BassPlayer 2017-03

S
SPECIFICATIONS
the name.) The neck pickup is the perfect foil to
its aggro bridge partner. It sounds soft, woolly,
and hollow—a nice first step in getting the kind
of thwonk that characterized a lot of groovy ’60s
tones. Peeking behind the big pickguard revealed a
fairly messy installation, although there was nothing
that impeded the bass’ function.
Our D64 had excellent playability and only
exhibited a small bit of neck dive, due in part to
the lightweight headstock hardware. Construction
and fit-and-finish was average for the price;
as I’ve said before, these days of CNC-machined
instruments mean that egregiously terrible build
quality is virtually extinct. Overall there was nothing
to prevent the bass from lasting many generations,
given proper maintenance.
Dano Sound
For some reason, I was less inclined to test the
D64 with my usual suite of high-end reference
gear than I was to turn to the vibier amps in my
collection. Not to say it sounded bad with the hi-fi
stuff, it’s just that I imagined the typical player of
a high-personality bass like the D64 would be open
to making the amp a part of the fun. I plugged the
D64 into my vintage Echolette M40, an all-tube
German PA that I repurposed for bass amp duties.
Cool combo! The plush envelope and grind of a panting
all-tube head was just the ticket for the Dano,
especially with the high-output bridge pickup in
the mix. With a Fender Bassman reissue, I was able
to coax deliciously warm and woolly tone out of
the neck pickup—an excellent studio sound for a
vintage-style soul or R&B cut. Plugged into a Neve
DI, I explored the D64’s recording prowess more
thoroughly. It sat well in tracks, especially when I
enhanced its already florid midrange with a touch
of grit courtesy a Darkglass Microtubes pedal.
The D64 isn’t for everyone, but the players who
get it will absolutely find a ton of use for the instrument.
While it’s a departure from Danelectro’s own
rich heritage, bringing back a well-made and solidsounding
instrument from rock’s childhood could be
just the thing for modern-day hep cats. BP
SPECS DANeLECTRO
Pros Perfect look for a surf band; solid construction;
lovably quirky tone with surprising
diversity
Cons Mildly messy electronics installation
Bottom Line This rehash of a ’60s classic
hits all the right notes.
Construction Bolt-on
Body Cyprus
Neck Maple
Neck width at nut 1y"
Fingerboard Rosewood
Frets 21
String spacing 19mm
Tuners Kluson-style
Bridge Adjustable stop-tailpiece
Pickups Bridge, Danelectro dual-lipstick
humbucker with coil-split switch; neck,
vintage-style single-coil
Scale length 34"
Controls Volume, tone, 3-way pickup selector
Weight 8.0 lbs
Made in China
Contact danelectro.com
bassplayer.com / march2017 49