Danelectro UB-2 Electric 6-String Bass Guitar (1956)
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Item #6967
Danelectro UB-2 Model Electric 6-String Bass Guitar (1956), made in Neptune, NJ, serial # 2126, bronze lacquer finish, masonite and pine body,poplar neck with rosewood fingerboard, original tweed hard shell case.
The young Danelectro company introduced this Model UB-2 in 1956. With it, founder Nathan Daniel created the "Electric bass guitar"-a 6-string instrument tuned like the guitar but an octave lower. With a low-pitched but comparatively bright, twangy tone the Danelectro put low notes up front, and carved out a unique niche for itself as a specialty instrument. The 1956 catalog was full of enthusiasm "This instrument makes a perfect bass�playing of melody, chords and riffs can be accomplished as on regular guitar�(it) is terrific for rhythm and melody, and simply cannot be beat for combining both." It is compared to the (unnamed) Fender Bass: "�six strings, having much greater range; double pickup instead of single, 3-way switch, softer action." The pitch goes on: "If you are a professional guitarist�this instrument means more demand for your services�play guitar and double on bass with one instrument."
The UB-2 is nearly identical to Danelectro's contemporary guitars, but with a longer 29 1/2" scale neck. It is built on the same flat-topped, single cutaway semi-solid Masonite and pine body with the two pickups/one switch/two concentric control knob rig. Daniel felt he had given bass players "2 extra strings for free" and the instrument would be a natural for both bassists and guitarists. The UB-2 was priced at $135.00 offered in three finishes-black or bronze lacquer with white vinyl siding and the rare "grained ivory leatherette" body covering which disappeared almost immediately. This bronze version is somewhat rarer than the familiar black. This one also includes the original vaguely coffin-shaped Masonite-topped case covered in tweed fabric.
The place Daniel's bass WAS a hit was period recording studios, especially in Nashville. Session players developed a style of playing it with a palm-muted pick, dubbed 'Tic-Tac" bass. Used to double and re-inforce the upright bass and give punch to the track, within a short time the "Tic-Tack" became a standard and widely heard sound. Well before the Fender Bass was accepted on country records, a Danelectro was the hot new sound. While The UB-2 rarely appeared in the hands of a featured artist, many twanged away in the late '50's and '60's, unseen but easily heard on hundreds of recordings and TV/film soundtracks.
This single-cutaway UB-2 model lasted in the line only a couple of years-after 1958 Danelectro re-worked the concept and offered both 4- and 6- string Longhorn and Shorthorn basses made from interchangeable standard parts. This economy-of-scale trick made production of limited-market instruments much more economical. The bass designs that debuted in 1958-9 replaced the UB-2 in the Danno line, but never fully in player acceptance. Well into the 1960's many sessioners preferred this original single-cutaway UB design, which can be seen in studios years after the company phased them out. This is a fantastic example of a first-year UB-2, played but not abused and fully ready to "twang ON" again.
Overall length is 43 5/16 in. (110 cm.), 13 1/4 in. (33.7 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 29 1/2 in. (749 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.). This bass remains all original and unaltered; there is some light wear overall, the only serious finish loss being to the back of the neck. In this early period Danelectro sprayed a color strip down the neck's spine OVER the lacquer sealer; in most cases (as here) it has worn away and the neck is down to the clear undercoat. A certain amount of that has rubbed off as well, so the neck is down to polished wood in some spots-very much like the typical wear on 1950's fenders. There is a typical cigarette burn on the headstock face below the low E string (ah, those smoky sessions of years past) and the vinyl covering on the sides is lightly stained in spots. The neck is very straight and this is a superbly playable example of this historic bass, not only the first of its kind but also arguably the best as well. Includes the even rarer original Masonite case. Excellent - Condition.
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The young Danelectro company introduced this Model UB-2 in 1956. With it, founder Nathan Daniel created the "Electric bass guitar"-a 6-string instrument tuned like the guitar but an octave lower. With a low-pitched but comparatively bright, twangy tone the Danelectro put low notes up front, and carved out a unique niche for itself as a specialty instrument. The 1956 catalog was full of enthusiasm "This instrument makes a perfect bass�playing of melody, chords and riffs can be accomplished as on regular guitar�(it) is terrific for rhythm and melody, and simply cannot be beat for combining both." It is compared to the (unnamed) Fender Bass: "�six strings, having much greater range; double pickup instead of single, 3-way switch, softer action." The pitch goes on: "If you are a professional guitarist�this instrument means more demand for your services�play guitar and double on bass with one instrument."
The UB-2 is nearly identical to Danelectro's contemporary guitars, but with a longer 29 1/2" scale neck. It is built on the same flat-topped, single cutaway semi-solid Masonite and pine body with the two pickups/one switch/two concentric control knob rig. Daniel felt he had given bass players "2 extra strings for free" and the instrument would be a natural for both bassists and guitarists. The UB-2 was priced at $135.00 offered in three finishes-black or bronze lacquer with white vinyl siding and the rare "grained ivory leatherette" body covering which disappeared almost immediately. This bronze version is somewhat rarer than the familiar black. This one also includes the original vaguely coffin-shaped Masonite-topped case covered in tweed fabric.
The place Daniel's bass WAS a hit was period recording studios, especially in Nashville. Session players developed a style of playing it with a palm-muted pick, dubbed 'Tic-Tac" bass. Used to double and re-inforce the upright bass and give punch to the track, within a short time the "Tic-Tack" became a standard and widely heard sound. Well before the Fender Bass was accepted on country records, a Danelectro was the hot new sound. While The UB-2 rarely appeared in the hands of a featured artist, many twanged away in the late '50's and '60's, unseen but easily heard on hundreds of recordings and TV/film soundtracks.
This single-cutaway UB-2 model lasted in the line only a couple of years-after 1958 Danelectro re-worked the concept and offered both 4- and 6- string Longhorn and Shorthorn basses made from interchangeable standard parts. This economy-of-scale trick made production of limited-market instruments much more economical. The bass designs that debuted in 1958-9 replaced the UB-2 in the Danno line, but never fully in player acceptance. Well into the 1960's many sessioners preferred this original single-cutaway UB design, which can be seen in studios years after the company phased them out. This is a fantastic example of a first-year UB-2, played but not abused and fully ready to "twang ON" again.
Overall length is 43 5/16 in. (110 cm.), 13 1/4 in. (33.7 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 29 1/2 in. (749 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.). This bass remains all original and unaltered; there is some light wear overall, the only serious finish loss being to the back of the neck. In this early period Danelectro sprayed a color strip down the neck's spine OVER the lacquer sealer; in most cases (as here) it has worn away and the neck is down to the clear undercoat. A certain amount of that has rubbed off as well, so the neck is down to polished wood in some spots-very much like the typical wear on 1950's fenders. There is a typical cigarette burn on the headstock face below the low E string (ah, those smoky sessions of years past) and the vinyl covering on the sides is lightly stained in spots. The neck is very straight and this is a superbly playable example of this historic bass, not only the first of its kind but also arguably the best as well. Includes the even rarer original Masonite case. Excellent - Condition.