REVIEW
DANELECTRO ’59 ACOUSTIC-ELECTRIC RESONATOR DELIVERS THE MOJO! Eric Dahl
Key Features
Masonite to accommodate the resonator cone
sound and got woolier with the more piezo I
Combines a ’56 lipstick pickup in the
neck and a piezo in the cone
and diamond patterned cover plate. The neck is
blended in.
a C-shaped, satin finished, 25-inch scale length
rosewood fretboard with 21 frets. Besides the
The Danelectro ’59 Acoustic-Electric Resonator
The Danelectro Company was started in
playability and sweet resonator tone, what
guitar doesn’t come with a gig bag, but for
1947 by Nathan Daniel, who was originally an
appeals to me most are the dual pickups it is
a street price of $599 you get a lot of tonal
amp builder and supplied mail order catalog
equipped with a ’56 lipstick pickup in the neck
options in a cool looking, easy playing and light
companies like Montgomery Wards and Sears
and a piezo in the cone. The nut is metal (like
package, so you can afford to buy a gig bag
and Roebucks with amplifiers for the guitar
most Danelectro models) and it has a resonator
for it. This won’t take the place of your 1930’s
hungry public. By 1954 he launched the guitar
style trapeze tailpiece, while the strings travel
National Reso, but you won’t be worried about
building division of his company that was very
over the cone to rest on the internal bridge.
taking this one to a jam or if it gets bumped or
popular with entry level guitarists until 1966
Machine heads are vintage style ‘50’s oval
scratched.
when he sold the company and it eventually
button tuners in chrome. Controls include one
closed its doors in 1969.
master volume (that adjusts both pickups),
I own several of the Dano models, including
one master tone control, and a blend knob so
their Baby Sitar and Double neck guitars, and
Fast forward to the 1990’s and the company
you can dial in the amount of each pickup you
feel they are a great value for budget conscious
was resurrected, and as Danelectro moved
prefer, tone wise. The lipstick pickup, which the
musicians looking for some different musical
in the 2000’s they established a method of
originals from the 50’s/60’s were made from
textures when performing or recording music.
only releasing a few select models per year!
lipstick cases, provides the ‘50’s style sounds
Another big selling point is that Danelectro’s
The new resonator from Danelectro was first
you would expect, but the piezo really opens
version doesn’t weigh 20lbs, so you can still
released at the Winter Namm show, where I
up the sound for an airier feel.
stand up and play for extended slide blues
played the demo model, and they have been
on back order ever since.
songs without the assistance of a back brace!
The ’59 reso sounds great unplugged, even
Take the new ’59 Resonator for a test drive if
though the body is very thin, but it really delivers
you can find one locally, then get on the back
The review guitar that Collectible Guitar received
the goods when you run it through an overdrive
order list to buy your own. I think you’ll be
has an eye catching gloss black finish, although
pedal for some dirt and grab your favorite slide.
impressed. I was!
it is also available in tobacco sunburst. The
I tested it through a Rivera Double Shaman
body shape is based on Danelectro’s popular
pedal (using Austin selection) and a Little
Street Price: $599
DC short horn body shape, but is hollow
Walter Blues boy amp. It had a smooth blues
Danelectro.com
38
Sep Oct 2016
CollectibleGuitar.com