“A unicorn in the guitar world, and for its price, playability and tones, it is a magical beast to rein in”: Danelectro Doubleneck review
If, “Is it time I brought a doubleneck electric guitar into my life?” is a question you have ever asked yourself, Danelectro answers it in the most emphatic fashion
An incredible guitar times two, the Danelectro Doubleneck will double your pleasure with 6- and 12-string guitars at your fingertips for an approachable price.
Pros
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Lightweight and affordable doubleneck.
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New alnico V lipstick pickups offer a clear, jangly voice and snappy response.
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Effortless playability on both necks.
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Vintage appeal and classic finish.
Cons
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No switching option to have 12- and 6-string active together. No case or gig bag.
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When I think back to the ’70s, the famously coined “Me” decade, it seems the only surefire way you could leave audiences awestruck was to strap on a doubleneck electric guitar.
You needed a doubleneck as the showstopper, the ultimate display of onstage one-upmanship. How else could Jimmy Page have handled The Song Remains the Same – or Don Felder executed Hotel California – without a doubleneck guitar in the picture?
But, lest I forget the obvious, this is not a guitar you sit on the couch with. It’s rather unwieldy, not to mention potentially too expensive for most of us. All that aside, I know, for many of you, your inner-rock star longs to own one or have the bragging rights to declare, “I play a doubleneck!”
Well, get ready, aspiring arena rockers; Danelectro delivers a doubleneck that’s not only reasonably priced but every bit as stunning in sound and function.
Danelectro’s patented short-horn, double-cutaway body style proves to be an advantageous contour for unencumbered playing in its redesign as a doubleneck. Furthermore, the guitar is surprisingly lightweight for a doubleneck, making it all the more appealing when you’re ready to break it out onstage. Plus, it looks timeless in its opulent, white pearl finish.
(Image credit: Danelectro)
Danelectro doubles up on its time-tested recipe of semi-hollow construction, spruce body with hardboard top and back, feedback-resistant spruce center blocks, bolt-on maple necks and two aluminum nuts to invigorate this guitar’s lively response when strummed unplugged.
Even though I suggested it’s impractical, you can actually play it sitting down, thanks to its narrow 1 5/8-inch body depth that doesn’t make the doubleneck experience entirely awkward.
You’ll also need to get used to navigating between necks, manipulating controls and switches and playing deftly on the 6-string below the 12-string neck. But once you do, it’s quite exhilarating having two entirely different instruments at your disposal.
Setup out of the box becomes dead-on after a slight tweak of the truss rods to straighten the necks, and the uniformly slim neck profiles combined with the super-flat fretboard radii make chording and soloing an effortless journey on both necks.
Intonation is also spot-on by way of the fully adjustable diecast bridges where the strings are top-loaded for the 12-string, and string-through for the 6-string bridge for an extra snappy response.
(Image credit: Danelectro)
The four Danelectro lipstick pickups with alnico V magnets (two pickups per side) sound phenomenal for their clear articulation and snappy snarl – especially in both bridge positions. The dual stacks of concentric volume (bottom) and tone (top) controls are wired to govern the bridge pickups for the first stack, while the second stack pilots only the rhythm pickups.
With that, you can set up different outputs and tonal shades between the 6- and 12-string sides, giving you colorful flexibility. Also, the three-way pickup selector is wired in series for the middle position, which adds low-end emphasis for a beefier sound, while scooping the mids and smoothing out the highs.
Here, the 12-string had the most “Ric-like” jangle. But for onstage, I set the 12-string for a softer chime and readying the 6-string side for full-gas output. Finally, a two-way switch activates either the 12-string or 6-string, but not both simultaneously (a minor bummer, but this can be modified).
Despite that, a doubleneck is a unicorn in the guitar world, and for its price, playability and tones, Danelectro’s Doubleneck is a magical beast to rein in. Be audacious and get one for yourself.
Specs
PRICE: $899
BODY: Shorthorn body style shape, spruce/plywood with hardboard top and back. Spruce center blocks
BRIDGE: Fully adjustable 6- and 12-string bridges with intonatable saddles
Paul Riario has been the tech/gear editor and online video presence for Guitar World for over 25 years. Paul is one of the few gear editors who has actually played and owned nearly all the original gear that most guitarists wax poetically about, and has survived this long by knowing every useless musical tidbit of classic rock, new wave, hair metal, grunge, and alternative genres. When Paul is not riding his road bike at any given moment, he remains a working musician, playing in two bands called SuperTrans Am and Radio Nashville.
