The Short Scale Bass Appreciation Society!

[Skin Lewis]

I have a '98 Korean Longhorn, unusual in that it has no tape binding. It can do thump, it can do clank, and all sorts of other stuff. I love it, it weighs nothing and despite looking like it was made in the shed by your grandad, it's been indestructible. Setting the intonation is a big faff though.

 

 

 

[Woodinblack]

30 minutes ago, martthebass said:

Must have been duffers 😜

 

Obviously, I already said they were danelectros  <runs>

[msb]

23 minutes ago, Skin Lewis said:

I have a '98 Korean Longhorn, unusual in that it has no tape binding. It can do thump, it can do clank, and all sorts of other stuff. I love it, it weighs nothing and despite looking like it was made in the shed by your grandad, it's been indestructible. Setting the intonation is a big faff though.

 

 

 

There is a sweet spot for that wooden bridge where the intonation is fine. Those wooden bridges sound better than the adjustable metal ones do. With those early reissues you have to remove the neck to adjust the trussrod , it’s a good thing they tend to be stable , I’ve only adjusted mine once in twenty four years. 
edit … I’d bet someone removed the tape before you got it. I’m pretty sure it left Korea with tape.

 

Edited March 11, 2023 by msb

[msb]

I used to be a regular Pbass kinda guy , and then started using Rics.
When the first Dano reissues appeared I was excited because I had always wanted a Longhorn , but they were not common around here. So I was happy to see the reissues.

The only problem was I wasn’t crazy about the short scale.

I got one , and it was fun , incredibly light , and surprisingly versatile. The next thing I knew it had become my main bass. I don’t quite understand just how that happened , but I’ve come to accept it.

Danos are weird little things , Nathan Daniel wanted to make cheap playable instruments that anyone could afford. He cut every imaginable corner to keep the costs down. These originals were made in the Neptune NJ factory , by New Jersey housewives with little to zero woodworking experience. They did ok.
The reissues were surprisingly true to the originals , except they had adjustable truss rods , Daniel felt the adjustable truss rod was the weakest part of guitar design. He used two steel T shaped rods that were not going to shift. They did a great job of re-engineering the legendary lipstick pickups. And they made the body using a wooden frame and glueing Masonite to it. Genius!

 

 

I’m still not sure if the Longhorn is cool as heck , or butt ugly. And I’m ok with that too.

Edited March 11, 2023 by msb

[Paul S]

7 hours ago, msb said:

I used to be a regular Pbass kinda guy , and then started using Rics.
When the first Dano reissues appeared I was excited because I had always wanted a Longhorn , but they were not common around here. So I was happy to see the reissues.

The only problem was I wasn’t crazy about the short scale.

I got one , and it was fun , incredibly light , and surprisingly versatile. The next thing I knew it had become my main bass. I don’t quite understand just how that happened , but I’ve come to accept it.

Danos are weird little things , Nathan Daniel wanted to make cheap playable instruments that anyone could afford. He cut every imaginable corner to keep the costs down. These originals were made in the Neptune NJ factory , by New Jersey housewives with little to zero woodworking experience. They did ok.
The reissues were surprisingly true to the originals , except they had adjustable truss rods , Daniel felt the adjustable truss rod was the weakest part of guitar design. He used two steel T shaped rods that were not going to shift. They did a great job of re-engineering the legendary lipstick pickups. And they made the body using a wooden frame and glueing Masonite to it. Genius!

 

 

I’m still not sure if the Longhorn is cool as heck , or butt ugly. And I’m ok with that too.

 

I've had 2 of the Longhorn re-issues, don't recall where they were made but both had the wooden bridge, one of the '59 DC longscale and a '56 single cutaway.  They were all fab but the Longhorn was the best.  With both pups selected it did a passable Jazz bass burp, I always thought.  There's a '59 DC shortscale model at the moment that looks lovely....

