made from Masonite and poplar wood. The first models of the Shorthorn were introduced in 1959.
Danelectro Dano Pro Guitar
The Danelectro Dano Pro was a beginner electric guitar. Danelectro made it in 1963 and 1964. It was reissued in 2007 and again in 2012. The original Dano Pro was a smaller, 3/4-scale guitar. It had just one lipstick tube pickup. The reissued version has two pickups instead of one.
Danelectro Effects Pedals
Effects pedals are small devices that change the sound of a guitar. The FAB series of guitar effect pedals are budget-friendly pedals. They are made by Danelectro in China. This series started in 2005. The first pedals were the FAB Distortion, FAB Overdrive, and FAB Metal.
Today, there are eight pedals in this series. They all have the same plastic casing and a blue LED light. Each pedal can use a nine-volt battery or a power adapter. Danelectro sells eight different lines of pedals. These include original effects, FAB effects, mini effects, and vintage effects. They also have Wasabi effects, Paisley effects, Cool Cat effects, and other special effects.
All of these pedals work with nine-volt batteries or power adapters. The original effects pedals had metal cases. Cool Cat models also had metal cases and special "true-bypass" switching. Danelectro later released Cool Cat V2 pedals with extra features.
Mini effects pedals are smaller and compact. Their sounds are similar to the original and FAB effects. Vintage effects include larger pedals like the Spring King and Reel Echo. The Paisley series, which is no longer made, had paisley patterns. The Wasabi series has large, futuristic-looking metal cases. FAB effects are the cheapest and have plastic cases.
In 2006, Danelectro sold a carrying case for mini effects pedals. It could hold up to five pedals. When you were ready to play, the top came off. The bottom part worked as a pedal board. This case was stopped soon after. Later, another carrying case was made. It fit five FAB or Cool Cat pedals and also worked as a pedal board.
Mini effects pedals are less expensive. However, their plastic design makes them a bit fragile. Because of this, FAB effects are more commonly found.
See also
In Spanish: Danelectro para niños
- List of Danelectro players (famous musicians who played Danelectro guitars)
