Last Updated on March 26, 2024 by Chris

Left Handed Danelectro Guitars

Let’s have a look at what left handed Danelectro guitars are available!

Go straight to the left handed Danelectro guitars

When you ask a guitarist about what guitars they like, they’ll usually mention brands like Fender, Gibson, PRS, or Gretsch. Maybe they’ll talk about companies like Ibanez, Jackson, ESP, Schecter, Ernie Ball Music Man, or Charvel.

Less likely though, you may hear talk of Danelectro. Not quite as well-known to the modern guitarist as some of the aforementioned guitar brands, but they’ve been played by some of the most famous guitarists ever, and featured on some classic songs and albums.

Everyone you’ve ever heard of (almost!) has played a Danelectro; artists such as Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley, Syd Barrett, Jeff Beck, Dave Grohl, Glen Campbell, Mike Campbell, Tom Petty, Fat Mike, Deryck Whibley, Elvis Costello, John Entwistle, Beck, Josh Homme, Joe Perry, Mark Knopfler, Thom Yorke, and many many others.

Even Kirk Hammett has been seen with a Danelectro!

Who Are Danelectro Guitars?

Danelectro was founded in Red Bank, New Jersey in 1947 by Nat Daniel, a non-guitarist electrical engineer, who started his career making amps at Epiphone.

They originally produced amplifiers for Sears and Montgomery Ward; the Silvertone brand for Sears, and Airline for Montgomery Ward.

Later, Danelectro added hollow-bodied guitars made of Masonite hardboard and Poplar to their product line. Using these materials was much cheaper than using solid wood, so saved on cost and helped increase production speed, so Danelectro was able to offer their guitars at a very low cost.

Unlike many other guitars, Danelectro guitars didn’t have truss rods; instead, they used two steel bars under the fingerboard, making the necks very stable. They also used aluminum for the nut, rather than the usual bone.

Their pickups were also very unique! The lipstick pickups used lipstick tubes that contained alnico magnets, which gave Danelectro guitars their distinctive tone.

They have since made some very interesting instruments, including the first 6-string bass guitar, and the first 12-string electric guitar. They also produced twin neck guitars, an electric sitar, and the 31-fret Guitarlin, which combined the note range of a guitar and a mandolin!

In 1966, the Danelectro company was bought by the Music Corporation of America (MCA) and was moved to Neptune City, New Jersey. However, three years later, Danelectro was closed down due to marketing the brand to small guitar stores instead of the large department stores.

The brand was resurrected in the late 1990s by the Evets Corporation, which sold reproductions of the old Silvertone and Danelectro guitars. Along with these, they also released newly designed effects pedals and amplifiers.

After 2001, guitar sales had dried up somewhat, so the company focused more on the effects pedals and halting guitar production. However, by 2006, the new owners of Evets made the decision to sell guitars again in smaller quantities and introduced a number of new designs.

Danelectro guitars are like guitars from no other brand and are truly unique instruments. On top of that, these eye-catching guitars are very reasonably priced, offering great bang per buck.

What Do I Think of Danelectro Guitars?

Back in my early days of playing guitar, I knew nothing about Danelectro guitars, apart from what some of them looked like, and to be honest, I thought they looked weird and I didn’t like the colors!

I definitely didn’t want a left handed Danelectro guitar!

In recent years, however, I’ve found some love for the brand. I really like the retro vibe you get from them; they really do come straight out of the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s.

For me, the ’57, ’59, and ’66 models all have a really cool style, and some of the colors available are equally eye-catching.

They also look and sound pretty unique, so for the guitarist who’s already got a Strat, Tele, Les Paul, or any other of the usual guitar types, then a Danelectro guitar might be worth looking into.

Different Types of Danelectro Guitars

In the current Danelectro lineup, there are twenty-five different models available in several different shapes and designs:

Electric Guitars

• ’59
• ’57
• ’66
• ’64
• ’67

Electric-Acoustic Guitars

• Convertible

Bass Guitars

• ’59DC Long Scale Bass
• Longhorn Bass

Other Instruments

• Baby Sitar
• Sitar
• Resonator

Left Handed Danelectro Electric Guitars

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In the current range, there are three left handed Danelectro electric guitars.