[dmckee]

I had a Jerry Jones Neptune Longhorn that I bought new in the early 2000s that I (stupidly) sold to my nephew after a few years. I had a regular Dano before that and the JJ was MUCH better. There are a few basses I regret selling and this one is probably at the top of that list. Annoyingly, he refuses to sell me it back!

[Baloney Balderdash]

On 14/01/2021 at 14:46, Maude said:

Hofners have very narrow string spacing. 

Spacing at the nut and the bridge are two different things and can make the playing experience drastically different. In general people quote nut width but not bridge width. 

Stadard Fender spacing at the bridge is, I think, 19mm (between each string). The Squier Bronco is 17mm. Hofners are 14mm from memory, with parallel strings, as in they don't get any further apart from nut to bridge and as such feel very different to play. 

 

 

I think the Danelectro Longhorn has a string spacing of 17mm at bridge as well, if my memory serves me right.

 

 

Edit!!: seems I was on the wrong page and answered an old reply, but fits in nicely with the current discussion, so I'll let it be.

 

Edited March 11, 2023 by Baloney Balderdash

[Baloney Balderdash]

35 minutes ago, dmckee said:

I had a Jerry Jones Neptune Longhorn that I bought new in the early 2000s that I (stupidly) sold to my nephew after a few years. I had a regular Dano before that and the JJ was MUCH better. There are a few basses I regret selling and this one is probably at the top of that list. Annoyingly, he refuses to sell me it back!

Same (well, all of it, except the nephew part, don't know who has mine now)... 

Edited March 11, 2023 by Baloney Balderdash

[Maude]

9 hours ago, msb said:

 

I’m still not sure if the Longhorn is cool as heck , or butt ugly. And I’m ok with that too.

 

I'm in the cool as heck camp. Not everyone agrees though. 😄

 

 

I don't notice it being a short scale as much as other SS's probably due to the strap button position shifting the neck over to the left. 

 

I picked up a 56 for peanuts earlier in the year, I couldn't help myself. It needs some love but it'll great once sorted. 

[Skin Lewis]

10 hours ago, msb said:

There is a sweet spot for that wooden bridge where the intonation is fine. Those wooden bridges sound better than the adjustable metal ones do. With those early reissues you have to remove the neck to adjust the trussrod , it’s a good thing they tend to be stable , I’ve only adjusted mine once in twenty four years. 
edit … I’d bet someone removed the tape before you got it. I’m pretty sure it left Korea with tape.

 

Indeed, once the sweet spot is found, it's fine. Just took a while to get there. I haven't had to adjust it for 10 years now. Neck has been stable since I got it 20 years ago. Apparently, there was a very brief period when the Korean Longhorns came without the tape. 

[dmckee]

2 hours ago, Baloney Balderdash said:

Same (well, all of it, except the nephew part, don't know who has mine now)... 

Here it is, with him. Grrrr. Maybe one day. 

 

 

[msb]

5 hours ago, Paul S said:

 

I've had 2 of the Longhorn re-issues, don't recall where they were made but both had the wooden bridge, one of the '59 DC longscale and a '56 single cutaway.  They were all fab but the Longhorn was the best.  With both pups selected it did a passable Jazz bass burp, I always thought.  There's a '59 DC shortscale model at the moment that looks lovely....

I immediately ordered the shortscale DC when they became available , and then had to wait about ten months for mine to arrive. The beauty of the Longhorn is its size , the bridge is right at the body edge. This time they took the DC body and moved the bridge a couple of inches forward and put on a 24 fret short scale neck. So it’s similar in size to the single cut 56 Series. It is much larger than the Longhorn despite being the same scale.
It doesn’t sound like the Longhorn , but it does have an interesting woody tone. I like it. I replaced the adjustable metal bridge with a Jerry Jones popsicle stick bridge (courtesy of a Dano friend on TB) , for me they sound better , and there is a sweet spot for the wooden bridge where the intonation is fine. (and it doesn’t take long to position it) I strung mine with LaBella flats.  
Still the original strings and bridge in the pic.

