If you get what you pay for, then how do you explain the Danelectro phenomenon?

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An old buddy of mine used to play his dad's old Danelectro from the 50's and it was incredible to play. It was so ugly, looked like he ordered it out of the Sears catalogue, and I know they are worth a lot of money now.

But now they have these reissues coming out for a couple of bills...what's up with that? How do they differ from the originals?
 
How do you explain the lava lamp?
The old Danos used formica tops and the famous "lipstick" pickups and they were crap.But the nostalgia market has made prices on anything "vintage" just insane.I saw a late 60s strat neck (neck only!) at the SW guitar show for a grand.Go figure...

Tom
 
Tom- Thats cause some low-life is going to take that neck, bolt it to a Squier Strat, "Age" the thing with some Old English and sell it at the next show for $5000.

I hate guitar dealers.

H2H
 
I grew up on the Jersey shore in the 60's and Danelctro
had their factory in Neptune, N.J.. I had a friend who played bass and sang with me. His brother worked there and we saw alot of Danelectro products and for the money they werent bad. Better than Kay or Harmony, I would say as good as a Hagstrom allthough
Hagstrom had the potential to be a great guitar if they ever got their act together. I think now its the electro nostalgia and the rebellion of owning and using a guitar a "professional" would not use, or downright ignorance. I know some people who have them for backup guitars
and for the money they are good for that. Danelectros
late sixties early seventies thin line hollowbody with two pickups wasnt a bad guitar in any sense.
 
Tom, what I'm saying is that these reissues are going for a couple hundred bucks, and they seem like decent guitars! I'd think that the nostalgia thing would make them worth more. I wasn't aware that the original Danelectros were a cheaper breed, but it was obvious they weren't a Fender or a Gibson.

As for cheaper guitars, I've played a lot of cheaper guitars, and some good ones as well. Unfortunately for the most part I play what I can get my hands on. I've performed many a time with piece of shit guitar, and it isn't because I think it's especially cool to use a "non-pro" guitar, it's because I want to play, and I'm not ashamed. What I do think is cool is to be yourself.

It cracks me up sometimes when I see these horrible bands with like 5 Marshall stacks per guitarist in these little clubs. The thing is a lot of bands rely on silly shit like their equipment to justify their credibility. Nice equipment is great, don't get me wrong, but it doesn't in any sense of the word validate your artistry, at least not in my book.
 
Don't get me wrong,I think inexpensive guitars are great.I still remember with fondness my buddy's cheapo Silvertone electric with the amp built into the case.That was really cool!
But what burns me is using the vintage craze as an excuse to sell stuff for way more than any objective valuation would call for.When I started playing,I couldn't afford new guitars so I bought used 50s Gibsons for under $200;Melody maker,Les Paul Jr. (my brother got a Black Beauty for $150)and an ES125 come to mind.What I wouldn't give to have those old axes back now...

Tom
 
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