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I'm looking to convert my Danelectro 56 U2 reissue to a baritone or six-string bass. Has anyone had any experience doing so?

I found this guyhttp://cgi.ebay.com/New-Licensed-30-Scale-Danelectro-Baritone-Guitar-Neck-/260770156654?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item3cb71cd06e, but I'm curious about issues with scale length/pickup placement.

Does anyone have a baritone or bass VI Danelectro as well as a standard to compare the location of the pickups and bridge?

I was thinking about this myself. Might just try thicker strings first, though.

Damn frets one and two look like I could set down a beer can in the middle...

andtheLiquidmen wrote:I'm looking to convert my Danelectro 56 U2 reissue to a baritone or six-string bass. Has anyone had any experience doing so?

I found this guyhttp://cgi.ebay.com/New-Licensed-30-Scale-Danelectro-Baritone-Guitar-Neck-/260770156654?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item3cb71cd06e, but I'm curious about issues with scale length/pickup placement.

Does anyone have a baritone or bass VI Danelectro as well as a standard to compare the location of the pickups and bridge?

Yes, yes I do. Yes, yes it should work IF IT IS a 24 FRET NECK and NOT THE NEW STYLE. Lets see... I did a pict with measurements years ago, I'll dig it out for you.

Also I am actually do a VERY similar project right now and hope to get some work in on it, which it to put a dano longhorn bass neck on a tele to turn it into a bassVI. I'm going to do a whole how to thing on it as well.

measurements

1 5/8" thick
17 7/8" long
13 2/16î|" wide, lower bout
9 15/16" wide, upper bout
7 7/8" wide, waist

11/16" deep neck pocket
2 7/32" at bottom of neck pocket
1 3/4" at top of neck pocket

Neck pickup from FB end 1 1/2" [centered]
Bridge pickup from FB end 6 5/8" [centered]
Bridge from FB end 7 18" [to saddle]

So inless you can find a U2 bari neck a Longhorn neck is what you want.

main thing is to make sure that the 12th fret is in the centre between the nut and the bridge

Do it the easy way. Find a short-scale four string bass and add two strings. The old 90's Longhorn reissues had the tuner holes spaced just fine to add one more on each side. Replace nut and bridge, slap on the right strings, and bingo. There was a shop in Austin that did at least a few of these conversions back in the day.

This i true.

The thing about dano designs meaning the original ones and the late 90's reissues is that they were more fordsque then Fender... they made them to where a lot of the parts are interchangeable: bodies, necks, pickups, nuts, bridges ect. The Bass/bari necks are 24 frets so the can be used on the same bodies are guitars... this is supper smart shit! Nathan Daniel really knew what he was doing.

MudFuzz, you're an officer and a gentleman

The only measurement that is different is the location of the bridge pickup. It's more or less an inch closer to the base of the fretboard.

That is interesting, I wonder what diff in sound that would actually make...

I just bought this:
http://www.allparts.com/Danelectro-Baritone-Neck-p/drf-bar.htm
I hope it works. I'm worried about having to drill neck holes. Also, because of the cutaway, the bottom side of the neck actually narrows earlier than the top; I'm not sure if the baritone neck will do the same. I guess it may work anyway. Also, it says 30" scale. Hmm. We'll see. I'll report back.

julius_deane wrote:I just bought this:
http://www.allparts.com/Danelectro-Baritone-Neck-p/drf-bar.htm
I hope it works. I'm worried about having to drill neck holes. Also, because of the cutaway, the bottom side of the neck actually narrows earlier than the top; I'm not sure if the baritone neck will do the same. I guess it may work anyway. Also, it says 30" scale. Hmm. We'll see. I'll report back.

It is 30" but it is a 22 fret neck which makes it about a inch shorter which means the bridge will have to move.

which kind of tuners do you guys use? do the fat bottom strings fit in the "normal" guitar tuners?

I used what came with the neck for EDGE and two random ones for D and B but Grovers should work if anything.

Mudfuzz wrote:

julius_deane wrote:I just bought this:
http://www.allparts.com/Danelectro-Baritone-Neck-p/drf-bar.htm
I hope it works. I'm worried about having to drill neck holes. Also, because of the cutaway, the bottom side of the neck actually narrows earlier than the top; I'm not sure if the baritone neck will do the same. I guess it may work anyway. Also, it says 30" scale. Hmm. We'll see. I'll report back.

It is 30" but it is a 22 fret neck which makes it about a inch shorter which means the bridge will have to move.

Back ordered anyway. Ok, so what should I get instead. A longhorn neck? Something from Warmoth? My budget is $150.