’59M NOS+

This is Danelectro’s most famous guitar; a chambered semi-hollow electric guitar, now featuring NOS+ pickups, which Danelectro says are “a new pickup which retains the character of the original NOS pickups but with better highs, punchier mids, and solid lows”.

Specs:

• BODY: Spruce
• TOP: Hardboard
• BACK: Hardboard
• NECK: Bolt-on Maple
• SCALE: 25″ / 635mm
• NECK PROFILE: C
• FINGERBOARD: Pau Ferro
• RADIUS: 14″
• NUT: Aluminum
• NUT WIDTH: 1.650″
• FRETS: 21
• BRIDGE: Fully adjustable wraparound bridge
• NECK PICKUP: NOS+ lipstick single coil
• BRIDGE PICKUP: NOS+ lipstick single coil
• FINISH: Black gloss polyester

Check price/availability at:

Vintage 12 String

Ever wanted that chiming jangly 12-string twang? Songs such a The Byrds’ Mr. Tambourine Man, or Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven helped make the 12-string one cool-sounding instrument.

Specs:

• BODY: Spruce
• TOP: Masonite
• BACK: Masonite
• NECK: Bolt-on Maple
• SCALE: 25″ / 635mm
• NECK PROFILE: C
• FINGERBOARD: Pau Ferro
• RADIUS: 14″
• NUT: Aluminum
• NUT WIDTH: 1.78″
• FRETS: 21
• BRIDGE: Fully adjustable 12 string bridge
• NECK PICKUP: Lipstick single coil
• BRIDGE PICKUP: Lipstick single coil
• FINISH: Dark Aqua or Black gloss polyester

Check price/availability at:

Baritone

The chambered solid-bodied Baritone is a versatile instrument, tuned a perfect fourth below standard tuning (B,E,A,D,F#,B), and perfect for Rock, Country, Surf, and many other styles..

Specs:

• BODY: Spruce
• TOP: Masonite
• BACK: Masonite
• NECK: Bolt-on Maple
• SCALE: 29.75″ short-scale neck
• NECK PROFILE: C
• FINGERBOARD: Pau Ferro
• RADIUS: 14″
• NUT: Aluminum
• NUT WIDTH: 1.64″
• FRETS: 24
• BRIDGE: Fully adjustable
• NECK PICKUP: High output, high impedance Lipstick single coil
• BRIDGE PICKUP: High output, high impedance Lipstick single coil
• FINISH: Black gloss polyester

Check price/availability at:

Left Handed Danelectro Acoustic Guitars

Unfortunately, Danelectro doesn’t make any left handed acoustic guitars at the moment.

Left Handed Danelectro Basses

There is one left handed Danelectro bass guitar available.

Longhorn Bass

This highly unusual-looking Longhorn Bass, with its massive cutaways and short-scale neck, has a uniquely rich, and deep, round tone.

Specs:

• BODY: Plywood frame and center block
• TOP: Masonite
• BACK: Masonite
• NECK: Bolt-on Maple
• SCALE: 29.75″ / 755mm short-scale neck
• NECK PROFILE: C
• FINGERBOARD: Pau Ferro
• RADIUS: 14″
• NUT: Aluminum
• NUT WIDTH: 1.65″
• FRETS: 24
• BRIDGE: Traditional bridge with single rosewood saddle
• NECK PICKUP: High output, high impedance Lipstick single coil
• BRIDGE PICKUP: High output, high impedance Lipstick single coil
• FINISH: Copper Burst gloss polyester

Check price/availability at:

Final Thoughts

These uniquely designed guitars are distinctly retro. They look and sound like no other guitars, and have been an essential part of rock’n’roll history.

They may not be to everyone’s tastes, but their bold, unconventional sound and looks are plenty fun.

What do you think of Danelectro guitars? Let us know in the comments below.

Image credits: danelectro.com