[msb]

You can see the size difference here.

[Badscrew]

If I ever get in a fast punk band again, I’d get a longorn. Nothing that could rival it in pick&distortion realm.

[Baloney Balderdash]

4 hours ago, dmckee said:

Here it is, with him. Grrrr. Maybe one day. 

 

 

Believe it or not but mine was that exact same version of the Jerry Jones Neptune Longhorn Bass (there has been a few slightly different versions), even in black finish too! (it's the one with just a volume knob and then a 4 position rotating pickup selector switch, with the 4th position being both pickups in series, right?)

 

Edited March 11, 2023 by Baloney Balderdash

[msb]

I have an old friend that used to play in the roots scene around Toronto , when he first heard about Jerry Jones he immediately phoned. Jerry said there was a number available in the shop , so he hopped on his motorcycle and drove to Nashville. Came back with a black one. 
We compared them , and there certainly was a difference , but I’ve always been content with my Shinko. There was a stronger midrange in the Jones , definitely hotter pickup , the Korean one was closer to the original specs.

Around town here , if you go see a blues or roots band you’re as likely to see a Longhorn as you are a Pbass. Surprising number of players with them !

Edited March 11, 2023 by msb

[msb]

3 hours ago, Skin Lewis said:

 

Indeed, once the sweet spot is found, it's fine. Just took a while to get there. I haven't had to adjust it for 10 years now. Neck has been stable since I got it 20 years ago. Apparently, there was a very brief period when the Korean Longhorns came without the tape. 

 

I’ve been waiting for the new edition of Doug Tulloch’s book on Danelectros , in fact I generally email him about twice a year to enquire … he’s delved into the Evets Danos and I’m really curious to see what he’s found. When I ask in the summer he tells me he’s hoping to have it ready for Christmas , when I ask around Christmas he tells me he’s aiming for the summer.

I know there was a Pro batch without tape , but those had different tuners and metal adjustable tuners. 
They’ve done so many runs from quite a number of different factories … god only knows.

 

[scrumpymike]

Tom Petty appears in at least one Traveling Wilburys video (The End Of The Line) laying down a wonderful thumping bass line on one - not sure which.

[Skin Lewis]

Jack Bruce, and the Ox:

 

 

Edited March 11, 2023 by Skin Lewis

[msb]

This is the Dano guy. Joey Spampinato!  

[dieseldalziel]

Garry Tallent..

[Paul S]

They guy from Golden Earriing had a number of odd ones - a double neck, one with a Fender neck.

 

https://www.voxhumana.nl/content/rinus-gerritsen-signature-basses

[uncle psychosis]

On 11/03/2023 at 10:17, Maude said:

 

I'm in the cool as heck camp. Not everyone agrees though. 😄

 

 

I don't notice it being a short scale as much as other SS's probably due to the strap button position shifting the neck over to the left. 

 

I picked up a 56 for peanuts earlier in the year, I couldn't help myself. It needs some love but it'll great once sorted. 

 

WOW. 

 

I absolutely love that. 

[Obrienp]

Heads up all: I was doing some research on current prices with a view to putting my Vox Starstream 1 H up for sale (don’t want to but got to shift a bass or two); Guitar Guitar are doing an offer on both the 1 H and 2 S models today: £199!! Note this is the passive model but still a nice little bass. At that money you can mod it to the Artist spec and still save cash.

 

Hell I was thinking of putting mine up for £350!

Edited March 21, 2023 by Obrienp

[scrumpymike]

Thanks for that. I need to move something on and was considering putting my 2A active Artist up FS. Now is clearly not the right time for that.

 

As you say, the passive is an absolute steal reduced from £500 to £199 and they obviously haven't been selling. Truth is that bass players are mostly a fairly conservative bunch and I'm definitely in the minority with my love for quirky stuff like the Starstream.