This guitar has a few thoughtful modifications, and all the original parts are included.

The original bridge was replaced because its design wasn’t very good. The current bridge plate was made by Jeff Senn in Nashville; he sold these for a while (not sure if they’re still available), and they’re a great upgrade if you actually want to play one of these guitars. The plate includes five mounting holes, but this Dano model only uses three screws, so only three of the holes are used. The plate installs directly onto the body with no modifications.

We installed compensated Callaham Tele saddles so the guitar can be properly intonated—a major improvement over the stock single wooden saddle that simply slides back and forth. Combined with the sturdier Senn bridge plate, this results in a U1 that (finally!) plays in tune.

We also installed “Golden Age” tuners from StewMac. This wasn’t strictly necessary—the original tuners work fine—but tuner buttons from the ’50s can sometimes crack or crumble. The StewMac tuners are modern, precise, and reliable. They were installed using the original screws, and the original tuners are included if you’d prefer to reinstall them.

The guitar has had no fretwork, yet it plays remarkably well for an untouched ’50s instrument: low action, minimal relief, and no dead spots.

No case. Sold as-is. Everything works properly—electronics are solid, it plays nicely, and it sounds great.