Hi there!

Recently I've been thinking about buying a second guitar, and from the looks I fell in love with the Danelectro 59, the Dead on 67 or the Squier Jagmaster (since I'll never be able to afford the Jazzmaster).

Now my problem is that I don't really know how those guitars would change the sound I'm using. I play an old Fender Squier thingy (as can be seen here: http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=405704319&albumID=1638533&imageID=24014130), a 10€ Behringer Blues Overdrive (with the gain on one third max) and a Dean Markley Mini Stack Amp (as can be seen here: http://monsterpawn.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=176). I only use the neck pickup on my guitar, so it doesn't sound too fat and solid, but rather cheap and semi-distorted.
As an addition I use a Guv'nor by Marshall for solo boost and this little yellow tremolo by Danelectro. You can listen to the results (and to the sound I like) on our profile here.

Now I'm (or rather our drummer is) afraid that buying a better guitar will change my sound from garage to "rock" or something, from deliberately cheap to professional or whatever.

So, does anyone have any experiences with those guitars? I hear that Danelectro guitars lack bass in favour of a more twangy sound, and that the Jagmaster only has two humbuckers (that should be changed to single coils or to splitable humbuckers for my sound), but, honestly, I have no idea and am not at all into technics but rather into just playing.

The reasons why I want to get another guitar (besides another guitar just looking cooler on my belly) are, well, having another guitar to change it when a string breaks during a show, and this damn fucking Floyd Rose tremolo system on my old one, that just sucks and is way too complicated to handle for the primitive music I make (way back in the metal days it may have been cool, but now...).

Thanks for any advice, opinion, comment, help!

Cheers, Doc Sanchez

you can't go wrong with a Dano-I have 3 and I can't wait to find more. Hold off on the Jazzmaster-you really can't appreciate that line of Fenders unless you can get a good, 'merican one. I was lucky enuff to get a '62 Jaguar, and it ills everything, both in sound and playability. BUT, it can't dial in that Dano sound...

I just came accross Dillion Guitars from the U.S.A., hand crafted in Korea. Does anyone here own one? What's your opinion on them?

Hi Johnny!

No, you're still in time for your reply - I haven't had the money yet. But good to know that there won't be difficulties, and yeah, the cheap spirit is what makes this guitar so sweet in a way.

Cheers, Doc

thanks for your answers. I recently had the chance to play a Dano Dead on 67, and it sounded quite like I need it (with a similar equipment as mine). The guy in the guitar store told me, he had to exchange the aluminum nut with one made of steel, for the aluminum nut made the guitar hard to tune. Do you know anything about that?

I've got that guitar -- nothing hard about tuning it at all, and it stays in tune. It's a Dano - replacing the cheap components with expensive ones is kinda against the spirit of the thing :-) (just saw the date stamp -- I'm way in the future (or is it th epast) for this reply)

Wow those are super cheap! I've installed the GFS pickups from them before and they were really amazing for the price. Otto Parts said:

Has anybody checked these out or know someone who owns one? They look great and CHEAP ($$$$$)!

http://www.guitarfetish.com/XV-JM-Series-Offset-Electric-Guitars_c_...

Has anybody checked these out or know someone who owns one? They look great and CHEAP ($$$$$)!

http://www.guitarfetish.com/XV-JM-Series-Offset-Electric-Guitars_c_208.html

If you liked the way it feld when playing it(and you got the money), get it. The sound you could always work on with changing pick-ups, the amp, the pedals. I play an 80s Squire Stratocaster and a Charvel Surfcaster and now with my 7th Fuzz-box I finally found the sound I was looking for. But anyway, good topic! I want a new guitar too and can't really afford a Dusenberg or Jazzmaster so advises and tips on cheaper brands(that still look cool, of course) are very welcome.

The only reason the nut would have made the guitar hard to tune would be the width of the slots in the nut. The strings can catch there if the slots are to small or a too roughly cut. A pretty easy fix for a tech. Doc Sanchez said:

Hey all,

thanks for your answers. I recently had the chance to play a Dano Dead on 67, and it sounded quite like I need it (with a similar equipment as mine). The guy in the guitar store told me, he had to exchange the aluminum nut with one made of steel, for the aluminum nut made the guitar hard to tune. Do you know anything about that? I'd have bought the one that I played, but I was pretty broke that time.

