Follow the lime green arrows to tour work in process:
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Danelectro Dane Scorpion, model number D3N12; Before starting any work: ( Side note: Model number designates: D = Dane, 3 = 3 pickups, N = highest of Danelectro's A thru N qualitative / pricing model designation, 12 = 12 string ). |
A look at original parts layout staging:
The Scorpion after disassembly, initial cleaning and staging of parts for bridge work calculations. Notice that the forward bridge mount holes are right at the forward edge of the electronics control plate, making moving the bridge forward problematic for correcting the reissue bridge's rearward displaced intonation datum line (details provided further below).
(The pickups are cradled in their sockets to minimize movement of vintage wires during the bridge work). |
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--- Background of task / project ---
The bridge was missing on guitar Customer purchased from me. Customer desires to have a functional & intoneable bridge installed. Original vintage bridges had a straight single fixed bridge saddle with no means to intone each individual string, ...requiring tuning to a choraling average between the Spanish and dupler string pairs. Danelectro post-1998 reissue 12 string bridges are intoneable bridges jobbed by Gotoh, but require hardware changes to match-up with the vintage bridge's / guitar's intonation datum, ...and the reissue bridges are also designed for string-thru-body configuration where the dupler strings would have to be rooted to ferrules on the back of the guitar or to the bottom of the reissue bridge plate if not ran through the body. No other 12 string bridge can be found that are not also string-thru-body design; And the Danelectro reissue bridge is the only intoneable 12 string bridge that comes anywhere close to being similar to the vintage bridges. Industry Standard is achieve non-destructive retrofitting of parts onto vintage guitars. |
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How vintage bridges mount onto this Scorpion:
2 stainless #9 wood screws screw into the guiar, passing through the front 2 of 3 large holes in the electronics cover plate just aft of the bridge pickup. These 2 screws act as vertically adjustable leg posts that the front of the bridge sits upon. Another same-kind screw inserts through the aft mounting hole in the bridge and screws down into the matching hole in the guitar thru the matching hole in the electronics cover plate. |
Fretboard view before any work; ( For reference; Inconsequental to project ). |
Headstock view before any work; ( For reference; Inconsequental to project ). |
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A look at the difference in factory intonation datums between the vintage and reissue 12 string bridges.
The scale lenght is 25", slightly shorter in string / intonation datum length to compensate for string displacement stretching. At the bridge saddles position, the green line marks the guitar's Just Intonation string distance datum. The red line marks the datum of the Danelectro reissue 12 string bridge saddles in their factory configuration, 3/16" short of intonation for the guitar's intonation datum. Since the bridge plate mounting screws / posts cannot come farther forward than the electronics plate receiving holes, and shaving the rear of the neck heel is not an option for a non-destructive job, ...then The most preferred correction is to find a means to move the reissue bridge's saddles farther forward than factory configuration. But reconfiguring the reissue bridge presents a problem with string threading, detailed later in this presentation. |
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Follow the lime green arrows to tour work in process:
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12th fret; ... Intonation string length mid-point. |
Reissue bridge saddles' intonation datum in factory configuration. |
Red dots at bridge position indicate holes that would have to be drilled to fit the reissue bridge in it's factory configuration. |
Non-destructively fitting an intoneable 12 string bridge onto a vintage Danelectro Developing a professional solution for consumer-level retrofitting where none can be found among experts |
PLEASE NOTE: These webpages are under construction and may be incongruent until finished. |
Webpages provided for owner of guitar and participating technicians |
All work on all pages of this Danelectro 12 String work sequence is copyright 2006 by W.D. Turner or others. Unauthorized use of any of this work is strictly prohitibited except as provided by law. |
All work on all pages of this Danelectro 12 String work sequence is copyright 2006 by W.D. Turner and others. Unauthorized use of any of this work is strictly prohitibited except as provided by law. |
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