NGD - Danelectro Hodad

For guitars of the straight waisted variety (or reverse offset).
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Jonesie
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NGD - Danelectro Hodad

Post by Jonesie » Sun Sep 19, 2021 5:09 pm

So, I've been GASing for a Dano for the last year or so, and while this isn't exactly the one that I was looking for, it scratches the itch. I found this on Facebook marketplace and was able to trade away a beat up Fender Vaporizer amp that wasn't really doing a lot for me since I got my Ampeg Jet. Did a straight up trade, and I feel like we both made out pretty well.

When I got it home I had to set it up a bit, as one would imagine. Lower the bridge, adjust the truss rod, new strings, clean it up, etc. Only got to plug it in for a few minutes, as I just got home about an hour and a half ago, but it sounds really good! Less thick than I expected for humbuckers. Honestly, they kinda sound like regular Dano Lipsticks. Middle position is still series, which sounds fantastic. The neck pickup and middle position with the coils split (accessed by a Neck Tone Push/Pull) sound nice, the bridge is just super super thin if it's split. There's also a phase push/pull on the bridge tone knob, which is surprisingly usable! I think it'll be a great tool for recording.

The only thing that'll really take getting used to is how it hangs on a strap, it's almost like a Firebird where the shape of the body puts your hand a little further out.

Anyways, now onto the eye candy. The body's a bit beat up, but it's just finish damage, nothing that breaks through the masonite. The guitar is a VERY subtle black sparkle. Almost unnoticable, but it's there.

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noisepunk
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Re: NGD - Danelectro Hodad

Post by noisepunk » Mon Sep 20, 2021 4:48 am

my step-dad had one of these, and i agree, they're really fun!

your descriptions are spot on– i remember liking every setting on the controls, and appreciated how all of them still sounded like a danelectro with lipsticks.

damn, hadn't thought about that guitar in a long time. i wonder what happened to it.

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Paco
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Re: NGD - Danelectro Hodad

Post by Paco » Sun Oct 10, 2021 8:07 pm

Dude, that Hodad is beautiful! Danelectro is doing some amazing and super overlooked shit, IMO. I've been wondering about those lipstickbuckers, nice to know the thing still sounds like a dano :-*

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Jonesie
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Re: NGD - Danelectro Hodad

Post by Jonesie » Mon Oct 11, 2021 3:20 pm

Paco wrote:
Sun Oct 10, 2021 8:07 pm
Dude, that Hodad is beautiful! Danelectro is doing some amazing and super overlooked shit, IMO. I've been wondering about those lipstickbuckers, nice to know the thing still sounds like a dano :-*
In playing it more I'm not as in love with the humbuckers, to be totally honest. I've mostly been playing it with the coils split in the middle or neck position. For the humbuckers the bridge is the most usable, the neck is a bit woofy, but when the coils are split the bridge is almost unusably shrill.

This definitely isn't my favorite guitar, but it does a thing and it does it well, so it'll stick around. It's already gotten more use than the amp that I traded for it.

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CivoLee
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Re: NGD - Danelectro Hodad

Post by CivoLee » Tue Oct 12, 2021 4:05 pm

I saw one of those things in a guitar shop used section once. I probably could've bought it, but didn't.

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cincinnatiharry
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Re: NGD - Danelectro Hodad

Post by cincinnatiharry » Fri Nov 05, 2021 1:48 pm

Cool Mosrite vibes.
"some misguided Marin county hot-tubber"

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