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What is it?
For a brand that originally shut its doors in 1969, Danelectro’s rebirth some 30 years later has subsequently given us a huge number of reissues and mash-ups.
Although prices have crept up in recent years, Danelectro models still fall into the affordable part of the market with a retro vision and a reminder of a different time. Head over to the brand’s website and you’ll find a dizzying number of available models, not least this year’s new crop to add to the stew.
These 2026 models definitely fall into the mash-up category: they’re not model- or period-specific but come with features that span quite a period, from the get-go in the mid-’50s to the return of Danelectro in the mid-’90s and on to the present day.
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All three new models centre on the double-cut Short Horn outline, with a 635mm (25-inch) scale length and – uniquely for any reissued model – a repro of the original and short-lived Full Bell headstock. More unusually, there’s even a logo change: as you can see these are branded ‘Dano’.
The three Dan O models offer subtly different themes. First, the Golden 50’s features “the show-stopping body/headstock graphic that is borrowed from an authentic 1950s kitchen table top”, the press release gushes, and is combined with a pair of hot Lipstick pickups.
There’s no scratchplate, which allows that “kitchen table top” feel to shine in four solid colours of Cream, Black, Maroon and Green. Next is the Dan O Cool, the first of our review models and effectively the same guitar with the ‘rare’ U3-style pickguard (originally from 1955) in Black, Maroon, Blue and Green. A 12-string is offered in Aqua Blue, plus there’s a baritone in Green only.
Finally, the Dan O Mano swaps the overwound Lipstick single coils for two soapbar single coils, there’s no scratchplate here and just three colours of Maroon, Black and Silver.
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“With their Atomic Age styling – drawing heavily upon Danelectro’s boldly original 1950s roots – and turbocharged retro vibe, the Dano line might be the company’s most true-to-the-spirit guitars ever,” says Danelectro. Although exactly what the rationale here is, is far from concrete – the brand has been drawing on its ’50s roots since the guitars became available again in the late 1990s.
Conversely, Danelectro might well have created some of its more fit-for-purpose electrics in its now quite extensive history. For example, the so-called ‘Short Horn’ outline is a Danelectro classic, and although not mentioned directly in the marketing blurb – “back to the magic of the 1950s Daneletros” – was first unveiled in 1958.
It’s never been paired with that original and short-lived headstock, and with the Dano logo here it looks quite modern, far from 1950s. Likewise, the moulded ‘D’ logo plastic truss rod cover, which follows the pickguard, style-wise, and the electrics cavity cover on the back.
Construction is ignored by Danelectro’s PR, and indeed its own website. Alex Davis from the brand’s new distributor Strings & Things says: “The publicly available info does leave a little to be desired, but official build specs are pretty much unchanged in decades with the neck a hard Canadian maple and the fretboard in rosewood.”
While Alex states that “the body frame is solid spruce [and] the top and bottom panels are hardboard”, these look more like what we’d call MDF. Another original-style Danelectro feature is the vinyl tape applied to the sides, though here it’s virtually identical to the body colour whereas back in the ’50s it was typically contrasting.
Again, nodding back to the original design is the long heel, quite long and square edged, the strap button placed at its tip, so it’s not doing much to help upper-fret access or comfort.
The hardware certainly looks back and we have the original-style ‘four-way adjustable bridge’ with its one-piece rosewood saddle, liked by many for its sound, less so its accurate intonation. Uniquely, Danelectro is including the much later six (metal) saddle, fully adjustable bridge in the box so you can easily swap: a nice touch, not least that getting hold of Danelectro spares isn’t easy.
Another specific feature is the ‘Skate Key’ tuners. Well, we don’t have any from the ’50s to compare, but these have pretty basic Kluson-style backs with pressed metal buttons, quite thin and small-feeling though perfectly usable.
The nut, as per the originals, is aluminium screwed onto the end of the rosewood fingerboard. Details such as the fingerboard radius aren’t divulged, but historically Danelectro has quoted 356mm (14 inches), which is pretty much what we measure.
Internally, it’s all very clean, the rear cavity opening cut after the guitar is finished, we’d wager. As to how hollow, well, there seems to be a narrow centre block, less wide than the pickups with a pretty large block around the bridge. The actual sides – which are a part of this ‘frame’ – are quite thick, too, and the lower body is certainly much more hollow than the almost solid horns.
