NGD, or, Dammit I did it again!! Off on another tangerine.

Well, well, well. I guess I just have a death wish or summit.  

As I got off the phone, having listened to a voice mail left earlier in the day, "She who must be obeyed" was heard to bark magnificently, "Did you buy another guitar?!"

Um, yes.  

See, it wasn't really like I was gassing after anything in particular, ya know? Just doing my usual perusing of local ads to see what was available. The last time I did this I spotted an interesting ad and ended up with a spectacular Mats-made Vantage for very little money. Couldn't help it. It had to be done.

This time, it was also a strangely/incorrectly worded title that eventually caught my eye. In amidst the ads to sell, was this one that started off, "Wanted: ..." Well, normally I just skip over those. This is a classified list of things for sale, not a list of stuff that people are looking for. I personally think people who post those ads are just lazy buggers. Type in what you're looking for and if there are any they'll show up! I'm not doing your work for you.

So I, like many others, simply skipped over this "ad". But a day or two later I happened to actually read it. The way it was positioned made it appear as if he was "looking" for these items when in fact he was selling them! So what was he selling you might axe?

This:

[Seller's picture]

To them who don't know what they be lookin' at, this is a circa 1998 Korean made reissue of the Danelectro DC59, complete with a Nifty Fifty 15W SS amp. Oh, and a Danecho pedal, and Danomatic (tuner) pedal.

Maybe it ain't your cup o' tea but I really love the Dano's and their "vintage" vibe. In fact, I still have my '65 DM25 tube amp, which, yes, I bought new. Hell, I'm vintage fer cryin' out loud!  

I already had another Korean made '56 U2 reissue which is a great guitar to sit down and have fun with, nice jangly 50's-60's garage band/surfer sound. This will make a nice companion. And the colours of course are like nothing else you'll find on a guitar. This one's called Blue Suede, my '56 is Cool Copper. Fun stuff.

There's another back story about picking it up which was done by my brother who happens to live close to the seller. But I'll save it for when I actually get the stuff in my grubby little hands. Geoff still has it at his place about a hour's drive away. I'll be meeting him for lunch probably next week sometime.

So, why did I buy? 2, maybe 3 reasons.

The DC59's a very popular model and has had a few releases to date, each slightly different or "improved". But the first release circa '98 and Made in Korea is generally considered truer to the spirit and sound of the original guitar from the 50's. Later releases are made in China and although good, are somehow not the same. Too many differences to list here. So, the '98's are the ones that are most collectable.

The little Nifty Fifty amp (15W) is one of two models that were also released in '98. The other being the Dirty Thirty (10W). Even though they're SS people swear that there's a tube or two stuck in there somewhere, they're that good. Lots of examples on YouTube. They also carry that cool vintage look which at first glance looks like a legitimate 50's amp. These too are very sought after items.

Finally? Well, get this. This whole package has not been played, gigged, out of the house, or...out of the closet in almost 20 years! Except for one broken string caused by his kid, it's all original! And the amp was never used at all!

Current asking prices on eBay for a '98 Dano DC59 range between USD$350-500 and around $80 for a battered and bruised amp. All, of course, plus shipping, exchange, import taxes, etc. YMMV

My cost? CAD$300 the works!  

what a score! that is a sweet package right there

i sure do love the sound of those lipstick pups!

and it looks like a Dan-Echo pedal too! i have one of those that i use all the time, does a great slap-back kinda sound.
nice sounding pedal, if a little noisey. and a battery hog too, you will want a power supply.

surf's up!
  

That looks like a very smart little "Ready to go" set-up, great find, nice one Barry

Very nice indeedy Barry.

Correct headstock, knobs and bridge.
Those early Koreans are very good copies. Correct!!

Great score...

Very nice and worth the price of being in the dog house for awhile.  You need to bribe the delivery persons better so they deliver while only you are there lol. Congrats on a nice one.

Thanks fellers. Nice to know I'm not completely alone in my love for these weird guitars!

   Nice score on some crazy gear!  Love it!  And the purple stand goes so well with it.

It is sunny and a lovely winter's day today, so I thought I'd nip outside to grab a couple of pix before it all goes sideways again tomorrow (back into the deep freeze!)

Bright sunshine on snow ain't the best lighting to capture subtleties, especially the headstock logo which is actually pale yellow on blue. I dumped most of the pix because of glare, reflection, and shadows. But here are a few which made the cut:






The colour is "Blue Suede", very cool. I strung her with Ernie Ball pure nickel 10's and she plays like a dream. Real chimy if you want, or bluesy if you want. Sounds really good through the little Nifty Fifty amp which came with it, BUT...it sounds outstanding through my old '65 Danelectro DM25 tube amp which I had just coincidentally re-furbished last week!

Move over Pharell Williams...I'm happy!