Danelectro DC 59 (Black)

Dave Inger
September 10, 2009

Rating: 10/10

I was looking for a semi-hollow guitar to replace my acoustic which I\'d sold a few weeks previous. I\'d heard of Danelectro before, but more for their pedals than guitars. I only noticed this guitar whilst watching the video to Metallica\'s Unforgiven II and seeing Kirk Hammett playing one. After a bit of online research and looking at several reviews and fansites which said it was great I thought \'why not?\' though I wasn\'t expecting much with the Made In China tag and low price!
I ordered from Dolphin on a Wednesday night, by Friday afternoon it was at my door! Brilliant service from Dolphin, seriously, buy with confidence!!
Anyhow, I needn\'t have worried about the Made In China part! Danelectro must have some cracking luthiers over there as this guitar is spot on!! It was pretty much still in tune out of the box and ready to go. All I did was lower the action slightly, but that\'s just my preference. To play, as I say, it really does feel like a guitar two or three times the price with a finish to match! Pictures don\'t do it full justice, the matt finish is just great!
Soundwise I shan\'t say much as there are several good videos on youtube which are worth watching if you can\'t try before you buy. I have a Fender Roc Pro amp on which this sounds fantastic! Even with overdrive those pickups rock! My only gripe is that I imagine if you had to set the intonation, it would be a pig as the screws are under the strings (but I Bet it\'s do-able). But I\'ve not had to do it as the intonation was fine!
In closing, if you\'re thinking of buying this guitar, think no more! Just get it! At this price you won\'t be dissappointed!
Cheers to Dolphin!

Chris
April 6, 2009

Rating: 9/10

I always wanted one of these but never got around to it. More fool me...it arrived safe and sound from Dolphin and on time and I opened the box and could not believe how light it was.There really isn\'t much too it, but in this case less is deffo more.
I put some different strings on played about with the action (It didn\'t need either doing but its just me!)
I took it to a rehearsal and after everybody else had a go on it, I then got a chance.(Loud)

It rings it sings its really a joy to play and you kind of feel a bit like Syd he he (Oh yeah I got the black and White looks like a killer whale or is that Wail?)

I remember when I bought my first mini back in about 95...I laughed all the way home it was such fun to drive,this is the same, it is fun why? Search me, but it is, but its not a toy it has some really great sounds that I can\'t get from my other guitar.

I only have one criticism, and its not serious, but you do have a job getting a decent strap on the the strap holdy thing behind the neck...but I\'m sure there will be an expert out there somewhere who can tell me where I went wrong?

My other guitar is an 80\'s Yamaha SG 2000S, and while it doesn\'t grunge as much, it is much brighter. This is s guitar for a specific purpose, and if you are a finger picker or slidey man. it\'s perfect.I am getting closer to grunging it up a bit by having both pick ups on wanging up the bass end and bunging the drive up to 50...its getting there.

At the price that it is, it is well worth having even if it only brings you a bit closer to Syd.

Richard Pievaitis
February 28, 2009

Rating: 10/10

Once i saw this guitar i had to have one ,even in this credit crunch era,look at the price.at first i thought,wow,this,ll be way out of my price range,easy £1000+,but wait what did i see next less than £200,you,ve got to be joking !!!
so ,i read all the reviews i could find,i had seen jimmy page use one on kashmere,white summer and in my time of dying on the LED ZEP. DVD set that came out a few years ago.so if pagey had one it must be good,but was the replica any good ?
again after reading up all i could and NOT being anywhere near normal civilisation( i live on the east coast)i.e. there are NO music shops for miles...... and i am disabled so getting out and about is very hard for me,i decided ..yes lets get one.
i rang dolphin, surely they must have sold out by now,\"do you have any DC59,s - the black one please\"
yes sure, they,re not in yet so you,ll be guaranteed one if you place the order -came the reply !!!
imagine my suprise,yes get me one now please.
well after waiting for them to ship,the box arrived at my home just as promised ( dolphin are VERY good at deliveries being on time via e mail confirmations),i trembled at the thought of what it would really look like.
all i can say is \" imagine what you think and treble it \".the guitar looks fabulous.in real life the black finish is just gorgeous,not quite matt/not quite gloss,very smooth to touch.even all my family stood around in awe- now that,s a first normally my wife say \" oh yes another black box that goes beep then !?!\"but this time they were all stood there mouths agog.\"its beautiful!\" was the response from all.
what does it sound like then ?
well, very good,very powerful in a full sense,not as trebly as i thought it would be but thats a matter of amp settings i,m sure.i only tried it out on my 20 watt peavey practice amp so far not my VOX,AT50VTXL, now that will be fun.
nice sound from each pick up but really good when both are turned on - very full and meaty in a non humbucking way.
quality of finish;now lets say its not a les paul 59 or yamaha 3000 finish BUT for a sub £200 level the finish is superb.no catchy frets, no rattles or buzzing,fully setup, no out of tune higher frets,nothing,no loose screws or strap buttons.everything is what you would expect from a much higher rice.so in my book if anyone asks how much it cost all i,ll say is \"what do you think ?\"
lets see what responses i get eh ?
so to summarise;great price - i,m sure they,ll soon be collectors pieces again at this price,great service from dolphin,great finish and set up and very playable /usable in todays market.if you want to stand out from the crowd why not get one- its has pedigree and heritage,not something you,ll find everywhere eh ?
richard pievaitis(Bleedthefield)

p.s. i reckon the black looks the best followed by the green/cream one.