Late 1990's Danelectro '56 U2 Reissue Cream Electric Guitar

The Danelectro U2 is a dual-pickup hollow bodied guitar made of Masonite and shaped similar to a Les Paul model guitar. It was originally made from the years 1956 to 1958 but was re-issued in the late 90s, in 2006 in a slightly modified form as the '56 Pro, and again in 2010-11 as the '56 Single Cutaway. This guitar, the 56-U2, is an example from the first re-issue line, circa 1998-2001.

Used, very good condition, cool sounding guitar. A few minor scratched, no dings, the pickguard has some wear and the frets are lightly worn, no major divots.

The sound of a U2 is distinctive of the Danelectro guitar, coming from its lipstick pickup which when both selected are wired in series rather than the more standard parallel used today by most big brands. Construction materials used by Danelectro in this period are quite unusual for guitar making. The U2's body is made of a poplar wood frame with Masonite used for both the top and back, with the side of the body being bound with creme coloured vinyl. It's no wonder that players who can own every variation of Fender Stratocaster, Telecaster or Gibson Les Paul own at least one Danelectro. There is simply no other guitar like a Dano! If there is a sound you have been struggling to attain, play a Danelectro 56-U2 and you might discover that the sweet tone that has been eluding you is just two lipstick pickups and a semi-hollow body away. When Nat Daniel made the first Danelectro back in the mid Fifties, could he have had any clue that his guitar would sound so great and play so majestically? Known for its amazing tone and "signature sound," the U2 guitar was a instant hit when it first appeared in 1956. Thousands of recordings from the 50's and 60's feature its signature sound. Forty-something years later, the U2's sonic magic is superbly replicated in this reissue incarnation, the 56-U2. Impressively, it's a near-perfect recreation of the original with "Coke bottle" head-stock and exact replicas of the original's tuners. Just about everything here is identical to the original! This includes those beloved "lipstick tube" (so-named because the originals actually used surplus lipstick tubes), single-coil pickups, the stacked, concentric knobs (combining volume and tone onto one pot); the heavy-duty, industrial-strength toggle switch, and an alloy bridge with a rosewood saddle. The 56-U2's hollowness provides a buxom acoustic voice; amplified, it's a bright, trebly guitar with ample harmonic overtones that cut through a mix. It's simply a great-sounding guitar that delivers jangle (using both pickups) and fatness (the typical front-pickup tone). The pickups kick out a Strat-like output, but with more mid-range. The 56-U2 offers great playability and cool vintage looks!