Specs
Dan O Cool
- PRICE: $599 | £689 | €669
- ORIGIN: Korea
- TYPE: Double-cutaway semi-hollow electric
- BODY: Composite top and back over solid wood frame
- NECK: Maple, C profile bolt-on
- SCALE LENGTH: 635mm (25”)
- NUT/WIDTH: Aluminium/ 41.8mm
- FINGERBOARD: Rosewood, small white dot inlays, 356mm (14”) radius
- FRETS: 21, medium
- HARDWARE: Hardtail rosewood saddle bridge, Kluson-style ‘Skate’ tuners – chrome/nickel plated
- STRING SPACING, BRIDGE: 55.5mm
- ELECTRICS: 2x single-coil Lipstick pickups, 2-way lever pickup selector switch, master volume and tone controls
- WEIGHT(kg/lb): 2.81/6.24
- OPTIONS: None
- RANGE OPTIONS: There is a Dan O Cool 12-string (£759) in Aqua Blue only with different pickups, plus a Baritone (£759) in Green only
- LEFT-HANDERS: Not this model, but lefty versions of the ’59M NOS+ (the ‘Page’ model), Vintage 12-String and Baritone are available
- FINISHES: Green (as reviewed) Black, Maroon, Blue – all-gloss with vinyl-tape sides
Dan O Mano
- PRICE: $599 | £689 | $669
- ORIGIN: Korea
- TYPE: Double-cutaway semi-hollow electric
- BODY: Composite top and back over solid wood frame
- NECK: Maple, C profile bolt-on
- SCALE LENGTH: 635 mm (25”)
- NUT/WIDTH: Aluminium/ 41.7mm
- FINGERBOARD: Rosewood, small white dot inlays, 356mm (14”) radius
- FRETS: 21, medium
- HARDWARE: Hardtail rosewood saddle bridge, Kluson-style ‘Skate’ tuners – chrome/nickel plated
- STRING SPACING, BRIDGE: 55.5mm
- ELECTRICS: 2x soapbar single-coil pickups, 3-way lever pickup selector switch, master volume and tone controls
- WEIGHT (kg/lb): 2.83/6.23
- LEFT-HANDERS: See Dan O Cool
- FINISHES: Maroon (as reviewed) Black, Silver – all gloss with vinyl‑tape sides
- CONTACT: Danelectro
Build quality, playability and sounds
We’d call the setup functional, rather than dialled in. The nut’s slots are a little wide but not deep, and the strings are held by a good back angle to those tuners.
The string angle from nut slot to tuner post is fairly straight, too, splaying only slightly. The radius at the rosewood saddle bridge is closer to 305mm (12 inches), so with standard string heights at the 12th fret it does mean the inner strings are a little higher than most would set with separate saddles.
The intonation is nowhere near as ‘off’ as the one-piece saddle would suggest, and while you can tilt the saddle (there’s a small screw under the bridge that holds the saddle in place and allows this angle change), it really is pretty close as supplied.
The fretwork is pretty neat, too – a medium gauge, approximately 2.68mm wide by 1mm high. Overall, then, while not the most dialled-in setup that you should expect from a modern guitar, it ain’t bad, certainly if you live on the bluesier side of the style tracks.
Same with the neck, which feels a little wider than it actually is, perhaps because of the flatter radius. But it’s a pretty classic shallow ‘C’: 20.5mm deep at the 1st fret, 22.8mm by the 12th – no issues at all.
Despite the overwound claims of these new Lipsticks, they are still a pretty low output, although today that’s not really an issue – a little clean boost or whatever takes your fancy easily compensates. It’s the very clear tonality that impresses.
Add in a big reverb and it’s a twang-fest at the bridge, fuller and softer at the neck – which really is almost a middle position – but with a nice clarity.
The surprise (again due to the total lack of specification) is that in the both-on middle position on the selector we have more output and a bigger voice, instead of the expected bounce and funk.
A quick check with our multimeter and the pickups are wired in series (the pickup’s individual outputs are combined), which, of course, is typical Danelectro. There’s still some of the both-on character here, though; it’s just louder with slightly rounder highs.
So you really have some choices. Those individual coils are classic Danelectro; the middle series voice is certainly familiar if you’ve played any of the two-pickup models with stacked volume and tone controls.
However, with just the master volume and tone we have less ability to shade the voice, which might well be an advantage for many players. The controls give a very direct feel: the volume has a good taper, the tone less so, with not a lot happening until the near end of travel where we drop to a woolly roll-off rather quickly.
The same trick is pulled off on the Dan O Mano. The soapbar single coils have a fuller and warmer tonality overall compared with the Lipsticks and, from the off, seem to suit a little more grit.
Again, the middle position combines the pickups in series so there’s more heft and this one sort of has it all: power with clarity. But, again, the three sounds are distinct here – as with the Dan O Cool – and give both guitars their own voice.
Verdict
Verdict: ★★★★
The backstory here is a bit laboured as the majority of contemporary Danelectros since the late ’90s reference the ’50s. Nothing new there.
It is good to see the rosewood bridge back (with the modern six-saddle unit as back-up), which might not be perfect but really suits the lo-fi vibe.
In-store, these will drop below £600, with the exception of the baritone and the 12-string. Not exactly bargain basement but then neither are the guitars, which remain strangely unique after all these years.
Guitar World verdict: While these finishes give a contemporary and quite moody sheen, the sounds are anything but. The low-output soapbar single coils really suit the lightweight resonant platform; the Lipstick single coils are far from ‘hot’ but have a really appealing clarity and definition, and are archetypal Danelectro.
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