1960s/2020s Danelectro/Partscaster 5-String Electric Guitar

Update 2/21/23: I've updated this whole post with new photos and description. Now back to it...

This quirky beast is another foray into my lust for 5-string, modal-tuned, guitar-like instruments. I keep it tuned DADAD low to high -- like open D tuning minus the third (F#) where guitar's G-string would be. It could be used in all sorts of tunings, though -- the "Keith Richards" open G comes to mind: GDGBD low to high -- with just a little bit of setup tweaking and restringing.

It's a partscaster assembled from some nice gear I had on hand (and purpose-fit). The body is one that was gifted to me by my friend Reese and I believe it's sugar pine that he rattlecan-nitro'd in what appears to be sonic blue or maybe something between sonic and daphne. Curious! It has a light eggshell texture to it that feels and looks great with the mix of parts that's on there.

The neck is a 1960s Danelectro (Silvertone-branded -- for a normal-scale amp-in-case model) neck that had been stripped of finish and then used that way for ages. It has a natural-wear charm to it and the headstock's top had been damaged so it recut very nicely into a neat curve that looks slick with the 5-string tuners. I added a bone nut to it and leveled/dressed the frets. The tuners are locking Grover units and they work well.

It has a kick-butt Decoboom Strat pickguard in a "fireworks" sort-of '50s-style pattern. These are reverse-painted and reverse-engraved like Gretsch pickguards but fancier. It looks great.

The pickups are 3x Artec Alnico-magnet lipstick Strat-sized single coils and they sound rather authentic to my ear. I've had tons of old Danelectros and these are in the same vein -- not as quirky as "the real thing" but with much the same vibe.

My wiring harness is a little interesting in that the 3-way switch is set to neck/neck+bridge/bridge rather than a normal Strat-style 5-way switch. To add the middle pickup in, the throw switch nearest the jack plate needs to be switched towards the pickup selector. This lets you add the middle to any other pickup combination you like. I like this a lot because it's a little more flexible and eliminates the hunting-around for sounds that sometimes happens with a 5-way.

I modified a Mustang-style bridge and bridge/whammy plate for use on this because I wanted the look. I think it gives this a bit more interest and it also has the simpler saddle/adjustment setup of the Mustang bridge where you don't have rattling height-adjustment screws and whatnots for each saddle. I think you get a bit more sustain because of that, perhaps, but it also suits my no-frills aesthetic.

All of the wiring is good quality -- full-size Bourns 500k pots with an Orange Drop 22 cap -- and runs to a Switchcraft jack on a good, relic'd Gotoh jack plate. I've used Fender bolts and an F-logo neck plate and the strap buttons are Gotoh relic'd as well in the Gibson-style to give it more of that Dano-like vibe.

Yep, it plays spot-on. Yep, the neck is straight, Yep, it sounds killer. Why sell?

I think I've given-up on a Strat or Tele shape for this type of instrument just due to where my hands and arms wind-up when using it. I really like these modal instruments but I tend to play them a bit more like a bouzouki or tenor-banjo-like instrument than a guitar (lots more picking and strumming near the bridge) and for some reason that means my right shoulder does not like how I'm interacting with the body and hand placement when I play this for more than half an hour or so. Rather than part this thing into a new body and follow the quest too far and ruin a cool piece of kit, I figure someone else would like to enjoy this as it sits instead. 

Repairs included: assembly, wiring, modification, etc. etc...

Body wood: two-piece pine (I believe)

Bridge: Mustang-style

Fretboard: Brazilian rosewood

Neck wood: poplar

Pickups: 3x Alnico (Artec-style) lipstick single coils

Action height at 12th fret: 1/16" overall (fast)
String gauges: currently 50w, 36w, 26w, 14, 11

Neck shape: medium C/D

Board radius: 14"

Truss rod: two big old steel bars

Neck relief: straight

Fret style: medium-height/wide width

Scale length: 25"

Nut width: 1 5/8"

Body width: 12 1/2"

Body depth: 1 3/4"

Weight: 7 lbs 7 oz

Condition notes: it's both worn and cleanish. The neck was stripped bare long ago and then played a lot so it has plenty of wear to its rear that makes it feel "homey." The body was freshly-painted a while back and shows minor handling wear and a seam line on the back. The pickguard has some scratching on it but looks great. It's been on three guitars, now, and I played all of them a bunch. Inside the "trem cavity" on the rear you will find one blown-out bit of wood from when I was modifying the cavity to accept the deeper pickups. Oops! It happens. There's a pic. The strings also mount through the rear of the guitar under the same "cavity cover" as well. There are filled screwholes on the back of the neck just above the heel joint. There's a mild gap between the bottom of the heel and the pickguard but it's so non-obvious it would need to be pointed-out.

It comes with: no case, sorry.