I also tried a reissue of the Höfner Galaxie (http://secure.musicworldbrilon.de/images/product_images/popup_image...), which had a beautiful warm tone, but it didn't sound as trashy as I liked it to. But it looks superb, felt good to play on, and the sound is good. And it's cheaper than the Dano. What do you guys think?

Guess I'm lucky that I'm still broke, so I don't have to think about buying a guitar yet...

Hey all, thanks for your answers. I recently had the chance to play a Dano Dead on 67, and it sounded quite like I need it (with a similar equipment as mine). The guy in the guitar store told me, he had to exchange the aluminum nut with one made of steel, for the aluminum nut made the guitar hard to tune. Do you know anything about that? I'd have bought the one that I played, but I was pretty broke that time. I also tried a reissue of the Höfner Galaxie (http://secure.musicworldbrilon.de/images/product_images/popup_image...), which had a beautiful warm tone, but it didn't sound as trashy as I liked it to. But it looks superb, felt good to play on, and the sound is good. And it's cheaper than the Dano. What do you guys think? Guess I'm lucky that I'm still broke, so I don't have to think about buying a guitar yet...

Had a Jagmaster when they first came out, japanese made, pretty basic humbucker tone and a really crummy tremolo/bridge that went out of tune anytime I used it. It's a cool looking guitar, but I wasn't diggin' the humbuckers. I currently have a Danelectro '63 reissue as my back up, replaced the bridge pick up with a GFS Pro-Tube and the volume pot with a '1 MEG' - big difference with these mods, louder and snottier, still bright as hell, but a little meaner, if that makes sense? Anyway, both guitars are night and day compared to sound/tone, it all depends on what YOU like. http://www.guitarfetish.com/Pro-Tube-D-Fits-Danelectro-Guitars-3-Windings-Available_c_191.html http://torresengineering.stores.yahoo.net/gu1megpottrt.html

Jimmy Ordinary of the Tyrades used a Jagmaster into some kind of Fender tube amp. I think that guitar sound could only be described as rabid. It should satisfy your needs. Just play it first and make sure you like it. tom mcneill said:

yeah i have been think about buying a new guitar to the jagmaster sounds like a awsome idea yeah dose any one know any good cheap guitars that sound good for heavy punk and garage punk

yeah i have been think about buying a new guitar to the jagmaster sounds like a awsome idea yeah dose any one know any good cheap guitars that sound good for heavy punk and garage punk

Looks beaufiful! I guess I'll save some money and buy both sooner or later...

I have a Danelectro DC3 and a Jazzmaster (Japan) and I like them.The Dano is a little more twangy as a "cheap telecaster" and the Jazzmaster is more "fatty" and differ from the american reissue for the pick ups and the hardcase not included.Two cheap guitars that worth their price. Honestly I don't think that the reissues justify their price. For the Danelectros I would reccomend you an old american Silvertone or a Made in Korea made in late 90's.The latest made in China models are very cheap but not well-considered.And try for tube amp as soon as you can.Anyway trademarks,prices,models,are not essentials references.Trust your ears,and try before buy when you can. Here's mine:

Hi High Lord,

thanks for your answer! The last few times I heard Danos I liked them, but that was some quite different music (DM Bob and Jem Finer, rather country than garage), so I don't really know. I don't have any store around where I could just test them...

The Jagmaster only has two humbuckers, but you can easily change them to single coils or splitable humbuckers, they say. I just really love how it looks (as I did with the Jazzmaster the first time I saw it on Elvis Costello back then).

Our drummer just loves my sound and he always says that it's a shame that such an ugly guitar like mine sounds that great ;-) And I like my sound, too. So I guess it's more about looking cool, too, after I already sound cool... And since we have more and more gigs lately, I'd just feel more secure to have a second guitar, but it has to keep this semi-distorted, garagey sound, cheap sound while not sounding too thin...

I should drive to a decent store somewhere and just try them, I guess, since I don't want to order them on the internet anyway but see and feel it before buying. But if you have any other tricks, I'm eager to learn!

Cheers, Doc

You should get a "ball park" sound from either of the Danelectros they're both loaded with single coils. The Jagmaster is all humbuckers... but I'm sure, sorta sure, that they used to have a single coil loaded in the neck position?? But them maybe I do get too drunk before going out to shows? but anyway that'll change the sound a bit, you'll still get that warm cleanish neck position sound but a bit thicker, maybe a little thicker than you want. Personally I'd go with either of the dano's, I've never found them thin sounding but I do use a fair amount of fuzz and overdrive. I wouldn't worry about what the drummer thinks, it your ears that you need to please.